By Rachel Kim
Concerns around the use of anti-Asian bigotry and anti-immigrant rhetoric by members on the house and senate floor have not gone unnoticed.
A coalition of national organizations is calling them out in a letter submitted to Congressional leadership, denouncing such rhetoric as politically motivated and urging members to refrain from peddling belligerent language for the safety of the broader immigrant and Asian American communities.
In May, two House hearings on the “Unprecedented Surge of Chinese Illegal Immigration” became a platform for officials to point out the influx of Chinese nationals entering the US/Mexico border as a geopolitical “threat” to national security. Organizations believe the portrayal of the surge was “vilified” to heighten fears using “invasion” conspiracy language.
The congressional hearings and the general mainstreaming of fear about Chinese migrants entering the nation prompted organizations like APIAVote, a national, nonpartisan organization that helped contribute to a 60% AAPI voter turnout in 2020, and America’s Voice, a pro-immigration advocacy organization, to draft and submit the letter. Nearly 90+ organizations were signatories.
“In the past six months, the focus of anti-Asian rhetoric has shifted to demonizing Chinese migrants coming to the US-Mexico border seeking a better life. What was once a conversation relegated to the fringes of the internet has now permeated mainstream political dialogue. This shift has led to problematic congressional hearings and deeply concerning speeches from political leaders, which further fuel anti-Asian sentiment and normalize xenophobia,” Christine Chen, co-Founder and Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), told AsAmNews.
Read the rest at AsAm News
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