KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act earlier this week, which establishes online reporting of hate crimes, expands public education campaigns to raise awareness of hate crimes, creates a position at the U.S. Department of Justice to expedite the agency's review of hate crimes and provide a hotlines for people to report such crimes.
The rising tide of violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic spurred congressional action, which was nearly unanimous.
The Senate passed the bill 94-1 with Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, casting the lone "no" vote, calling the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act "too broad" in a statement to 41 Action News.
But Asian Americans in the Kansas City area said the pandemic has been an unnerving time, fueled by rhetoric from former President Trump that was widely viewed as disparaging toward people of Asian descent.
"It's been really difficult," Jackie Nguyen, who owns Cafe Cà Phê, said. "We've had to close our coffee shop a few days because we have been a little scared that we've been targeted or emotionally drained."
A vigil was organized outside her business last month to help others understand their concerns and fears.
"I'm proud of who I am," Bety Le Shackelford said. "I just don't want to be scared to be who I am with other people who have hate."
Shackelford helped organize the vigil and said the new bill is a step in the right direction, but she worries about how long this kind of hate will last.
"I'm very pregnant at the moment and one of the concerns that I had, raising our daughter here once she's born, is the fear of how she may feel being the only one that looks like her in her class," Shackelford said.
That worry is compounded by the frustration of knowing one of the senators representing her family voted against the bill.
"I feel sad to live here and have someone that represents our state and almost brush away those concerns that we have," Nguyen said.
Shackelford believes the path towards understanding starts with a conversation, perhaps over coffee.
"Our differences make us stronger," she said. "We don't have to combat. We can agree to disagree as long as there's respect involved."
Missouri state Rep. Emily Weber, who serves District 24, including Kansas City, also took exception to Hawley's vote in a statement to 41 Action News:
I am so thankful for U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono’s efforts to protect the Asian American and Pacific Islander community after the spike we have seen in anti-Asian violence across the country.
I’m very disappointed that Missouri Senator Josh Hawley was the lone vote against the bill, but sadly, it's not surprising. If there's a dubious spotlight, you can bet Josh Hawley will do anything to be standing in the middle of it. I wish our senator would spend more time supporting strong policy like this bill to protect AAPI Americans, and less time desperately seeking attention.
Kansas state Rep. Rui Xu, who represents part of Johnson County, was recently targeted during a visit to west-central Kansas. He also wished the legislation would have passed the U.S. Senate without Hawley's blemish:
I’m very thankful that Congress passed this anti-AAPI hate crime bill. It is a great first step in helping law enforcement and communities deal with the rise in attacks against AAPIs over the last year.
I do wish, however, that the vote was unanimous. It would have been a powerful show of unity for the nation, and I am incredibly disappointed in Senator Hawley’s lone dissenting vote.
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill.
