CAPAC Members Condemn Trump’s Racist Post Against Indian and Chinese Immigrants

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Today, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Grace Meng (NY-06), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Ted Lieu (CA-36), Judy Chu (CA-28), Ami Bera (CA-06), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Shri Thanedar (MI-13) issued a joint statement condemning President Trump’s racist post against Indian and Chinese immigrants:

“We are deeply outraged by the racist and xenophobic post shared by President Trump referring to India and China as ‘hell-holes’ and calling immigrants from these countries ‘gangsters with laptops’ who have ‘stepped on our flag.’ At a time when hate incidents against South Asian communities are on the rise, and one in four Americans view Chinese Americans as a threat, this kind of rhetoric pours fuel on an already dangerous fire.

“This incident is part of a disturbing pattern of the President legitimizing bigotry. The Trump administration hired individuals who called to ‘normalize Indian hate’ and said to ‘never trust a Chinaman or Indian.’ Time and again, President Trump has demonstrated not only his disdain for our communities, but a fundamental rejection of America’s identity as a nation of immigrants.

“Those who become American by birthright are just as American as anyone else. As members of CAPAC, we unequivocally condemn these posts and call on President Trump to fulfill the most basic obligation of his office: to serve all Americans with dignity and respect, not just those he deems worthy.”

Issues: Civil Rights, Immigration