Ayanna Pressley: ‘Republican Rhetoric and Policies Have Helped to Normalize’ Anti-Asian Racism

PRESSLEY Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ And thank you to ░░░░░░░░ witnesses for being here ░░░░░░░░ policymakers we have the ░░░░░░░░ to weigh our words ░░░░░░░░ especially during discussions like ░░░░░░░░ one that we re ░░░░░░░░ here today The Chinese ░░░░░░░░ Party has adopted Russian ░░░░░░░░ efforts to interfere in ░░░░░░░░ elections and advance its ░░░░░░░░ objectives We should address ░░░░░░░░ issue seriously And we ░░░░░░░░ and must do so ░░░░░░░░ stigmatizing and discriminating against ░░░░░░░░ based on their identities ░░░░░░░░ slurs are not a ░░░░░░░░ security strategy They do ░░░░░░░░ to help counter the ░░░░░░░░ posed by the CCP ░░░░░░░░ Mattis at June 2023 ░░░░░░░░ you wrote that equating ░░░░░░░░ Chinese Communist Party to ░░░░░░░░ culture is quote racist ░░░░░░░░ any other name end ░░░░░░░░ I agree distinguishing between ░░░░░░░░ political party and an ░░░░░░░░ race of people and ░░░░░░░░ culture is important And ░░░░░░░░ have the moral responsibility ░░░░░░░░ make that clear Yet ░░░░░░░░ s lost on some ░░░░░░░░ Mattis what is the ░░░░░░░░ in equating China s ░░░░░░░░ party the Chinese Communist ░░░░░░░░ with all people of ░░░░░░░░ descent MATTIS One because ░░░░░░░░ history of China is ░░░░░░░░ bigger than the Chinese ░░░░░░░░ Party It is one ░░░░░░░░ the world s great ░░░░░░░░ There contains you know ░░░░░░░░ you accept the way ░░░░░░░░ which the current sort ░░░░░░░░ minority structure is is ░░░░░░░░ or not it includes ░░░░░░░░ lot of different people ░░░░░░░░ from different places that ░░░░░░░░ come together or have ░░░░░░░░ sort of defined as ░░░░░░░░ in the last 170 ░░░░░░░░ Another reason is that ░░░░░░░░ are a lot of ░░░░░░░░ Americans who are Chinese ░░░░░░░░ who came to this ░░░░░░░░ States and have chosen ░░░░░░░░ become citizens I remember ░░░░░░░░ classmate of mine at ░░░░░░░░ of Washington was seventh ░░░░░░░░ Chinese which is more ░░░░░░░░ than I am by ░░░░░░░░ measure that counts and ░░░░░░░░ pretend that they are ░░░░░░░░ represented by the Chinese ░░░░░░░░ Party rather than their ░░░░░░░░ politicians their elected congressional ░░░░░░░░ and their state senators ░░░░░░░░ governors and president I ░░░░░░░░ it dismisses the choices ░░░░░░░░ they or their family ░░░░░░░░ have made PRESSLEY Thank ░░░░░░░░ anti Asian racism is ░░░░░░░░ in this country Republican ░░░░░░░░ and policies have helped ░░░░░░░░ normalize it In March ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump tweeted the ░░░░░░░░ phrase quote China virus ░░░░░░░░ quote in reference to ░░░░░░░░ 19 In the week ░░░░░░░░ followed there was a ░░░░░░░░ increase in anti Asian ░░░░░░░░ on Twitter as well ░░░░░░░░ an increase in hate ░░░░░░░░ against Asian Americans according ░░░░░░░░ a 2021 study I ░░░░░░░░ for unanimous consent to ░░░░░░░░ this study from the ░░░░░░░░ Journal of Public Health ░░░░░░░░ the record CHAIRMAN Without ░░░░░░░░ to order PRESSLEY Mr ░░░░░░░░ how can Congress address ░░░░░░░░ CCP without contributing to ░░░░░░░░ MATTIS The first is ░░░░░░░░ continue making such distinctions ░░░░░░░░ even if they re ░░░░░░░░ if they re anti ░░░░░░░░ in terms of policies ░░░░░░░░ help us frame in ░░░░░░░░ own head in our ░░░░░░░░ mind what it is ░░░░░░░░ we should be focused ░░░░░░░░ and how our efforts ░░░░░░░░ be guided The second ░░░░░░░░ that I ve I ░░░░░░░░ believe that we have ░░░░░░░░ shortage of China expertise ░░░░░░░░ all of the different ░░░░░░░░ in the government and ░░░░░░░░ ways either through the ░░░░░░░░ of an open source ░░░░░░░░ as Colonel Newsham ph ░░░░░░░░ the sort of the ░░░░░░░░ of the foreign broadcast ░░░░░░░░ service But it is ░░░░░░░░ discussing it s public ░░░░░░░░ issue to make information ░░░░░░░░ PRESSLEY Thank you MATTIS ░░░░░░░░ at the end of ░░░░░░░░ day our federal government ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement will focus ░░░░░░░░ illegal behavior And that ░░░░░░░░ where we want it ░░░░░░░░ a democracy But what ░░░░░░░░ re talking about is ░░░░░░░░ unacceptable but still illegal ░░░░░░░░ And that s something ░░░░░░░░ has to be guided ░░░░░░░░ a civil discussion in ░░░░░░░░ society about how we ░░░░░░░░ we govern ourselves and ░░░░░░░░ we deal with each ░░░░░░░░ as citizens PRESSLEY Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much The AAPI ░░░░░░░░ has seen a sharp ░░░░░░░░ in discrimination and race ░░░░░░░░ violence since the start ░░░░░░░░ the pandemic There were ░░░░░░░░ anti Asian hate crimes ░░░░░░░░ the country in 2019 ░░░░░░░░ number jumped to 746 ░░░░░░░░ 2021 nearly five times ░░░░░░░░ Our constituents are depending ░░░░░░░░ us to help them ░░░░░░░░ endanger them with racist ░░░░░░░░ As a proud member ░░░░░░░░ the congressional Asian Pacific ░░░░░░░░ Caucus my hope is ░░░░░░░░ Congress will prioritize policies ░░░░░░░░ affirm and protect the ░░░░░░░░ of our community like ░░░░░░░░ Southeast Asian Deportation Relief ░░░░░░░░ and stop contributing to ░░░░░░░░ acts against them And ░░░░░░░░ Professor Snyder when political ░░░░░░░░ normalized racist language that ░░░░░░░░ one group against another ░░░░░░░░ t make our country ░░░░░░░░ or less safe SNYDER ░░░░░░░░ our adversaries know and ░░░░░░░░ to exploit it makes ░░░░░░░░ less safe PRESSLEY Thank ░░░░░░░░ I yield back.”