Several Democratic lawmakers introduced a resolution in the US Congress to condemn US President ‘s amplification of a “racist rhetoric” targeting Indian and Chinese Americans.
The resolution was moved by Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ted Lieu, and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. It criticised Trump’s amplification of a racist post by radio host Michael Savage on social media platform .
“The post used derogatory language about India and China, questioned immigrants’ loyalty, and trafficked in harmful stereotypes targeting Indian Americans and Chinese Americans,” said the resolution co-sponsored by Congresswomen Grace Meng and Judy Chu and Congressmen Shri Thanedar, Suhas Subramanyam and Ami Bera.
On 22 April, Trump shared excerpts from The Savage Nation talk radio show, in which conservative commentator Michael Savage said: “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet.”
India had then as “obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste.”
What the resolution says:
“When President Trump amplifies racist rhetoric targeting Indian Americans and Chinese Americans, it sends a dangerous message at a time when both communities already face hate and discrimination. The President of the United States should be condemning racism, not fueling it,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, as per a press release.
He asserted that generations of Indian and Chinese Americans have strengthened American communities, contributed to economic growth, served in the US army and helped carry forward the promise of America.
Krishnamoorthi pressed that Trump must recognise that the people he demonised are every bit as American as he is.
The resolution follows growing concern from civil rights advocates that rhetoric targeting people based on national origin or ethnicity reinforces harmful stereotypes and fuels racist discrimination and violence.
‘Trump uses xenophobia as distraction’
“From the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II to a sitting president amplifying claims that Indian and Chinese immigrants have ‘no loyalty’ to this country, the message has too often been the same: Asian Americans have been treated as perpetual foreigners, no matter where we were born, how long we’ve lived here, or how deeply we’ve contributed to this nation,” Lieu, a Congressman of Taiwanese descent, said.
“I came to the United States when I was three years old and have dedicated my life to serving my community and my country. Racist, xenophobic rhetoric has no place in America. Immigrants strengthen this nation every single day, and no amount of hateful rhetoric from a racist president will ever change that,” Lieu added.
Meanwhile, Jayapal accused Trump and his administration of turning towards racism and xenophobia as a distraction from the fact that they are failing Americans, who cannot afford to put gas in their cars or food on their tables.
“Disgusting, hateful rhetoric like this being promoted by the President of the United States will only add fuel to the fire as anti-Asian hate is already on the rise,” Jayapal said.
‘Anti Asian hate Trump’s national pastime’
The resolution was endorsed by civil rights groups including STOP AAPI Hate, Chinese for Affirmative Action, South Asian Network, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC.
“Language that demeans entire nationalities and communities fuels prejudice, discrimination, and violence,” said Vincent Pan, Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action.
Meanwhile, Shakeel Syed, Executive Director of South Asian Network said that Trump’s tirade against Indian and Chinese Americans must be stopped before innocent people lose their lives to his racist rhetoric.
“Anti-Asian hate-filled rhetoric has become a national pastime of President Trump,” Syed remarked.
“The US is home to 24 million Asian Americans. When President Trump uses his platform to attack birthright citizenship, he sends a clear message: that our communities are perpetual foreigners who do not belong in his vision of America,” said Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate.
“And when he singles out Chinese and Indian immigrants, he puts all Asian Americans at risk regardless of immigration status. Make no mistake, this is not about national security. It’s not about policy at all. It’s racism and xenophobia masquerading as law, and we refuse to let it stand,” Choi asserted.
