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Calls For Hate Crime Charges After Atlanta Area Spa Shootings; Asian-American Communities On Edge After Deadly Shootings; Up To 1,200 Migrant Children Expected At Dallas Facility; NYT: Cuomo Faces New Claim Of Sexual Harassment From Current Aide; CDC Relaxes Social Distancing Guidelines For Schools; White House: 100 Million Shots In 100 Days Goal Met 42 Days Early; "Dog Whisperer," Cesar Millan, Discusses Training First Dog, Major, And Immigration. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired March 20, 2021 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:02]

EDNA GREENE MEDFORD, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, HOWARD UNIVERSITY: The Klan is formed during this period and he just stands by and watches the discrimination and the violence.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Professor -- Professor Edna Greene Medford, thank you so much. I'm sorry. We have to pick up the rest of your thoughts on the show because we're going to be watching because this show is now over. But so good to see you again. Appreciate it.

So, an all new episode of "LINCOLN: DIVIDED WE STAND" airs tomorrow at 10:00 p.m. only on CNN.

Thank you again, everyone, for joining me. So much more straight ahead right now.

(MUSIC)

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Thanks so much for joining us in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

And we begin this hour with an outpouring of support for the Asian- American community after a shooting spree that left eight people dead. This is Atlanta where people have been leaving flowers and signs of support for the victims gunned down at three different spots at that area. Six of those killed, Asian women.

And now, CNN has obtained new surveillance video of the moments just before the attack, the first attack. It appears to show the accused gunman pulling up to the spa where he's accused of killing his first four victims.

And while the FBI says at this point, it does appear that race was a factor, the violence and the apparent targeting of those places is sending fear through Asian-American communities who wants to see the shootings prosecuted as a hate crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Despite law enforcement, hesitancy to say that this was an anti-Asian hate crime, I feel it in every fiber of my being. As soon as I saw it come out, it was a hate crime.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To say that it is unclear what the motivations were is silencing, is taking away our story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: The sadness, the outrage, the calls to be heard all being felt in Atlanta today, where demonstrators are urging support of the city's Asian-American communities.

More now from CNN's Natasha Chen in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ana, a crowd of hundreds has gathered right by the Georgia State Capitol to really support the Asian-American community. If you just look around at this group here, there are people of all backgrounds who have given here from all parts of Georgia and from other states to really show solidarity here. As a reminder this investigation is still ongoing and the determination for motivation has not officially been made. Authorities at this point are not saying that it's based on race.

But clearly, there is a fear and anxiety in the Asian-American community based on what has occurred, especially over the last year.

I want to bring in Gina Son (ph), who is an Atlanta resident.

And you live really close to the spa locations where this happened. Why are you here today? What does it mean to you to see this crowd?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here to stand against Asian hate crimes and for those people little afraid to come out and speak they voice, I'm here to take a stand for them and to see the crowd of different races means the world to me. It just shows how much -- you know, unity can conquer hatred.

CHEN: And I'm sure that this was very personal to you as well, to see this happened. I know it's not designated a hate crime right now. What are you feelings on that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, a lot of things lead towards it being a hate crime, whether it's towards women, all of it is hatred at the end of the day, and seeing this just means the world to everyone to fight against it.

CHEN: Thank you, Gina.

And so, we will definitely be tracking this investigation, of course, but at the moment, you can just see, you know, the palpable anxiety of this community and the empowering support that they're getting from all aspects of the community -- Ana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Natasha Chen in Atlanta, thank you.

Joining us now, film director Jon M. Chu, and you probably know him best as the director of the groundbreaking film, "Crazy Rich Asians", from a couple of years ago. It's released in 2018, made it the first major Hollywood studio movie in 25 years to feature a predominantly Asian cast.

John, welcome back.

JON M. CHU, DIRECTOR, "CRAZY RICH ASIANS": Thanks. Thanks for being -- letting this happen (ph).

CABRERA: You and I spoke just after your film hit the box office. It's such a hit, and this is what you told me at the time. I quote: Hopefully, this cracks the door open so more stories can be told, better stories can be told. I hope this movie starts this movement and it isn't the end of the movement.

Here we are now talking under much different circumstances. How are you feeling today compared to just three years ago when you had such optimism?

