“I am honored he would choose my father and my family as the symbol for the idea that we are all one family, as my father said, and therefore must all stand for one another.”
Six Asian women were among eight people killed in the shootings at three Atlanta-area spas in March, a tragedy that brought attention to the rise of anti-Asian violence in the US.
Advocates and authorities say they have received reports of thousands of xenophobic attacks against Asian people since the pandemic began.
He pointed to how he thinks certain rhetoric around the virus has contributed to anti-Asian discrimination.
Former US President Donald Trump, for example, received criticism for referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” and “Kung flu” during his presidency.
“Disgust, horror and outright anger at why any violence keeps happening in our country,” he said.
“After all we have been through this past year, let alone in the history of our country, people still deal with unnecessary tragedy and are afraid for their lives. We have to do better.”
