[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 51 (Thursday, March 18, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1623-S1624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           GEORGIA SHOOTINGS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the Asian-American community is still 
reeling from the senseless murder of eight people near Atlanta, six of 
whom were women of Asian descent. It will be some time before we 
understand what drove the madman who perpetrated this crime, but there 
is no doubt that abuse, prejudice, and violence against Asian Americans 
is on the rise, and it is so un-American and so despicable that we all 
must be speaking out about this.
  The same day that six Asian women were killed in Georgia, the Stop 
AAPI Hate organization released a report naming 3,800 incidents of hate 
against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and that is just in 1 
year alone.
  The fear in the Asian-American community and the threat of violence 
against its members should be a topic of national conversation.
  In the last 4 years--you know, we all know there have been forces of 
racism, dark forces, that have been often seen in America, but the last 
4 years, where Donald Trump, at the very minimum, refused to condemn 
the bigotry in the instances when he should, have allowed them to come 
far more up to the surface. It is as if the society's superego that 
keeps these dark forces down has been greatly diminished or even 
removed.
  It is up to us, particularly under the new President, who fights 
bigotry at every step of the way--but it is up to all of us to speak 
out against it and to act against it.
  The story of the Asian-American community is quintessentially an 
American story, and we cannot allow the rising tide of bigotry against 
them, the intolerance against them, the prejudice against them to go 
unchecked because in a multicultural society like ours, an attack on 
any one group is an attack on everyone.
  I love the Asian-American community. They are such fine, good 
American people. The story of the Asian-American community is 
quintessentially an American story. It is a story of coming here, 
building strong communities, opening local businesses, churches, civic 
organizations, and slowly but surely gaining the political 
representation they so deserve.

[[Page S1624]]

  Just yesterday, we confirmed a nominee whose parents emigrated from 
Taiwan to become the U.S. Trade Representative. That is notable and 
important progress. But, unfortunately, the past few years have shown 
us that America has not excised the age-old demon of racism, and to too 
many it has become acceptable, permissible, or just shrug your 
shoulders. That cannot be.
  With respect to the Asian-American community specifically and all 
communities, we must condemn rhetoric that is racist. In this case, we 
must condemn any rhetoric that blames the Chinese people for the 
coronavirus. President Trump did that, despicably, and that notion was 
too often encouraged by others who repeated his harsh, nasty, and 
bigoted words.
  We must stand beside and stand up for our Asian-American brothers and 
sisters. Americans of every faith, every color, every gender and sexual 
orientation must band together against these dark forces of hate. As I 
said, they are always with us, but somehow after the 4 years of the 
Trump Presidency, they are rising to the surface and seem too 
acceptable to too many people. Fight them, fight them, fight them we 
must.
  As we mourn with the people of Georgia, let us recommit ourselves to 
that most American of creeds that is right above the mantle where you 
sit, Mr. President, ``e pluribus unum.'' Out of many, one.
  America: ``e pluribus unum.'' Out of many, one.

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