[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1116 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1116
Commemorating the 5-year remembrance of the March 16, 2021, shootings
in the Atlanta, Georgia, region and denouncing continuing anti-Asian
hate, including the resurgence of xenophobic and anti-immigrant
rhetoric.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 16, 2026
Ms. Meng (for herself, Ms. Chu, Mrs. McBath, Ms. Williams of Georgia,
Ms. Norton, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Min, Mr. Thanedar, and
Mr. Takano) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to
the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 5-year remembrance of the March 16, 2021, shootings
in the Atlanta, Georgia, region and denouncing continuing anti-Asian
hate, including the resurgence of xenophobic and anti-immigrant
rhetoric.
Whereas, on March 16, 2021, a shooter murdered 8 people and injured 1 person in
the Atlanta, Georgia, region in 3 separate shootings that took place at
Asian-owned spas;
Whereas the victims included--
(1) Xiaojie ``Emily'' Tan;
(2) Daoyou Feng;
(3) Delaina Ashley Yaun;
(4) Paul Andre Michels;
(5) Yong Ae Yue;
(6) Soon Chung ``Julie'' Park;
(7) Hyun Jung Grant; and
(8) Sun Cha Kim;
Whereas 2026 marks the fifth year since the loss of these innocent lives, 7 of
whom were women, 6 of whom were women of Asian descent, and several of
whom were immigrants;
Whereas communities continue to grapple with grief, trauma, and the long-term
mental-health impacts of anti-Asian hate, and require access to
culturally responsive mental health services, trauma-informed care, and
language-accessible support services to heal and rebuild;
Whereas the Atlanta spa shootings occurred amid an alarming surge in anti-Asian
hate crimes and incidents nationwide fueled by the use of anti-Asian
rhetoric that scapegoated Asian Americans for the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas the use of rhetoric that portrays Asian countries, and by extension,
Asian nationals or those of Asian descent, as enemies of the United
States continues to contribute to the scapegoating of innocent Asian
Americans;
Whereas such rhetoric exists in the context of historic and ongoing
discriminatory policies, including alien land laws and other measures
that have targeted Asian communities, like the so-called China
Initiative;
Whereas the latest Federal hate crime statistics for 2024 show that anti-Asian
hate crimes were nearly 3 times higher than the prepandemic average and
anti-Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander hate crimes were at the
highest number ever recorded since the Federal Bureau of Investigation
began disaggregating this category in 2013, confirming persistent risk,
underreporting, and ongoing community harm;
Whereas language access barriers, immigration status concerns, and fear of law
enforcement or deportation can contribute to underreporting of hate
crimes and limit access to services for survivors;
Whereas 40 percent of Americans believe that Asian Americans are more loyal to
their countries of origin than to the United States, a belief that has
doubled since 2021, compounding suspicions of dual loyalty that
perpetuate the narrative that Asian Americans are foreigners in their
own home;
Whereas Asian-American women have been historically marginalized and faced
specific threats of violence linked to misogynistic narratives and
sexual objectification;
Whereas anti-Asian hate remains elevated and increasingly intersects with
xenophobic, anti-immigrant, and anti-Asian narratives, particularly in
online spaces, and is more frequently directed at South Asian
communities;
Whereas community reports and media accounts underscore that anti-immigrant
rhetoric and disinformation portraying Asian immigrants as economic or
security threats continue to fuel hostility and can translate into real-
world intimidation and violence; and
Whereas Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities have
contributed immeasurably to the cultural, civic, scientific, and
economic life of the United States, and deserve safety, dignity, and
equal protection under the law: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the heinous acts of gun violence on March 16,
2021, and the racism and sexism reflected in the shooter's
deliberate targeting of Asian-owned businesses and the murder
of 7 women;
(2) honors the memory of the victims and offers heartfelt
condolences to their families, loved ones, and the communities
forever changed by this tragedy;
(3) reaffirms the importance of addressing anti-Asian hate
at all levels of government and improving hate crime reporting
infrastructure that builds upon the implementation of the
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (Public Law 117-13);
(4) calls for the restoration and expansion of the
Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance Programs,
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act programs, Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act
programs, and other community-based approaches to prevent and
combat hate crimes;
(5) encourages efforts to combat online hate and
disinformation and to promote education on Asian American,
Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and antibias
practices in both K-12 and postsecondary educational
institutions; and
(6) reaffirms the commitment of the Federal Government to
protect the civil and human rights of all people in the United
States and ensure that communities can live free from fear and
violence.
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