'I Am Not A Virus:' Asian-American Lawmakers Protest Racist Abuse

"I have a responsibility and a moral obligation to speak out about the normalizing of attacks on the AAPI community," said congresswoman Doris Matsui

Asian-American lawmakers on Thursday described harrowing discrimination -- including a congresswoman's personal experience in historic abuse by the government -- as they testified about the national tragedy of racism highlighted by this week's Atlanta murders. A congressional hearing turned personal as Democrats vented about how former president Donald Trump and others have demonized Asians as responsible for the coronavirus, with one warning that such language has put a "bull's eye" on the backs of Asian Americans and Pacific islanders. "I have a responsibility and a moral obligation to speak out about the normalizing of attacks on the AAPI community," said congresswoman Doris Matsui, a 76-year-old Californian. During World War II, the US government forcibly relocated Matsui's Japanese-American parents and grandparents to an internment camp in Poston, Arizona.