Jayapal Condemns Anti-Asian Hate in Seattle and Across America
“As the first Indian American woman ever elected to the House of Representatives, I will do everything in my power to ensure that we end anti-Asian hate.“
SEATTLE — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued the following statement condemning anti-Asian hate, violence, and discrimination in Seattle and across the country after holding an Indian American community roundtable with advocates, local leaders, and residents about worsening health conditions in India:
“The situation in India is dire. Hundreds of thousands of new COVID cases are confirmed every day, there are no hospital beds open or oxygen supply left, and people are tragically dying before they can even get to a doctor. India needs our help — and it is our moral responsibility to rise to the challenge at the local, Federal, and international level because to defeat a global pandemic, we need a global response.
“That is why I repeatedly called on the Biden administration to approve India’s request for raw vaccine materials, release some of our stockpile of unused COVID vaccines to India, and support a resolution at the WTO to waive patent protections so we finally put people’s lives over pharmaceutical profits. The Biden administration’s willingness to quickly heed my call on each of these lifesaving requests comes at a moment when wealthy countries have administered more than 80 percent of global vaccines while low-income countries have received just 0.3 percent. To redress this injustice, the Congressional Progressive Caucus is focused on partnering with Ambassadors, multilateral organizations, and the Biden Administration to achieve our shared goal of an equitable global vaccination program that quickly gets more vaccines to countries in need around the world.
“As we work to accomplish this globally, I am proud of the critical efforts that Indian American advocates, activists, and allies are doing locally. Groups like the India Association of Western Washington (IAWW) are bringing people throughout our region together to aid families in India.
“While we help crush the virus globally, we must also condemn anti-Asian hate in our own community as a spike in COVID cases abroad leads to an upsetting spike in anti-Asian discrimination and violence at home. AAPI Heritage Month is a perfect opportunity for everyone in Seattle, throughout Washington, and across America to unite in committing to end these disgusting attacks once and for all. As the first Indian American woman ever elected to the House of Representatives, I will do everything in my power to ensure that we end anti-Asian hate. We each have a role to play — and I am committed to playing mine as we stand together against violence, discrimination, and white supremacy.”
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