Rep. Steel Speaks on House Floor to Condemn AAPI Hate

Press Release

Today Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-48) spoke on the House Floor about the rise in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate, and her bipartisan resolution introduced earlier this year to condemn the hate crimes and hate incidents many in the AAPI community have faced.

"It is heartbreaking to read the news stories of these crimes, and my heart goes out to all those who have been victims of this violence. I have experienced this type of discrimination and racism firsthand. I have been called racist slurs and been treated differently because I am Asian American. As a proud American, and someone who loves this country dearly, I take this rise in violence against our community very seriously," Rep. Steel said.

In February, Rep. Steel introduced a resolution with Rep. Katie Porter (CA-45) condemning hate crimes committed against the AAPI community, which have been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. This bipartisan resolution currently has 19 cosponsors and is the only bipartisan legislation of its kind in the House.

"I am proud to be standing here today to condemn these violent acts and support my community. While I disagree with my democratic colleagues on many things, this is one area where we can find common ground. That is what bipartisanship is -- disagreeing with someone but finding issues where there is an opportunity to work together for the good of the country. I will continue to work on behalf of our AAPI community in Congress and condemn hate in all forms, because this is not a partisan issue," Rep. Steel said.

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering two bills this week to condemn the rise in hate crimes and the deadly shootings in Atlanta that killed eight people, seven of whom were Asian-American. You can learn more about these bills here and here. Rep. Steel today voted in favor of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (here).

As Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, in 2020 Rep. Steel introduced a resolution calling for "tolerance and compassion" towards all residents of Orange County. The resolution also condemned the discrimination that had been on the rise against the AAPI community.

The Korean American Grassroots Conference (KAGC), the Federation of Korean Associations USA, Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE), National Asian American PAC (NAAPAC), Korean American Presidency Coalition, and the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) have endorsed her bipartisan resolution.

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