On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, Congressman Al Green and several of his congressional colleagues sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump condemning anti-Asian discrimination and violence linked to COVID- 19. Congressman Green, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chairwoman Judy Chu (CA-27), and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement:

“The use of pejoratives – including ‘Chinese virus’ – to refer to novel coronavirus has reverberated from the White House to televisions across the globe. Physical assault and verbal harassment of Asian Americans unfairly associated with the spread of COVID-19 have been reported at alarming rates. This is why I have rallied my colleagues in Congress to call on President Trump to not only cease use of the term ‘Chinese virus,’ but also to denounce its use by other public officials as well as the use of any other terms associating coronavirus with persons of Asian descent” Congressman Green stated.

The Houston Congressman and 29 of his colleagues sent a letter to President Trump condemning anti-Asian discrimination and violence linked to COVID-19 on Wednesday. He added, “I must thank my colleagues for working to send a clear and uniform message: This virus does not discriminate—people do. It is incumbent upon all of us to denounce hatred and bigotry in all its forms and ensure the safety and well-being of those communities that may be unfairly targeted.”

Congresswoman Judy Chu – Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus – added, “As coronavirus has spread, so has anti-Asian bigotry. In recent weeks, there has been an alarming rise in anti-Asian hate crimes across the country, with some people even needing to be hospitalized for attacks they have sustained simply because their race. It pains me that the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress have actually made things worse by intentionally stoking xenophobia and anger. Insisting on using terms like ‘Wuhan virus,’ as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has, or directing blame and anger at China and calling it the ‘Chinese Virus,’ as the President has, puts Asian Americans at risk. That is why health experts, including the CDC, have said that associating a disease with a region or ethnicity is dangerous. And it is why the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), which I chair, has been so vocal in speaking out against anti-Asian rhetoric and discrimination. I’m grateful to my friend Rep. Al Green for leading this important letter to the White House. We must continue to push back against this destructive xenophobia and ensure the health and safety of all Americans remains a priority during these difficult times.”

“When the President uses terms like ‘Chinese virus and ‘Wuhan virus,’ he causes tremendous trauma in these communities, spreads misinformation about this global pandemic to all of us, and distracts us from their handling of the crisis,” Congresswoman Jayapal said. “The President must not only stop using these harmful terms and tropes, he must condemn and investigate all anti-Asian American hate crimes and discrimination. Stigma is the enemy of public health and we need leaders, especially the President of the United States, to strongly condemn the increasing number of racially-motivated attacks and racist rhetoric about the Asian community.”

Read the full letter below:

April 1, 2020 President Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump,

Over the last few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1,000 hate crimes have been reported against Asian Americans. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Houston office has reported that it anticipates a surge in incidents of coronavirus-related hate crimes against Asian Americans across the nation. In Texas, a family of three—including two small children—were stabbed by an attacker who believed they were carrying the coronavirus. In California, a 16-year old boy was assaulted and hospitalized by his peers at school who claimed he had the coronavirus. In New York, a woman who wore a face mask in a Chinatown subway was brutally attacked and called a “diseased b---h.”

We urge you to immediately denounce and cease your use of the term “Chinese virus” in reference to COVID-19 and condemn other public officials’ association of the coronavirus with persons of Asian descent— including “Wuhan virus” and “Kung-flu.” Such racially charged characterizations of this virus are not only deeply hurtful; they are contributing to a rise in anti-Asian discrimination and violence amid this global public health crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against using language that associates viruses with a geographic location or ethnic group. The stigma of being unfairly associated with the COVID-19 outbreak simply due to one’s appearance will only hinder virus response efforts, as people will avoid seeking care and practicing healthy behaviors out of fear of discrimination.

A recent study by the Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council has noted daily reports of coronavirus-linked discrimination, with AAPI women being three times more likely to report instances of harassment than men. These incidents of discrimination vary in form and severity— from racial slurs to being barred from businesses to cases of physical abuse.

The widespread portrayal of Asian Americans as the “model minority” has distorted the highly racialized experience of these communities, who are also perpetually perceived as foreigners. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese Americans, the history of our nation reveals shameful and inhumane treatment of Americans that we must never again allow to manifest.

At this critical juncture in this historic national crisis, we must protect and support those who are unfairly targeted and endangered by harmful stereotypes. We should be combatting the uptick in racism and xenophobia experienced by Asian Americans at this time by increasing access to resources for those communities who are limited-English proficient (LEP) as well as direct assistance to Asian-owned businesses. Anti-Asian sentiment and ignorance surrounding this disease has caused a significant financial decline in Asian establishments and Chinatowns across the nation.

Words matter. There is simply no defense for encouraging scapegoating and targeting of immigrants and minorities for spreading a disease that has no borders. This inflammatory rhetoric serves only to justify discrimination and exclusionary laws. Asian Americans do not deserve to be scapegoated at a time when our focus as public servants should be entirely on combatting our common enemy, which is this virus.

In addition to condemning anti-Asian rhetoric during this pandemic, we also request that you work together with communities in coordination with the FBI and Department of Justice to investigate hate crimes against AAPI as expeditiously as possible. With the massive waves of social and economic instability caused by this unprecedented national emergency, we must work together to mitigate the harm to these communities and prevent future incidents of anti-Asian violence. As such, we urge you to act quickly and with the full force of your office to protect the health and safety of all Americans.

Judy Chu

Jesús G. “Chuy” Garcia

Sylvia R. Garcia

Ilhan Omar

Adriano Espaillat

Raja Krishnamoorthi

Gerald E. Connolly

Joaquin Castro

Grace Meng

Alan Lowenthal

Dwight Evans

Jahana Hayes

Pramila Jayapal

André Carson

Anthony G. Brown

Sincerely, Al Green

Deb Haaland

Nanette Diaz Barragán

Barbara Lee

Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr.

Jimmy Gomez

Ro Khanna

Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.

Bobby L. Rush

Marcia L. Fudge

Katie Porter

Eddie Bernice Johnson

David Trone

Gwen Moore

Ted W. Lieu