CHU: You know, first of all, this week was really hard. You know, it was tough on all of us, Asian-American or otherwise, who empathize with what it feels like to be painted a certain way, to be attacked in a certain way, to be -- yeah. I mean, I -- it was heartbreaking and it's hard to know what to do next in a way.

[15:05:01]

But at the same time, I have a lot of optimism because I see everyone on the streets, I see everyone out speaking their truth and I see everyone defending these families and I feel like there's a lot to be done. It took me a day to gather my thoughts but speaking with all of the community leaders -- and I know that this energy can move us forward and unfortunately had to take something like this to really crack it open.

CABRERA: And there has been a significant rise in anti-Asian violence across the U.S. --

CHU: Yeah.

CABRERA: -- really since the start of the pandemic. There was a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health which suggests that former President Trump's rhetoric around the coronavirus calling it the China virus specifically help ignite anti-Asian Twitter content. And it likely perpetuated racist attitudes.

A coalition that tracks reports of racism and discrimination against Asian-American also says it has received nearly 4,000 firsthand complaints just since last year.

I wonder, have you noticed a change since the start of the pandemic? CHU: So much. I mean, I live in a neighborhood that it's -- when you

walk out, you have to be more careful. I think about my children and with that around, you don't want them to go out by themselves anymore and I feel like that's been for a year. We have been amplifying this warning for a year.

It feels like there are posts and articles but the general public isn't hearing it. So when something like this happens, I don't think it surprises any of us. I think we all knew it would get to this point and I think it shows the reality that words matter. Words matter, used on the playground to the workplace to politicians. These little micro aggressions build.

I honestly am not worried about the jokester. That person always says it's a joke. Relax, blah blah blah. It's the people who take that and then internalize that and use it as support for something else they believe.

And it's time to say stop. These aren't just jokes. These aren't just little things they build, and that's -- I think people say, what can I do? What can I do? My friend called me. Where should I donate?

And, of course, there's great places to donate if you go to GoFundMe.com/aapi. There's vetted groups of GoFundMes from the victims, to the families, to local organizations that you can donate to and you get to choose where those are. But I'm like, none of that will ultimately fix this. It's on the ground that we fix this.

CABRERA: Yeah.

CHU: Checking people when they make the jokes. It's saying it out loud that we won't take it anymore and we have to be aggressive in that. We're not going to be quiet and I think those little things go a long way.

CABRERA: The jokes that you bring up are I think so important because like you said, that's where this sentiment maybe is born in which people feel like racism is normalized in some way or it's acceptable in some way.

I do want to ask you about where you live because you were born and raised in California, a state with a large Asian population at around 15 percent and sadly, we have been reporting on story after story out of your home state. Just this week, a 75-year-old Asian woman was assaulted in San Francisco. She fought back.

Also in San Francisco last month, an elderly man was ambushed at a Laundromat. In Oakland, an elderly man was shoved down on to the street. In Los Angeles, where you are now, a 27-year-old says he was punched in the face by two people who were hurling racist slurs, including Chinese virus.

Are you scared for your own personal safety?

CHU: No. You know, I'm privileged in that way. I'm scared for my children. I'm scared for this generation receiving the baggage of our generation.

I'm worried about media saying we are doing a lot and trying to do a lot and not doing it urgently enough. These are our uncles, These are grandmothers, these are our aunties, these are our sisters, these are our mothers.

When we represent them in overly sexualized ways or the dragon lady in media, I put this on us as well, like that -- that's how the world knows the most important people in our lives. That's how they attach it to blaming it on being sex addicts. That's how they attach these things, and you can't detach that.

So I think it is on all of us, on the ground, on the playgrounds, in media, the stories you tell to be responsible, to again check ourselves. And to look each other in the eye and say, we don't -- these are literally our relatives that this is happening to.

[15:10:05]

My parents have a restaurant and they are -- they've been suffering through the pandemic. And we live in a great community but you know how many times a day my brother and my dad get little side conversations from people or side comments that degrade them or tell them to go back to China? That is a daily occurrence.

We have been taught to push it aside and move forward, and we have and that in a way helps us survive. But a certain point, it doesn't help the next generation survive. And so, this declares that no longer goes by. That -- we no longer stay silent on that.

I love seeing Daniel Dae Kim on Capitol Hill doing stuff. I love hearing everyone speaking out who -- maybe even haven't. I am like the most scared of talking about this stuff because I just want to make movies.

