The White House plan to combat Asian American Pacific Islander hate & a Chelsea, ME Representative’s hateful email

The current situation of Asian American racial hate crimes on the rise across the nation has created a toxic environment for numerous Asian Americans.

Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans on the Rise | NBC News Now

NBC News Now uploaded this video to YouTube, with Vicky Nguyen reporting.

The situation likely started due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic being labeled by then-President Trump as the “China Flu.” His words and the mimicry from other leaders, mainly from the Republican Party, created hatred toward Chinese or those who resemble Chinese since the virus originated in Wuhan, China.

The White House has announced many new initiatives to combat these hate crimes and attacks on people of AAPI descent. The POTUS has announced they will re-instate the White House Initiative on AAPI and will expand the initiative to include federal coordination in response to anti-Asian violence or bias, especially “gender-based” violence directed against Asian Americans.

Additionally, a Director will be permanently appointed to head the initiative first implemented by President Clinton. It will be housed with the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

The White House plan to combat AAPI hate has recently become more transparent. Perhaps due to the recent mass shootings in Georgia at several massage parlors. Several women of Asian descent were killed or wounded by a white male even though he said it had nothing to do with prejudice or discrimination.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was charged with providing $49.5 million from the American Rescue Plan, the most recent stimulus package approved by President Biden, to provide "community-based, culturally specific services and programs," which will aid AAPI victims of domestic violence or sexual assault with assistance to overcome further hurdles to get aid, such as translators.

The Structural Drivers of Health Inequity and Xenophobia subcommittee was established to focus on combating AAPI hate during the pandemic. The National Science Foundation and the Justice Department have been charged with developing research "to understand, address, and end bias, discrimination, and xenophobia, including against AAPI communities."

Chelsea, Maine Representative Lemelin’s apparent racist email

Last week, Republican Representative Michael Lemelin from Chelsea, Maine, referred to COVID-19 as the “China virus” and downplayed its seriousness in an email to an Asian American constituent.

The subject came up due to the Maine CDC and the Department of Education’s decision to require “physical distancing” of at least three feet in re-opened school. This physical distancing would not allow many schools to fully re-open because of the classroom size.

Maine legislators, 51 of whom are Republican, signed the letter written by Nathan Carlow, R-Buxton, to those bodies requesting schools to fully re-open without limitations on physical distancing.

In his email, Representative Lemelin said the Maine CDC was “instilling fear” about the “China virus.” Lemelin wrote in the email, “In 2019, before the China virus hit, nearly 1/4 of Erskine academy was out sick from a virus, and not one person showed any concern.”

However, the Speaker of the Maine House, Ryan Fecteau, said, Representative Lemelin’s use of the “China virus” is “a racist trope,” was “offensive and wrong.” Still, he insists it is up to the voters of Lemelin’s district to discipline him, not the Speaker.

The Maine House Speaker Fecteau further noted, “In light of the violence Asian Americans have experienced in this country, violence that has been heightened as a result of people in leadership using this kind of harmful language, this is offensive and wrong. It is beneath the office Rep. Lemelin holds.”

References:

The CBS News article, White House announces new actions to address violence against Asian Americans.

The Portland Press Herald article, Maine lawmaker criticized for racist email.

The WSGW article, White House Takes Action to Respond to Violence Against Asian Americans.

The NBC News Now video, Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans on the Rise.