For immediate release
February 24, 2023
Media contact: Rachel Koelzer, rachel@nakasec.org, (213) 703-0992
NAKASEC Slams Republican Accusations As Racist and Xenophobic
Washington, D.C. – On February 22, Congressman Lance Gooden (R-TX) questioned the loyalty of Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) to the United States, going so far as to say she “should be denied access to sensitive classified materials — and investigated.” When called out by Democratic members of the House, Gooden doubled-down, making sinophobic accusations, thereby putting in danger the lives of Chinese and Asian Americans across the United States and world.
The National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) Network is a national network of five affiliated organizations in six states. For almost 30 years, NAKASEC has organized Korean and Asian Americans toward economic, social, and racial justice.
“Representative Gooden’s comments are not only offensive but recycled, reanimating white supremacist and Cold War rhetoric to malign China and Asia more broadly as economic, technological, and moral threats,” said NAKASEC Digital Organizer, John Kim. “Given the rise of anti-Asian violence, Rep. Gooden’s comments are dangerous and extend well-beyond Rep. Chu; they risk the safety of Chinese and Asian Americans across the country and around the world. Such rhetoric has real-life implications, as we’ve seen with the severe increased verbal and physical attacks and murders of Asian Americans since the Trump administration and COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important to note, however, that these attacks against East Asian countries, communities, and individuals are not new – they harken to a long history of anti-Asian sentiment rooted in the white supremacist, classist, and xenophobic foundations of the United States.”
From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the introduction of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, to current efforts to prevent Chinese Americans from purchasing land and real estate (i.e.: SB 147 currently proposed in the Texas legislature), and the alarming agenda set for the first hearing by the nascent House Select Committee on China on Tuesday, Chinese and Asian Americans have been consistent targets of xenophobia and racism. Congress and members of the Republican party must not only condemn but take action on anti-Chinese and anti-Asian rhetoric and policies, which feed hate and violence. No person should be accused or targeted based on their ethnicity, race, or cultural heritage.
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Founded in 1994, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)’s mission is to organize Korean and Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice. The NAKASEC Network is HANA Center (Illinois), Hamkae Center (fka NAKASEC VA) (Virginia), Woori Center (Pennsylvania), MinKwon Center for Community Action (New York & New Jersey) and Woori Juntos (Texas).
