[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17974]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  THREATS OF HATE MUST STOP AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINESE-AMERICAN 
                               POPULATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, some time back I rose in the well of this 
House to denounce the burning of Black churches in the south. A few 
weeks ago, it was my duty and the duty of my like-minded colleagues to 
denounce the burning of three synagogues in California. Today it is my 
painful duty to speak out against a new and different incipient hate 
crime.
  I am proud to represent the City of San Francisco in this body. San 
Francisco is viewed across the globe as one of the most spectacularly 
beautiful places on Earth, but its real beauty comes not from its 
location and topography and buildings but from the richness of the 
cultural variety of its citizens.
  In recent days, our Chinese American population has been intimidated, 
attacked, assaulted, with hate literature of the most pernicious type. 
I stand here, Madam Speaker, calling on these merchants of hate to stop 
their nefarious and hideous business.
  San Francisco's Chinese American community is one of the most law 
abiding, industrious, hard working, patriotic segments of our society. 
They deserve our respect and our recognition; not the oozing of hate 
literature and the threats of thugs who are in the process of 
attempting to intimidate a population which for generations has 
contributed so richly, not only to the cultural variety but also to the 
economic vibrancy of our city.
  This attack on San Francisco's Chinese American community must stop. 
I call upon the major law enforcement agencies at all levels to be 
ultra vigilant in seeing to it that these merchants of hate will not go 
beyond their threats and, in fact, engage in physical actions of 
intimidation against the Chinese American population.
  San Francisco prides itself, and justly so, in providing a secure, 
safe and civilized haven to all its citizens. The Chinese American 
population of the City of San Francisco is entitled to nothing less.
  I intend to meet with the leadership of that community to reassure 
them that my colleagues in this body and indeed our Federal Government 
is fully prepared to protect them in all their rights and privileges as 
American citizens.

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