The president, Joe Biden, and the vice president, Kamala Harris, visited the city of Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, where they met
with leaders of the Asian-American community
and offered comfort and support after Tuesday night's shootings against three spas. in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where eight people died, including six women of Asian descent.
The visit comes as investigators continue to clarify whether the white man who opened fire was racially motivated, at a time when the Asian-American community is experiencing a sharp increase in verbal and physical attacks.
"Whatever the reason, there is one thing we do know: Too many Asian-Americans have been walking down the street worried" and fearing "for their safety and that of their children," Biden said from Emory University.
The president also called gun violence in the United States "a public health crisis."
Biden urged
Congress to quickly pass the COVID-19-related hate crimes law
that, according to the president, seeks to accelerate the federal government's response to the increase in racist crimes, linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
Three shootings in metro Atlanta leave eight dead
March 17, 202100: 20
"The law would support state and local governments to
facilitate the reporting of hate crimes
and ensure that information about
hate crimes
is more accessible to Asian-American communities," the president said in a statement prior to his arrival in Atlanta.
[Attacks against older adults of Asian origin skyrocket: "Violence must stop"]
Biden said it was "heartbreaking to hear" Georgia Asian-American lawmakers and other community leaders talk about how they live in fear of violence during their meeting before he and Kamala Harris delivered their remarks this afternoon.
“Racism is real in America.
And it always has been.
Xenophobia is real in America and it always has been.
Also sexism ”, said the vice president.
“The president and I will not remain silent.
We will not be left out.
We will always speak out against violence, hate crimes and discrimination, where and when they occur ”.
Biden and Harris spent much of their visit comforting a community whose growing voting power helped secure their electoral victory in Georgia and other states.
Both implicitly criticized former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as the "China virus."
"Over the last year we've had people in positions of incredible power who have made Asian Americans scapegoats," Harris said, "people with the biggest pulpits, spreading this kind of hate."
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"We've always known that words have consequences," Biden said.
The president recalled that during his first week in office, he signed a presidential memorandum to condemn and combat racism, xenophobia and intolerance against citizens of Asian origin.
In addition, he ordered the Department of Justice and the Department of Health to help lead plans to stop anti-Asian prejudice, xenophobia and harassment.
The COVID-19 hate crimes law aims to address the rise in violence against Asian Americans by increasing oversight of coronavirus-related hate crimes in the Department of Justice and providing support to the state and local law enforcement agencies.
A study by advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate revealed that there are more than
3,700 reported hate incidents
against Asians between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021. The group emphasized that the count represents only a fraction of the number. incidents experienced by Asian Americans across the country.
Biden also took advantage of the visit to Atlanta to tour the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, in English), where he received a report on the status of the pandemic and also dedicated a few words of encouragement to the scientists of the agency.
"We have a huge debt of gratitude and we will have it for a long, long, long time," Biden said, adding that under his administration "science is back."
The White House has confirmed that the president will meet with voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, in 2022. He will also meet with new Democratic senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and with the Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
With information from CNBC and The Washington Post.