But in the end of the day, like, we are now in the position of power and we can do what our parents maybe thought they couldn't do and the next generation even more so.

So, to me, it's give, defend, change, media change your conversation and unite. We can use all these -- all groups of all cultures, the African-American community, the Latinx community. There's -- it isn't a coincidence that I went from "Crazy Rich Asians" to do "In the Heights" and work with someone like Lin-Manuel Miranda who represents all of what he's done and change.

And so, I think we can all come together. We have different struggles but the way we're going to solve this is very, very similar.

CABRERA: Director Jon M. Chu, thank you for speaking out. You obviously are in a position of influence and a wonderful example of the Asian community here in the U.S. And so, you're certainly doing your part and it's great to hear your perspective.

(CROSSTALK)

CHU: We have not done enough and this is just the beginning.

CABRERA: Absolutely. This isn't -- this sort of has reached a turning point perhaps in shining a light on the issues and the discrimination that I know the Asian-American community in the U.S. has faced for a long time, prior to the pandemic as well. So like you said, it's just the beginning of really exploring what can be done and how bad it really is. So, again, thank you for taking the time with us. Appreciate it.

CHU: Thank you. And I encourage everyone not to think how to change this. Think about how to start to change this. That's all we need, the first step.

CABRERA: Absolutely. Thanks again.

I hope everyone will join us as we continue the conversation on Monday night. Anderson Cooper, Amara Walker, Victor Blackwell and I will be anchoring a special report taking a look at this disturbing trend -- violent acts against people of color and what are the solutions?

A new CNN special report "Afraid: Fear in America's Communities of Color" begins Monday night 9:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

Still to come, in a sign of the crisis at the border, a Dallas convention center has been turned into an emergency intake site for unaccompanied children. It's ready to accept more than 1,000 kids. We'll take you there live.

Plus, it was his ultimate status symbol. So, why is Donald Trump's massive Boeing 757 sitting unused and idle at an airport? One engine even missing parts. We'll explain.

And President Joe Biden says his dog Major is now getting training after a biting incident at the White House. So, what should the training look like? We'll ask the dog whisperer himself, Cesar Millan is going to join us live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:42]

CABRERA: Right now in Dallas, Health and Human Services officials are on stand by for up to 1,200 migrant children who are set up to arrive over the coming days at a facility set up to handle the surge of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

I want to go to CNN reporter Priscilla Alvarez who is there for us.

And, Priscilla, tell us more about these children and what will happen once they arrive.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Ana, these are minors that as you said crossed the U.S./Mexico border alone. The administration is bringing them here to the convention center behind me, and actually, as we're speaking, there are buses that are coming behind me now. We're expecting more than 1,200 children to arrive at the center. It's unclear whether the buses are carrying the children but that is what we are expecting today.

Now, this is an emergency intake site where children will work with case managers to be located in the United States with family but in the interim, they will get medical service here. They will get entertainment.

This is a very drastically different site than the Border Patrol facilities. Those are facilities that are intended to process adults but in the scramble to find space for the children they have had to stay for prolonged periods of time in those Border Patrol facilities. We are learning moments ago that we -- there are now more than 5,000 children in Border Patrol custody. The administration scrambling here to find space for them.

We also learned only moments ago that the Health and Human Services Department is going to open another influx side for these children, again, to accommodate them and give them proper shelter separate from that of the facilities where they should not be, Ana.

CABRERA: Five thousand children in Border Patrol custody right now. Priscilla, you've been doing so much reporting on all of this. Quickly if you will, give us a sense of the ages of these unaccompanied children and how they are coming to the U.S. alone.

ALVAREZ: The ages really run the gamut. We heard from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week, that he had encountered children as young as 10. He had heard stories of siblings who made their way to the border with their mother but whose mother -- she died or was lost along the way.

The children, we know the majority of them tend to be 13 and up, but again, they do arrive here alone. I have encountered them myself along the border and the goal here from the administration is to get them to family in the United States.

[05:20:04]

CABRERA: Okay. Priscilla Alvarez, we will check back. Thank you for your reporting.

Now to New York where Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing new allegations of sexual harassment. Only this time it's from someone who currently works in his office.

CNN's Dan Merica is following that story from the capital city of Albany.

