US President Joe Biden speaks in Washington, DC, on April 15, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA The US Senate’s ratification of the draft Act on Hatred Crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic is considered a milestone in the Biden administration’s efforts to protect the Asian community. This is also a remarkable domestic achievement of Mr. Biden in the first 100 days in power. The draft Hate Crime Act of the COVID-19 pandemic received the support of 96 senators and only 1 vote against. The near-absolute support in the Senate, where Democrats and Republicans share seats, shows that the two parties themselves are increasingly aware of the urgency to enact a legal basis to stop them. cases of violence against Asian Americans as well as strict punishment against objects of discrimination against this community. The bill was proposed by the only two Asian parliamentarians in the Senate, Ms. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Ms. Tammy Duckworth (Illinois), requiring the US Department of Justice to speed up the review of related cases. enmity stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic, which proposed the establishment of an office under the Justice Department tasked with dealing with criminal acts against Asian Americans. Law enforcement at the local level will be assisted in receiving and resolving violence against Asian Americans, and expanding resources to improve the reception of information about cases. hate, increase investment to support the victims. Notably, the bill also aims to limit the increasing use of discriminatory language since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Next May, the US House of Representatives will hold a vote on the draft law, but the possibility that the above document is passed and becomes law is completely feasible when the Democratic Party, which holds control in this agency. and both President Biden has previously expressed support for the bill. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) affirmed that the new bill “will protect American values ​​through the fight against xenophobia and hatred of Asian people”. Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the bill as a message to the Asian American community that “the government will care, listen and act to protect them”. This can be seen as a success of President Biden, who has repeatedly urged the US Congress to pass a bill to deal with discrimination against Asians in America. It can be said that resolving racism in the US in general, and Asian-American discrimination in particular, is one of the focuses of the Biden presidential administration. Just a week after taking office, Mr. Biden signed an executive order condemning prejudice and violent discrimination against Asian Americans. The US government has also implemented a series of measures to deal with this situation, such as setting up a committee to deal with and end Asian discrimination, calling on local authorities to pay more attention. to this issue. The US also announced to spend nearly $ 50 million to support Asian people who are victims of violence and discrimination. A virtual library of projects to explore and celebrate Asian contributions to the United States is also underway. Recently, President Joe Biden appointed Erika Moritsugu, a Japanese-American, to the position of Vice President Assistant and Senior Coordinator for the Asian American Community and Pacific Islands. Along with the government’s measures, the US Senate’s ratification of the bill is the first concrete action of congressmen, demonstrating the determination of the US authorities to resolve this issue. In fact, stigmatization cases against Asian Americans and islands in the Pacific (AAPI), which make up 6.9% of the US population, have existed for a long time in this country’s society and are growing steadily. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic more than a year ago, partly due to misinformation about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to a study by California State University, the city of San Bernardino, Asian-American discrimination cases increased by nearly 150% in 2020 in 16 of America’s largest cities, especially in Los Angeles and New York. , where there are a lot of Asians. Stop Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI), an organization that synthesizes cases against Asian Americans, said less than a year since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the center has received the report. about 3,795 cases of discrimination against Asians and Pacific islands across the US, of which verbal harassment accounts for 68%, avoidance or deliberate avoidance of Asians 20, 5% and 11% are attacks. These numbers are only “a small part of what’s happening”, but show the prevalence of discrimination and violence against this community. According to Pew Research Center data released on April 22, 81% of Asian Americans participating in the survey said that violence against them is increasing in the United States. Even 45% of the 352 Asian adults participating in this survey shared that they were victims of at least 1 in 5 racist acts since the COVID-19 epidemic occurred. Not only the acts of physical and mental harassment, the destruction of Asian-owned stores and businesses that hinder this community from doing business has increased significantly during the period. outbreak … According to statistics from the New American Economy Fund, although only accounting for a small percentage of the US population, Asian people and Pacific islands have certain contributions to the US economy. The tax that the households of this community contributed in 2017 accounted for 7.8% of the total taxes of all households in the US, equivalent to $ 218.6 billion, and this community also spent 526, $ 2 billion in consumer spending, housing purchases and investment. If only 9.5% of American workers are business owners, the rate among Asian and Pacific Islanders is 10.3%, contributing to creating millions of jobs for the US labor market. In 2016, Asian-owned businesses employed more than 5.1 million people. It can be said that the wave of marches against Asian stigma spread in the US, and Asian patrol teams were established in New York and many cities over the past time, showing a change in reception. a positive attitude in America to this issue. The issue of Asian-American stigma is difficult to resolve overnight, but the measures taken by the Biden administration show America’s efforts to combat discrimination and hatred. clan, in the spirit of “healing and national action”.

After the terrible shooting in Atlanta (Georgia) in mid-March, Tam Nguyen organized self-defense classes for the Vietnamese community in Garden Grove, California. The purpose of the class is to help members protect themselves from racist acts against Asian Americans. Photo: Reuters.

The shootings at three spas in the city of Atlanta have left 8 people, including 6 women of Asian descent, dead. The suspect said he suffered from a sexual addiction and the women were “tempted”. The shooting occurred amid rising Asian stigma attacks in the United States during the epidemic, which also sparked debate about stigmatization against Asians and a recurring image. the sexualization of Asian women in America. Photo: Reuters.

The Covid-19 pandemic prompted Nguyen to set up “Nailing It for America”. This organization accepts donations and distributes personal protective equipment for medical personnel, with a device value of about $ 30 million. In addition, the organization also provides food for the elderly isolated by the pandemic. When the shooting happened, the organization’s goal changed, focusing on helping the Asian community as well as colleagues in the beauty industry. Photo: Reuters.

Self-defense classes have also been offered in many other parts of the United States. Officials and police are also involved in teaching students and members of the Asian community how to avoid becoming victims and what to do when something goes wrong. Photo: Reuters.

“Violent situations are happening more and more. As an Asian woman, I really want to know what to do when I am in that situation,” said Vy Truong, a student. Photo: Reuters.

At the Tam Nguyen family-owned beauty salon, masters teach about 50 students for a period of one to two weeks. Lessons focus on getting away and escaping from the attacker. In addition, the masters also taught how to counterattack to pin enemies to the ground and attack at vulnerable locations. Photo: Reuters.

Tam Nguyen is a co-owner of a beauty salon in the city of Garden Grove. His family center has helped 50,000 students graduate in 35 years of operation. Most of the trainees are of Vietnamese origin. Photo: Reuters.

According to US census data, 40% of the population of Garden Grove is of Asian descent. In the nearby city of Huntington Beach, many white daemons regularly gathered to protest. Photo: Reuters.