U.S. President Biden and Vice President Harris met with Asian American leaders and members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities at Emory University in Atlanta Friday following their visit to the CDC.  

At a press conference following their meetings, Harris said that Asian Americans have been attacked and scapegoated, saying people in positions of power with the biggest pulpits have spread this kind of hate.  “A harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us.”  Harris said.

Six of the eight victims killed Tuesday by Atlanta mass shooting suspect Robert Aaron Long were of Asian descent, two were white, seven were women.  President Biden said that his meeting with the AAPI community Friday was “heart wrenching.”  He said there are core values that should bring us together as Americans, one is standing together against hate and racism.   “Too many Asian Americans have been waking up feeling their safety and safety of loved ones is at stake.” 

Biden said “silence is complicity” and vowed to combat xenophobia in the country. “Hate can have no safe harbor in America,” he said. 

The Fulton County Medical examiner identified Friday the women killed in Atlanta as Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; and Yong Ae Yue, 63.  Earlier this week officials in Cherokee county identified those killed there as Delaina Yaun, 33, Paul Andre Michels, 54, Xiaojie Yan, 49 and Daoyou Feng, 44.  The suspect has been charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

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