Emotional Grace Meng leads Asian-American lawmakers detailing years of ‘screaming out for help’...

Lawmakers condemned the nation’s history of racism and xenophobia during a House Judiciary subcommittee on the rising tide of hate and violence at Asian Americans, held just two days after the killing of six Asian American women in Atlanta, and urged swift action to address the nation’s long-gestating and largely ignored discrimination.

“Our community is bleeding. We are in pain, and for the last year, we’ve been screaming out for help,” said US Rep Grace Meng.

US Rep Doris Matsui said the rhetoric has been amplified by the “highest levels of government” over the last year, as former president Donald Trump and his allies have invoked “racist slurs like ‘China virus’ to spread xenophobia and cast blame in innocent communities” for the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Meng also fired back at Republican lawmakers using the hearing to issue whataboutism broadsides against the Chinese government and allegations of mishandling the Covid-19 crisis.