CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Marilyn Strickland

Interview

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COOPER: By the way, for the record, as for the Congressman's allegations about CNN, we stopped using such terminology very early on. We explained it to viewers and language like this from March of last year, and I'm quoting now, "After consulting with medical experts and receiving guidance from the World Health Organization, CNN has determined that name is both inaccurate and is considered stigmatizing."

So we stopped a year ago. Congressman McCarthy, he didn't. In fact, he doubled down. And the former President went further hammering the phrase and even went further actually calling it quote, "kung flu" over and over again to cheers and laughter from large crowds.

But as much as the Congressman would like to make it, this isn't a got-cha game over words. It's an example of a moment when words actually matter. Victims know this. Sadly, sort of, they are victimizers. The only ones who don't, it seems, are the people clinging to them.

Joining us now, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Democrat of Washington State. She is Korean on her mother's side.

Congresswoman Strickland, I appreciate you joining us. A number of Asian-Americans testified today in front of the House Judiciary Committee on this uptick in violence. Have you noticed a change in behavior of attitudes towards Asian-Americans since the pandemic began?

REP. MARILYN STRICKLAND (D-WA): Definitely. We know that hate crimes against Asian-Americans have increased about 150 percent in most cities. And you know, I have friends who tell me stories of standing in line at the grocery store and having people say, you know, you're responsible for this.

I have friends who work in healthcare, and they've told me stories of patients not wanting them to touch them because they're afraid to get COVID.

And so as I said, on the House floor yesterday, Anderson, words matter, leadership matters and we have to stop using this rhetoric that tragically, I believe, ended in death in Atlanta. COOPER: The fact that your House colleague, Congressman Roy, thought

today was a good day to bring out lynching in terms that seemed kind of glowing about the days when, you know, mobs would lynch people. And he said in the State of Texas, from trees, is at the very least bizarre if not wildly offensive.

I mean, you know, famously 17 Chinese men and boys were lynched by an angry mob in 1871 in this country. I mean, is there any reason to believe that Chip Roy understands, or is really concerned about the fear that many in the Asian-American community are feeling right now? Because he seemed to want to talk about a lot of other groups.

STRICKLAND: Yes, I mean, I think with someone like Chip Roy, is that he probably knows better, but he likes to use language that's inflammatory and dramatic. And here we are in the news talking about him.

And so, you know, if he chooses to be ignorant, that's his thing. But what we need to do is speak out against that ignorance and that hate.

COOPER: Law enforcement has not ruled out calling the shooting a hate crime. Do you see it as a hate crime?

STRICKLAND: I do see it as a hate crime and there are many elements into this. You know, this was, you know, eight people who were murdered. This was a result of gun violence. But I also believe there is an issue around racism and bigotry.

And you know, these were women who worked in a spa, and the shooter went there looking for them. And so we can talk about economic anxiety, we can talk about sexual addiction. But I want to make sure that people understand that when women are murdered, when women of color are murdered, there is often a nexus between racism and misogyny, and we cannot ignore that.

COOPER: We've learned even more attacks today on -- learned of more attacks in Asian-Americans. When you read these stories, you watch videos of elderly Asian-Americans being pushed to the ground, completely randomly by people just passing by, families in restaurants being verbally harassed, spit on the street.

You know, I spoke with basketball player Jeremy Lin last night. He talked about how important it is for Asian-Americans to stand up and speak out about it and he does feel that there's kind of this change, particularly in the younger generation in this country and their willingness and their sense of urgency about speaking out.

Is it enough to speak out or are you afraid that these attacks against Asian-Americans are going to just going to continue to rise?

STRICKLAND: So you know, with any type of attacks on any group or any hate crime, we need people to be punished and held accountable and I think that's what has to change.

[20:10:04] STRICKLAND: And you know, you're right. You know, when Jeremy Lim

talked about the fact that people have maybe historically remained quiet about it or not wanting to confront it or to speak out, that has to change.

And I do believe that for some people, there's a narrative that if you're Asian, if you're Asian-American and something happens to you that you're just going to be quiet and go away and that -- things have changed.

I mean, you know, we saw protests happening around the country yesterday. We're talking about ally-ship between, you know, African Americans, Latino-Americans, and people who want to join with us.

And so this is just another example of the tragic history of racism that this country has and it started with slavery. We know that it included the expulsion of Chinese Americans, the internment of Japanese, the way Mexican-Americans are often demonized during economic crises and here we are during COVID, now having hate against Asian-Americans.

And so people are exhausted, people want folks to be held accountable and we need allies who are going to speak out with us.

COOPER: Were you surprised when you heard the -- I don't know if you saw the press conference, but you may have read about the remarks made by a representative from the Sheriff's Office in Gwinnett County where the shooter was apprehended and where the first shooting took place.

Essentially said that the shooter was having a bad day and was at the end of his rope. Does -- that's not the kind of language I'm -- I mean, if the shooter was not, I mean, I'm wondering how you interpreted those statements.

STRICKLAND: Well, I mean, it's absurd that someone would even make that remark. But you know, who had a bad day, Anderson? The eight people who were murdered. You know who had a bad day? The family members and loved ones who had to get phone calls from officials telling them that their loved ones died.

And so to say that someone had a bad day is another example of excusing something and making excuses for people.

COOPER: Yes, by the way, it was Cherokee County. I think, I misspoke. Congresswoman Strickland, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

STRICKLAND: Thanks for having me, Anderson.

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