UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries Urges Members to Call on Congress to Condemn Anti-Asian Sentiment and Racism

unsplash.com/Jason Leung photo

The UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) office, located in Washington, D.C., issued an action alert Monday (March 22), urging UCC members to contact their Congressional representatives and urge them to condemn racist attacks and classify them as hate crimes.

“The surge of anti-Asian discrimination towards our Asian American and Pacific Island neighbors from the spread of the Coronavirus has resulted in a dramatic increase in hate crimes, repeated misrepresentation of the virus by politicians and in the media, and outward racist attacks across the country,” reads the alert. “This xenophobia and racism must end now. Scapegoating and blaming Asian Americans for Coronavirus (COVID-19) is immoral, rooted in bad science, and extremely harmful to Asian Americans and to society as a whole. This appalling rise in attacks must be countered with swift action.”

On March 11, Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The legislation is aimed at addressing the increase in violence targeted at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) by improving state and local coordination and directing targeted resources to the Department of Justice. The bill also focuses on mitigating the racially discriminatory language used describing the pandemic and to combat misinformation.

CHHSM stands with Justice and Witness Ministries in this call for action. As a faith community, we care called to speak out against hate in all forms. As the JWM action alert says, “The act of loving one another is done by countering and resisting racism and discrimination in all forms. Let us show support for our Asian American and Pacific Island neighbors in this crucial moment. Our actions now, in this crisis, show us who we really are. Contact your members of Congress today.”

Take action by contacting your Congressional representatives.

Read more about the 2021 COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

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