Biden denounces hatred and violence against Asian Americans: ‘We must stop’

President BidenJoe BidenManchin Confirms Key 50-50 Senate Vote Status The Memo: How COVID Year Shook Politics Post-Pandemic Plans For Lawmakers: Chuck E. Cheese, Visiting Friends, Grandchildren Hugging MORE on Thursday condemned “vicious hate crimes” against communities in the United States of America and the Pacific Islands during his prime-time speech marking the first anniversary of the coronavirus restrictions.

During his first prime-time speech as President of the White House, Biden acknowledged the grim reality after a year of pandemic and lockdown, saying every American has suffered some form of loss.

The President went on to say that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are working on the front lines of the pandemic every day, but still fear for their personal safety while walking the streets in the United States.

“That’s wrong. It’s not American. And it has to stop,” Biden said.

Instead of working together to fight the virus, “too often we have turned on each other,” Biden continued.

He added that Asian Americans have been “attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated” since COVID-19 hit the United States.

“Many of them are fellow Americans, are on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives – and are still forced to live in fear for their lives as they walk the streets of America,” he said. -he declares.

Violent attacks on Asian Americans rose nearly 150% last year in major cities, especially New York and Los Angeles, reports NBC News.

The increase in violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders came after the coronavirus pandemic, believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, hit the United States in early 2020.

More than 3,000 hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been reported since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which Democratic lawmakers and community activists say is linked to the anti-Asian rhetoric being used by political figures such as the former. President TrumpDonald Trump The Memo: How COVID Year Shaken Politics Biden Seeks Moment With Pandemic Address One Year With Coronavirus: How We Got Here MORE.

During his tenure, Trump has also repeatedly blamed the coronavirus pandemic on China, a move that has exacerbated tensions between Beijing and Washington.