The legislation makes no mention of Donald Trump, though many Democrats have warned that rhetoric from the former president and his allies, including the terms “China virus” and “kung flu,” have provoked many of the verbal and violent attacks against the Asian American community.
Since the start of the pandemic, in March 2020, there have been more than 6,600 hate incidents against Asian Americans, according to the group Stop AAPI Hate. Nearly two-thirds of those incidents targeted women.
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Passage of the bill comes less than two months after a gunman killed eight people in three Asian-owned spas in greater Atlanta; six of the victims were women of Asian descent. And on Wednesday, the House plans to pass a separate resolution condemning the March 16 massacre in Georgia.
History of Anti-Asian Racism in the United States theskimm.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theskimm.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Racism against the Asian and Asian American communities in the U.S. is nothing new. But since the beginning of the pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, violent acts against these groups have been on the rise, fueled by hateful comments referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus.”