We've seen the disturbing videos — Asian Americans walking down the street -- being attacked in broad daylight. The attacks, both physical and verbal, have become more frequent over the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group "Stop AAPI Hate" says it received nearly 38,000 reports of hate incidents from mid-March of last year through February of this year. And it says that's a fraction of the incidents that happen.
Congress is working to combat those crimes.
"As important as the content and substance of the bill is the message of this bill that we in the senate are going to stand with our AAPI community and indeed any community that is discriminated against on the basis of race or any of the categories that you and i can think of," said Sen. Mazie Hirono.
The Senate passed the COVID-19 hate crimes act Thursday in a 94 to 1 vote.
