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Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) is Interviewed about the Attacks on Asian- Americans; Jobless Benefit Numbers for Last Week; Struggling Americans Use Stimulus Checks for Debt and Bills; Kristi Yamaguchi is Interviewed about Anti-Asian Hate. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired March 18, 2021 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[08:30:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: There's what you can do. There's also, you know, what allies can do along with you.

We've been talking this morning about the resolution that passed in the House in the fall and 164 Republicans voted against that resolution. I know there is a hearing later this morning.

You have spoken, as I understand it, with a number of your colleagues across the aisle, talked to them specifically about their rhetoric coming from former President Trump and some lawmakers as well, especially as it relates to COVID-19.

I'm curious, have any of them reached out to you in the last 24, 48 hours or even in the last year, concerned about how you're doing, your safety, your family's safety?

REP. ANDY KIM (D-NJ): No, they haven't. And I think that this has been something that I saw firsthand when it came to that debate you're talking about, that that resolution about racism, when it comes to the coronavirus crisis, so many of my colleagues were only thinking about that in terms of politics. They were thinking about it in terms of themselves, the former president.

That's not what this is about. And I hope that if anything comes out of the tragedy of the last few days, I hope people see, this was not about politics. This was not some tactic that the Democrats or others were trying to use to jab at the former president or someone else. This is about our lives. This is about the safety of our communities. This is about eight people who were just killed. This is about countless others who have experienced discrimination. That's what this should be about.

But so often things on the floor of the House of Representatives gets reduced down to just policy -- politics and partisanship tactics, which is just a real shame.

HILL: It absolutely is.

There's been a lot of talk about what we heard from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office yesterday, talking about the conversations with the suspect and the assessment of where the suspect was at in those moments on Tuesday.

Take a listen to this, if you would.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN JAY BAKER, CHEROKEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: He understood the gravity of it, and he was pretty much fed up. Had been kind of at the end of his rope and yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: You know, as our colleague, Lisa Ling, pointed out just a short time ago, the bad day on Tuesday was really for the eight victims, for their families. The bad days are consistently happening to Asian- Americans across this country on a daily basis.

When you hear those words, that this was a bad day, how does that sit with you?

KIM: That sounds so detached from what actually happened and what we should be talking about as a nation. And that gentleman, he's supposed to be a spokesperson for the community, a spokesperson for our laws and our rule of law in this country. Instead, he sounds more like a spokesperson for the killer.

This is something where we should not be trying to -- to try to downplay what happened. We should be speaking about it with the rawness of which it is, which is a mass murder that occurred, killing innocent people, people who should be with their families right now and be able to enjoy their lives. And it just -- it really breaks my heart to hear that kind of callousness with words that were chosen, again, from someone who's supposed to be a spokesperson for the community and for the people.

HILL: We have seen these massive numbers in terms of reported hate crimes that have risen. Crime -- harassment and violence against Asian-Americans specifically in the last year and specifically in urban areas. Asian women are particularly vulnerable to violence.

What is your message this morning when it comes to how this country views Asian women?

KIM: I talked about this with my wife last night, just trying to get her perspective on what had occurred. And it was -- it was really something to see her grappling with this. There -- you know, there are obviously elements that are the same between how she and I are looking at this, but there are added elements as well. Her sharing, you know, experiences that she's had of discrimination from men about -- because of her being an Asian woman. And it was very painful for her to talk about, to the point where she had, you know, tears in her eyes. This moment means something more to her and other Asian-American women around the country. And we need to be very aware of that and be present for them in recognizing that trauma.

Again, that is something where I think it's so important that we not just look at racism against Asian-Americans, just solely through the lens of the coronavirus crisis and the attacks and the discrimination we've seen over the last year. The discrimination has been faced well before the coronavirus crisis.

[08:35:02]

It will exist after the coronavirus crisis. And it takes many different forms and leaves many different wounds and scars behind. And that is something that we have to understand the totality of it.

HILL: Congressman Andy Kim, appreciate you being with us this morning. Appreciate you sharing your experiences and moving this conversation forward for all of us.

Thank you.

KIM: Thank you.

HILL: Just in to CNN, there's brand-new data on America's unemployment crisis. Is it getting better or worse? We're going to check on that.

Plus, Americans are now receiving those latest stimulus checks. For some, that is a big boost, but is it enough?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just in, new jobless numbers.

Chief business correspondent Christine Romans here with the details.

What do they say?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Another disappointment, 770,000 people for the very first time filed for unemployment benefits. And, John, you and I here have a grim milestone to mark. It's 52 weeks in a row now of these numbers that would be historic by any other standard.

