H.Res. 1116

[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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