III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 133 

Condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID–19. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 24, 2021 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CARDIN, 

Mr. CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. COONS, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. DURBIN, 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. KAINE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. PADILLA, 

Mr. REED, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SCHATZ, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. 

SMITH, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WARNER, Mr. 

WARNOCK, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. BENNET, 

and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related 

to COVID–19. 

Whereas there are 23,000,000 Asian Americans and Pacific 

Islanders in the United States, constituting 7 percent of 

the population of the United States; 

Whereas over 2,000,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are working on the front lines of the COVID–19 pandemic as first responders and in health care, law enforcement, transportation, supermarkets, and other service industries; 


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•SRES 133 IS 

Whereas the use of anti-Asian terminology and rhetoric related to COVID–19, such as the ‘‘Chinese Virus’’, 

‘‘Wuhan Virus’’, and ‘‘Kung-flu’’ have perpetuated antiAsian stigma; 

Whereas the use of anti-Asian rhetoric has resulted in Asian 

Americans being harassed, assaulted, and scapegoated for 

the COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas, since January 2020, there has been a dramatic increase in reports of hate crimes and incidents against 

those of Asian descent in all 50 States and the District 

of Columbia; 

Whereas, according to a recent report, there were nearly 

3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian discrimination related 

to COVID–19 between March 19, 2020, and February 

28, 2021; 

Whereas, in incidents of anti-Asian violence occurring in 

March 2020— 

(1) a woman wearing a mask was kicked and 

punched at a New York City subway station; 

(2) 2 children and 2 adults were stabbed at a wholesale grocery in Midland, Texas; 

(3) a couple was assaulted and robbed by a group 

of attackers in Philadelphia; and 

(4) a 16-year-old boy was sent to the hospital after 

being attacked by bullies in Los Angeles, California; 

Whereas since the start of the COVID–19 outbreak, antiAsian discrimination and hate has continued; 

Whereas a disproportionate number of attacks, approximately 

68 percent, have been directed at Asian-American 

women; 


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•SRES 133 IS 

Whereas since the start of 2021, there has been a surge in 

anti-Asian attacks targeting predominantly elderly Asian 

Americans; 

Whereas, on January 30, 2021, an 84-year-old Thai man, 

Vicha Ratanapakdee, died from injuries sustained from 

an unprovoked assault while on his routine morning walk 

in San Francisco, California; 

Whereas, in January 2021, a series of attacks occurred in 

Oakland’s Chinatown targeting Asian-American seniors, 

and victims included a 60-year-old man and a 55-yearold woman, who, in separate incidents, were violently 

shoved to the ground; 

Whereas, in February 2021, victims of anti-Asian violence included— 

(1) a 61-year-old Filipino man who was attacked 

and slashed across his face on a New York City subway; 

(2) a Filipino woman in her eighties who was 

punched in an unprovoked attack while riding a trolley 

in San Diego; and 

(3) a 52-year-old Asian woman who was attacked 

and forcefully shoved while waiting in line outside a bakery in Flushing, New York; 

Whereas, on March 16, 2021, 8 people, including 6 women 

of Asian descent, were shot to death at 3 Atlanta-area 

businesses and this violence has heightened the pain and 

fear in the Asian-American and Pacific-Islander communities; 

Whereas anti-Asian racism has also resulted in Asian-American businesses being targeted for vandalism; 


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•SRES 133 IS 

Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000 Asian-Americanowned businesses that generate over $700,000,000,000 in 

annual revenue and employ millions of workers; 

Whereas more than 1,900,000 Asian-American and PacificIslander older adults, particularly those older adults who 

are recent immigrants or have limited English proficiency, may face even greater challenges in dealing with 

the COVID–19 pandemic, including discrimination, economic insecurity, and language isolation; 

Whereas the World Health Organization (referred to in this 

preamble as the ‘‘WHO’’) and the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (referred to in this preamble as 

the ‘‘CDC’’) recognize that naming COVID–19 using geographic terms or linking it to a specific ethnicity perpetuates stigma; 

Whereas in 2015, the WHO issued guidance calling on media 

outlets, scientists, and national authorities to avoid naming infectious diseases for locations to avoid stigmatizing 

groups of people; 

Whereas, on February 27, 2020, the Secretary of Health and 

Human Services stated, ‘‘Ethnicity is not what causes 

the novel coronavirus’’ and that it is inappropriate and 

inaccurate to call COVID–19 ‘‘the Chinese virus’’; 

Whereas, on February 28, 2020, the Chief Medical Officer of 

the CDC said that ‘‘stigma is the enemy of public 

health’’; 

Whereas, on March 10, 2020, the Director of the CDC testified that use of the term ‘‘Chinese coronavirus’’ is wrong 

and inappropriate; 


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•SRES 133 IS 

Whereas the Secretary General of the United Nations called 

for international solidarity and an end to any ill-founded 

discrimination; and 

Whereas, on January 26, 2021, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum ‘‘Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States’’: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns and denounces all forms of anti3 Asian sentiment, including those relating to 

4 COVID–19; 

5 (2) recognizes that the health and safety of all 

6 people of the United States, regardless of back7 ground, must be the utmost priority; 

8 (3) condemns all manifestations and expres9 sions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti10 Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or reli11 gious intolerance; 

12 (4) calls on Federal law enforcement officials, 

13 working with State and local agencies— 

14 (A) to expeditiously investigate and docu15 ment all credible reports of hate crimes, harass16 ment, bullying, and threats against the Asian17 American and Pacific-Islander communities in 

18 the United States; 


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•SRES 133 IS 

1 (B) to expand collection of data and public 

2 reporting to document the rise in the incidence 

3 of hate crimes relating to COVID–19; and 

4 (C) to hold the perpetrators of those 

5 crimes, incidents, or threats accountable and 

6 bring such perpetrators to justice, including 

7 through investigation and prosecution; 

8 (5) calls on the Attorney General to work with 

9 State and local agencies and Asian-American and 

10 Pacific-Islander community-based organizations to 

11 prevent discrimination, and expand culturally com12 petent and linguistically appropriate education cam13 paigns on public reporting of hate crimes; 

14 (6) calls on the Secretary of Health and 

15 Human Services, in coordination with the COVID– 

16 19 Health Equity Task Force and Asian-American 

17 and Pacific-Islander community-based organizations, 

18 to issue guidance describing best practices to miti19 gate racially discriminatory language in describing 

20 the COVID–19 pandemic; and 

21 (7) recommits the United States to serving as 

22 a model for the world in building a more inclusive, 

23 diverse, and tolerant society— 

24 (A) by prioritizing language access and 

25 inclusivity in communication practices; and 


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•SRES 133 IS 

1 (B) by combating misinformation and dis2 crimination that puts Asian Americans and Pa3 cific Islanders at risk. 

Æ 


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