You add in the latest week, the pandemic unemployment insurance numbers, another 282,000 people filed for unemployment benefits.

[08:40:05]

And you have more than a million people for the very first time filing for jobless benefits.

John, 18.2 million receiving a government check in all of these programs. One full year.

So what are we doing about it? Well, the Fed chief, yesterday, said they will keep interest rates low. They're not moving interest rates for the foreseeable future. And they're going to continue to buy all these bonds every month. That's essentially stimulus. The Fed chief saying we're going to have the best near, 2021, since the 1980s because of all the things that we're doing to try to support this economy. What we are doing to support all of these people? Well, the American

Rescue Plan is really skewed to low-income and middle income families who have been devastated by all these numbers we report every week. Essentially it's the biggest tax cuts in a single year, biggest tax relief than any time in modern history, including the Trump tax cuts, including even Ronald Reagan in 1981. They are temporary, but they are big and they're targeted to the -- to the lower earning worker, workers who earn $91,000 or less than.

As you know, the last time we did tax reform, it was really skewed toward companies and rich people. So the hope is here that policymakers, a year in, have figured out how to help working people and regular people who have been really just hammered by this year of crisis.

BERMAN: All these new data points that come in, all the new measures passed, it's one big giant to be continued.

ROMANS: That's right.

BERMAN: That's why we're watching it so closely.

Christine Romans, thank you.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

HILL: Well, stimulus payments are starting to appear in bank accounts for millions of Americans. Those who lost their livelihood during the pandemic are using those checks in most cases just to stay afloat.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASHLIE ORDONEZ, WAITING FOR STIMULUS CHECK AND BUSINESS OWNER: We've given up so much as a family already. It's just scary to think that we might be losing more.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's been a year of sacrifice and uncertainty for Ashlie Ordonez, Kyle Price and their five children in Denver, Colorado. They drained their savings and sold her wedding ring, all to survive.

KYLE PRICE, WAITING FOR STIMULUS CHECK: That was a tough one.

ORDONEZ: It's just a piece of material, and it's a means to an end for my business.

YURKEVICH: Like 100 million other Americans, they're eligible for stimulus checks as part of President Joe Biden's COVID relief package. They could get up to $8,400 for their family, which they say will go straight into their wellness studio that's been surviving month to month. The checks will give them one more.

ORDONEZ: It's keeping our dream alive.

YURKEVICH: In Arkansas Nikki Martin's check arrived just in time.

NIKKI MARTIN, RECEIVED STIMULUS CHECK: It has kept a roof over my head and kept my lights on.

YURKEVICH: Martin just finished months of aggressive chemo treatment when the pandemic started.

MARTIN: I didn't get to celebrate being cancer-free for very long before this hit.

YURKEVICH: Without a job, she filed for disability checks and is still waiting, making her ineligible for unemployment. But when that $1,400 in stimulus hit her bank account, she breathed a sigh of relief.

MARTIN: I just immediately got online and paid every bill I had and got caught up for the first time in months.

YURKEVICH: And Madeline Aguiar, out of work for the last year, has spent much of it here, applying to hundreds of jobs.

MADELINE AGUIAR, RECEIVED STIMULUS CHECK: I've had to move from where I lived before in New Jersey to my parents' house in the Bronx.

YURKEVICH: Aguiar said she lost her job in hospitality when the industry was crushed by the pandemic. With work hard to come by, she's found herself in debt and receiving a stimulus check, both for the first time.

YURKEVICH (on camera): When you think about $1,400, does that seem like a lot?

AGUIAR: Not in comparison to the debt I've had to incur.

YURKEVICH: Do you see a way out of the debt in the near future?

AGUIAR: I think the only way out really is to get a job.

YURKEVICH (voice over): For many Americans, stimulus checks will make a difference. But for Ashlie and Kyle, who put their house up for collateral to ensure their business, it's simply not enough.

ORDONEZ: Any extra income goes straight to the business so that we don't lose this house. It's kind of the last thing we have. So it's really scary thinking about me -- there's like --

YURKEVICH: Thoughts of the future, too much to bear, especially one so uncertain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YURKEVICH: And it is still so uncertain for so many American families out there who are still in economic pain. But, of course, these stimulus checks do provide some sense of relief. One thing I heard, John, from many Americans was that they are hopeful because of this vaccine. They say if that -- if it continues to roll out in the way that it does, they think more people will show up to restaurants, more people will shop in stores, more people will go get their haircut. And that is so key because that helps bring back jobs for the millions of Americans, John, who are still out of work right now.

BERMAN: Look, it's been overwhelming for so many people. The last 12, 13 months, overwhelming.

