You are reading

Meng Applauds House Passage of Her COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act That Aims to Combat Anti-Asian Hate

Rep. Grace Meng discusses the passage of her COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 18 (Photo courtesy of Meng’s office)

May 20, 2021 By Ryan Songalia

A bill aimed at combating anti-Asian hate crimes passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday with overwhelming support and now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

The bill, known as the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, would simplify the reporting and review process pertaining to racially motivated crimes amid the pandemic.

Congresswoman Grace Meng, the bill’s chief sponsor in the House of Representatives, says she hopes the passing of the bill brings comfort to Asian Americans who have lived in fear due to the rising number of hate crimes they’ve experienced since the pandemic altered American life in March 2020.

“I commend my colleagues in the House for taking action to combat the despicable and sickening acts, hate and violence against Asian Americans, and for having the Asian American community’s back as we fight this xenophobia and racist attacks,” said Meng, who is in her fifth term representing her Queens district.

The bill calls for the Department of Justice to create a position to expedite the investigation of hate crimes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, encourages reporting of incidents in multiple languages, and directs federal agencies to work with community-based organizations to raise awareness of hate crimes.

The House passed the bill by a 364 to 62 vote. It breezed through the Senate last month by a 94 to 1 vote.

President Joe Biden vowed to “gladly, anxiously sign” the bill in his first address to Congress on April 28.

The number of hate crimes against Asian Americans jumped significantly nationwide in 2020, primarily due to the pandemic. New York City saw 28 reported incidents last year, compared to just 3 in 2019, according to the NYPD.

Meng believes the number of incidents to be even higher.

“The Asian American community is exhausted from being forced to endure this ongoing racism and prejudice. Asian Americans are tired of living in fear, and being frightened about their kids or elderly parents going outside,” Meng said.

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Maspeth woman charged with DUI after slamming SUV into school crossing guard: NYPD

A Maspeth woman was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and other crimes after she slammed her SUV into a school crossing guard on Tuesday afternoon.

Police from the 104th Precinct responded to a 911 call of a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Eliot Avenue and 71st Street at around 3 p.m. on Sept. 26. Upon their arrival, officers found the 63-year-old woman lying on the roadway with trauma to her head. EMS responded to the scene and rushed the crossing guard to Elmhurst Hospital in critical but stable condition, according to the NYPD.

MTA providing shuttle from 7 train to traveling Vietnam War Memorial replica in Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Sep. 26, 2023 By Bill Parry

The MTA is working with the NYC Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide shuttle bus service between the Mets-Willets Point 7 train station and Flushing Meadows Corona Park for all those wishing to visit the “The Wall that Heals,” a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that honors the more than three million Americans who served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam conflict.