Friend,

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It is especially important to celebrate this year as it has been a difficult one for the AAPI community here in America and around the world.

The AAPI community has contributed mightily to our society through entrepreneurship, education, medicine and health, culture and the arts. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have shaped our democracy and given their lives in service to this country.

As the coronavirus spread, we saw an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence and discrimination throughout the US. As we observe Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we must recognize the bigotry experienced by the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander community and work to end it.

That's why I voted for the bipartisan COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act that overwhelmingly passed the House and Senate. This bill instructs the Department of Justice to designate a point person to expedite the review of COVID-19 hate crimes and expands efforts to make reporting hate crimes more accessible at both local and state levels, including providing online reporting resources available in multiple languages. President Biden signed this bill into law today.

We have to come together to reaffirm our commitment to combating hate, bigotry and violence. Hate has no place here in America. On this, we must stand together.

- Jim