[08:45:00]

Hopefully they are going to get the help that they need.

Vanessa, thank you so much for that report.

Here's what else to watch today.

ON SCREEN TEXT: 10:00 a.m. ET, House hearing on Anti-Asian hate.

12:30 p.m. ET, White House press briefing.

3:15 p.m. ET, President Biden speaks about vaccinations.

BERMAN: Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi says Asian-Americans can't stay silent anymore in the face of hate. She joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: This morning we've been talking about the deadly shooting in Georgia that killed eight people, including six Asian women.

[08:50:04]

But this is a much bigger issue. Police in San Francisco increasing patrols in predominantly Asian neighborhoods this morning due to an alarming spike in anti-Asian attacks in the bay area. At least two of those attacks just yesterday. A 75-year-old woman tells police she was punched while waiting at a crosswalk. Police say the suspect also assaulted an 83-year-old Asian man.

So Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi calls the Bay area home and she joins us now.

It's great to have you on the show with us this morning. Thank you so much for being here.

You know, we don't see you all the time. We don't see you that often, necessarily. But you have chosen this moment to come out and speak forcefully.

Why is it so important?

KRISTI YAMAGUCHI, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Well, it's important because it needs to stop. And I think we can't tolerate it anymore. And, you know, I'm passionate about many different things, but this is definitely one that hits very close to home. So I feel it's, you know, there for me to step up and speak out.

HILL: I know you said you, you know, you worry about your children, understandably. You worry about your parents.

YAMAGUCHI: Absolutely.

HILL: What about yourself? How much do you worry about your own safety as you're just out living your life on a daily basis?

YAMAGUCHI: You know, I think it was -- I came to the realization last night, you know, thinking more about this, and realizing that there are times when I'm out walking about and out and about, and, you know, greet people and I think I find myself waiting to see how they're going to react when they realize I'm Asian and if there is a positive greeting back. There's this -- there's a sense of relief there.

So, you know, I know the entire Asian-American community is on alert. And, you know, we have this feeling. And there's a little bit of fear in there. But -- and that's sad. And I don't -- I think our country's better than that and I want us to get back to where everyone feels safe and, you know, the walls of racism are broken down.

BERMAN: Look, racism against Asians and Asian-Americans has a long history in this country. It's not new. This is a very bad year that we're having. But oftentimes, and I know you've also spoken about this, there are -- there are many in the Asian-American community who feel it's hard to speak out or they haven't felt comfortable raising their voices in this.

Why has that been, and how can it change?

YAMAGUCHI: You know, I think in some ways it is a generational thing. And, you know, I know during the internment camps, the Japanese- Americans endured during World War II, obviously my grandparents and my parents were affected by that and there's a saying, (INAUDIBLE). And essentially meaning, enduring almost the unbearable with dignity and perseverance and tolerance. And, you know, I think it's their way of moving on and just like getting on with their lives and setting up a new life for them.

But now is not that time to be silent. Now is really the time to raise more awareness of what's going on and to demand that things change. And, you know, I think this younger generation is not afraid to speak out. I think they've given a lot of us courage to really stand up to what's right. And I think, you know, that's what we need to follow.

HILL: You know, speaking of this younger generation, you're a mom. You have two teenagers. And they are -- they are absolutely speaking out. They have even started selling t-shirts, "stop Asian hate."

What kind of inspiration are you drawing from them?

YAMAGUCHI: Well, I -- they are just very socially conscious and are involved in the community and really believe and feel that their voices and their actions are going to bring about change. And it's inspiring. I think, you know, we're at a time right now where we need to see that and we want to see the walls coming down in our communities where there's more harmony among everyone. And they really believe that they can bring that about. And they are leading the charge. So, you know, why not go along with it?

BERMAN: What do you need from others who aren't in the Asian-American community? What do you need from leadership right now in this country?

YAMAGUCHI: You know, I think, right now that the spotlight is being shined on what is happening and the rise in incidents. And I think that's the start is just raising awareness. And then, you know, and now it's also time for action and to find a solution.

[08:55:05]

I, obviously, don't know what that solution is, but I think working together, starting the dialogue, educating people more, not just on the history of Asian-Americans, but, you know, what is happening right now, that can open the door to, you know, finding a more -- a peaceful way to all live amongst each other.

BERMAN: Well, you are living history in your own way, the granddaughter of a woman who was in an internment camp, and now, you know, a leader in so many ways.

We appreciate you being with us and using your voice in this way.

Kristi Yamaguchi, thanks so much.

YAMAGUCHI: Thank you.

HILL: CNN's coverage continues, next.

[09:00:05]