| Kuster Hosts Virtual Roundtable Discussion on AAPI Hate**Rep. Kuster is a cosponsor of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act** |
ep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) hosted a virtual roundtable with members of the New Hampshire Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community and discussed the ongoing efforts in Congress and New Hampshire to end Asian hate. Rep. Kuster was joined by Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), whose legislation, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, Kuster cosponsored in the House.
“Thank you to the members of the NH AAPI Community who joined this incredibly important conversation – your words and stories highlight the necessity of comprehensive legislation to address and end Asian hate,” said Rep. Kuster. “As a cosponsor of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, I am committed to addressing these violent attacks and protecting all Granite Staters from hatred and bigotry in all forms. I am so grateful to today’s participants for engaging in this ongoing, crucial conversation, and for bravely sharing their personal stories. I will continue working in Congress to enact policies and solutions to address the rise in anti-Asian hate and to prevent hate crimes in the future.”
“The AAPI community is a diverse population as you can see by our panelists today,” said Shideko Terai, Secretary of the NH AAPI Democratic Caucus. “We are Americans and we belong here. I would like to see the House resolutions implemented, beginning with the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, and I thank Representative Meng for her advocacy and Representative Kuster for her allyship.”
Other panelists included:
- NH State Rep. Latha Mangipudi
- Nashua, NH
- Shideko Terai
- Cornish, NH
- Susmik Lama
- Manchester, NH
- Mohammad A, Saleh
- Keene, NH
- Emily Kim Ae Sun Hunter
- Chester, NH
- Nancy Glynn
- Sutton, NH
A cosponsor of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, Kuster is a strong advocate to stop bigotry and ensure every citizen is treated with dignity and respect. This bill would require the Department of Justice to expedite the review process following potential hate crimes related to the pandemic, and issue guidance to law enforcement agencies on how to improve hate crime reporting. The legislation also calls for guidelines on how federal agencies can avoid racially discriminatory language in describing the pandemic.