Biden government condemns hate crime against Asian Americans: White House

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Yonhap) -- The Biden administration condemns racially charged hatred and crime against Asian Americans and will work to eradicate hate crime against such communities, a White House spokesperson said Friday.

Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden also remains committed to ending anti-Asian bias.

"And he has made clear that is the policy of this administration to condemn and combat xenophobia against Asian Americans wherever it exists," the press secretary told a daily press briefing.

The latest denunciation against hate crime came one day after a group of senior White House officials held a virtual meeting with Asian American and Pacific Islander advocates and community leaders to discuss "the increasing rates of anti-Asian harassment and violence," according to Psaki.

She said the administration will work to root out hate crimes, noting the president had signed a presidential memorandum in his first week in office, instructing the Justice Department to join with Asian American communities to prevent and better collect data on hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Crimes against Asian Americans have shot up in major cities such as New York since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. early last year, for which former President Donald Trump had repeatedly blamed China and the Chinese people.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus earlier said that more than 3,000 anti-Asian hate incidents have been reported since early 2020.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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