[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 117 (Thursday, July 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H6119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HATE CRIMES INCREASE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, in my community and in communities across 
this Nation, we have seen in the past year a dramatic increase in hate 
crimes and attacks against immigrants and, generally, against people of 
color.
  In New York City, we saw how a lawyer named Aaron Schlossberg 
launched a racial verbal attack against workers at the Fresh Kitchen 
restaurant in Midtown Manhattan simply because they spoke Spanish.
  Think about that for a minute, Mr. Speaker. This was in New York 
City, a city that prides itself on being a city of immigrants, a city 
which touts the presence of Lady Liberty herself on the harbor. Still, 
this lawyer felt compelled--without any hesitation, shame, or guilt--to 
confront workers at the Fresh Kitchen restaurant, verbally assaulting 
them simply because they spoke Spanish.
  Yet we keep seeing more and more examples of aggressors and harassers 
launching vicious attacks and directing hate speech toward those whom 
they wrongfully perceive to be un-American.
  In another recent incident, Rodolfo Rodriguez, a senior citizen, 91 
years old, was brutally attacked for his ethnic background. He is of 
Mexican descent. He was told to go back to his country before being 
brutally assaulted with a brick.
  In another recent incident at the Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve, Ms. 
Mia Irizarry was another victim of verbal harassment, abuse, and 
physical intimidation in an almost unthinkable 20-minute racial rant. 
Her harasser caught sight of Ms. Irizarry's shirt, patterned with a 
Puerto Rican flag such as this one, and proceeded to verbally assault 
her simply for the sighting of a proud American wearing a flag that 
represents 3.5 million American citizens on the island of Puerto Rico 
and several million more here in the United States.
  The perpetrator said: If you are an American citizen, you should not 
be wearing that shirt in America.
  Let me remind him that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, that they 
have a long and distinguished tradition of defending freedom and 
democracy for our Nation across the world. They have spilled the blood 
of thousands in support of America and democracy.
  Each of these instances and situations come on the heels of a 2017 
California report, the first published since President Trump took 
office, indicating a 17 percent increase in hate crimes. Specifically, 
anti-Latino, anti-Hispanic hate crimes have soared, with increases of 
more than 50 percent last year.
  Mr. Speaker, according to a Quinnipiac poll, 58 percent of Americans 
disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling immigration, and 55 
percent of Americans say that the President has made it easier for 
racists to share their views publicly.
  Like Attorney Schlossberg in New York City, like Jones in Los Angeles 
and Timothy Trybus in Illinois, we find aggressors and perpetrators who 
do not represent our values as a nation of immigrants.
  The problem we have is that these individuals have seen our leaders 
in elected office participate in hateful and intolerant acts with 
hateful and intolerant words. Whether in New York City, Los Angeles, or 
Cook County, we have seen naked racism and blatant bigotry.
  To these bigots I say this:
  (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)
  The United States is for all of us--regardless of the color of our 
skin or the language we speak.
  Los Estados Unidos es para todos--independientemente del color de la 
piel o el idioma hablado.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York will provide the 
Clerk a translation of his remarks.

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