Congress Grace Meng, How can Asian American and Pacific Islander communities cope with and fight against racial bias in time of Covid 19?

How can Asian American and Pacific Islander communities cope with and fight against racial bias in time of COVID-19?

Congresswoman Grace Meng answers these questions

By Roberta, Ding Ding TV Editor
Covid-19 fundamentally changed our lives. It continues its path of destruction across the globe and our key workers continue to fight it on the frontlines. The far-reaching impact of Covid-19 on our physical and mental health, economy, science, medical care, and how go about our daily lives is still unknown. But one thing is evident – Covid-19 pandemic made Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders communities the targets of racial bias, racist and xenophobic attacks, and hate crimes.
What did the Congress do to protect the Asian American and Pacific Islanders communities from racial discrimination? How can our communities cope with and fight against the racial bias? How can we stand together and unite? How can we start to rebuild once the pandemic is over?
Presented by the Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC), with Ding Ding TV as media partner, made possible by Civic Leadership USA (CLUSA), and in partnership with APAPA and 80-20 United,  Congresswoman Grace Meng participated in a webinar “AAPI Solidarity in Confronting the Covid-19 Pandemic”. Over 400 participants took part in the webinar in a bid to address these issues together and work in alliance.

AAUC Unity Webinars Series, AAPI Solidarity Confronting COVID-19 Pandemic took place on April 25th at 11:00 am Pacific/1:00 pm Central/2:00 pm Eastern

Webinar Purpose: To strongly and forthrightly speak with one unified voice in alliance with those that have similar ideals, in the spirit of Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC) primary purpose, fighting against racism and xenophobic acts falsely targeting at Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities as responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The primary purpose of AAUC is to forge unity among a diverse group of multi-cultural AAPI national and regional organizations to develop civic leadership, build political clout, fight against racial bias, and achieve equality for the AAPI community in the USA.  www.asamunitycoalition.org

Webinar three sectors:

  1. INSPIRE: constructive info & resource by dynamic speakers as keynote speaker or in panel.
  2. CHALLENGE: share our challenges and needs (listening process for public awareness)
  3. ACTION: what do I/we commit to do about it. (moderated Q&A).

Theme: Social Justice/Hate Crime/Racism 

Keynote Speaker:

Grace Meng, Congresswoman (NY-06)

U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her fourth term in the United States House of Representatives. Grace represents the Sixth Congressional District of New York encompassing the New York City borough of Queens, including west, central and northeast Queens.


Grace is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittees on State and Foreign Operations, Homeland Security, and Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. The Appropriations Committee is responsible for funding every federal agency, program, and project within the United States government. She also serves on the House Ethics Committee.

Grace is also a Senior Whip and Regional Whip for New York, and a founder and Co-Chair of the Kids’ Safety Caucus, the first bipartisan coalition in the House that promotes child-safety issues. She helped create and serves as a founding member and former Co-Chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus which works to mitigate excessive aircraft noise that adversely affects communities.

Grace has passed several pieces of legislation in law. These include laws about religious freedom, making Queens historic sites part of the National Park Service, striking “Oriental” from federal law and protecting public housing residents from insufficient heat. Also signed into law were her measures to assist veterans and members of the military, and provisions to improve consumer protections and safeguards for children.

In addition, Grace has fought to expand opportunities for communities of color, young people and women, and she secured resources to help local small-businesses.

Born in Elmhurst, Queens, and raised in the Bayside and Flushing sections of the borough, Grace attended local schools, and graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Michigan. She then earned a law degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.

Prior to serving in Congress, Grace was a member of the New York State Assembly. Before entering public service, she worked as a public-interest lawyer.

Grace resides in Queens with her husband, Wayne, two sons – Tyler and Brandon – and her dog, Bounce.

  Other Speakers:

Scott M. Stringer, New York City Comptroller

Dr. SK Lo, President AAUC

Jason Tengco, Community Outreach and Development Specialist of CLUSA


Anthony Le, Deputy Director of APALI

