US House resolution opposes anti-Asian coronavirus rhetoric, including Donald Trump’s ‘China virus’
- Introduced by congresswoman Grace Meng, resolution calls on public officials to condemn such sentiment in any form
- Asian-Americans have faced surge of verbal and physical assaults since pandemic took hold in United States
The US House of Representatives passed a resolution on Thursday denouncing anti-Asian rhetoric related to the coronavirus pandemic, including expressions like “China virus” frequently used by President Donald Trump.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic congresswoman Grace Meng, passed 243 to 163, largely along party lines. Fourteen Republicans voted yes along with 229 Democrats. All of the “no” votes came from Republicans.
The measure calls on all public officials to condemn and denounce anti-Asian sentiment in any form, condemns manifestations of racism and xenophobia, and calls on law enforcement to investigate all forms of hate crime.
The resolution notes that US health officials have said it is “inappropriate and inaccurate to call Covid-19 the ‘Chinese virus’”, and recommends that US leaders combat misinformation and discrimination.
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Asian-Americans, harassed over coronavirus, push back on streets and social media
There has been a surge of verbal and physical assaults on Asian-Americans since the coronavirus took hold in the United States, with advocacy groups and researchers reporting thousands of such incidents.
As of August 5, 2,583 incidents of anti-Asian discrimination nationwide have been self-reported to the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Centre since March.
