John,

It’s on every single one of us to step up and do more to protect the Asian American and Pacific Islander community -- this month and every month.

There’s been a sharp rise in anti-Asian hatred since the start of the pandemic -- new data shows that one in ten AAPI adults have experienced hate crimes and hate incidents in 2021 alone.

That’s why I’m proud to have voted this week to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which will create a position at the Department of Justice to expedite the review of hate crimes related to COVID-19, encourage reporting of incidents in multiple languages, and direct federal agencies to work with community organizations to raise awareness of hate crimes.

I take seriously my responsibility as a representative to stand against hatred and uplift the voices of AAPI citizens in IL-03 and across the country -- and I won’t stop fighting to build the truly fair, just, and equitable nation that we all deserve.

Our work is just beginning.

In solidarity,

Marie Newman