John Liu has served in public office in New York for more than two decades, as a City Councilman, Comptroller and, now, a State Senator. He represents a northern Queens district with a significant Asian population, and he’s been fighting against anti-Asian hate throughout his career. 

Liu joined In Focus to talk about what legislators are doing, and should be doing, to protect the city and country’s Asian American population. 

He spoke about the new federal COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, brought forward by his friend and fellow Asian American legislator, Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng, applauding the fact that this bill, which would make it easier to report and to prosecute hate crimes against Asian Americans, was signed by the Biden administration which followed a White House that called the COVID-19 the “China Virus” and the “Kung Flu”, thus exacerbating the hate and placing Asian Americans in the crosshairs. 

He also talked about his own bill in the State Senate right now, which would make public primary and high schools teach students about the history, contributions and struggles of Asian Americans. 

Liu said when he went to public school in New York, he might have learned a tiny bit about the Transcontinental Railroad and the Japanese Internment Camps in World War II, but he says, there is so much more young people need to learn and that, he says, could help stop the discrimination we see now.