President Biden on Thursday night condemned the “cruel” hate crimes against Asian Americans, which he said were “attacked, persecuted, accused and made a scapegoat” during the coronavirus pandemic.
“They are forced to live in fear for their lives just walking the streets in the United States,” said Biden during a prime-time address at the White House, marking a year since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. “It is wrong. It is not American and must stop.”
Asian Americans struggled with anxiety and fear as violence against them increased during the pandemic. Activists and elected officials say the attacks were fueled at first in part by the rhetoric of former President Donald J. Trump, who often referred to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” because it originated in Wuhan, China. Trump also blamed the Chinese government for the pandemic, saying Beijing has failed to prevent the virus from spreading beyond China’s borders.
Last year, researchers and activist groups recorded thousands of racist incidents against Asian Americans. Earlier this year, an 84-year-old man from Thailand was violently thrown to the ground during an attack in San Francisco and later died. The murder, which his family described as racially motivated, spurred a campaign to raise awareness of his death and the recent attacks against Asian Americans.