Dan, what is this aide saying?

DAN MERICA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Yeah, Ana, what sets -- this woman is Alyssa McGrath. And you're and this allegation of her is that it's coming from somebody who currently works for Andrew Cuomo. And now, what these allegations are is they're a continuation of allegations made against Governor Cuomo, including a former aide Ana Liss who met with investigators this week. And now, Alyssa McGrath is alleging is not sexual contact from the government, but she is laying out a pattern of sexual harassment, including the governor staring at her and making comments about her marital status. Take a listen to what she said. I'm going to read you what she said to "The New York Times."

Quote, he has a way of making you feel very comfortable around him, almost like you're his friend, but then walk away from the encounter or conversation in your head going, quote, I can't believe I just had that interaction with the governor of New York.

Now, Cuomo himself has not responded to the specific allegation. He actually spent much of the week dodging and not answering questions about the allegations against him, citing the ongoing probes into that. But a lawyer did respond on Cuomo's behalf and here's what they said, quote, the governor has greeted men and women with hugs and kiss on the cheek, forehead or hand. Yes, he's posed for photographs with his arm around them.

Yes, he uses Italian phrases like ciao bella. None of this is remarkable, although it may be old fashioned. He has made clear that he's never made inappropriate advances or inappropriately touched anyone -- Ana.

CABRERA: And, Dan, "The New York Times" is reporting that the FBI is now investigating Governor Cuomo's office over the nursing home data.

What is happening with that?

MERICA: Yeah, that's right. CNN has previously reported that the FBI as well as U.S. attorneys are investigating Governor Cuomo's office for the way they handled nursing home data during the coronavirus pandemic. But this "New York Times" report hones in on the fact that the probe maybe is focusing on whether the Cuomo administration gave false data to the Department of Justice.

Now, Cuomo has repeatedly defended his handling of this. Obviously, the coronavirus pandemic is what made him so popular a year. He has defended his handling of all things in the coronavirus but Cuomo attorney responded to the allegation specifically with this. Quote: The submission and response to DOJ's August request was truthful and accurate and any suggestion otherwise is demonstrably false.

The reality for Cuomo, though, is that he is in a low point in the political career, facing two investigations, one on the nursing home data, one on the allegations against him and his tactics have been to kind of distract from the problem. He went to a mask vaccination site on Monday.

He got his coronavirus vaccine at a historically black church in Harlem on Wednesday and he announced baseball is back in New York on Thursday with some famous Mets pitchers and New York Yankees. All of which is to show New Yorkers that he's continuing on with this job, continuing on with what made him so popular during the pandemic. The reality for Cuomo is that, this is a trying time for him and a low point in his political career. CABRERA: Yeah, and we've seen the polling in which his approval rating

is continuing to drop. Dan Merica, I appreciate your reporting, thank you.

Coming up, the CDC relaxes social distancing rules for schools but not for the rest of us. Why is that?

Plus, he went from an impoverished immigrant to an international success. The dog whisperer Cesar Millan is going to join us live with his story and his tips for the Bidens after one of their pups got a bit rowdy and bit a Secret Service agent.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:22]

CABRERA: Signed, sealed and delivered, 100 million shots in 58 days. The Biden administration just cleared a major hurdle in the race to get Americans vaccinated, 42 days earlier than its initial goal. And it is now aiming for 200 million shots in President Biden's first 100 days in office.

Also, major developments in the effort to reopen schools. The CDC now says it is safe for students to sit three feet apart instead of six as long as masks are being worn and other safety protocols are being followed. But as more states start to roll back restrictions, a new forecast from the institute for health metrics and evaluation notes that rapid reduction in mask use and the spread of variants could lead to an increase in daily COVID deaths.

With us now, infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist, Dr. Celine Gounder. She's also a CNN medical analyst.

Dr. Gounder, you were a member of the Biden-Harris transition COVID-19 advisory board. The administration is now saying it wants to hit 200 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days. Do you think they'll reach that goal?

DR. CELINE GOUNDER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Ana, I think that has been shown to be an imminently reachable goal. They have now hit 2 million to 3 million shots in arms per day on average and the fact we have already hit essentially 100 million doses in arms in the first half of that 100 days think we really can do this. One in four Americans has now received at least one dose of vaccine. One in eight Americans is fully vaccinated.

So, you know, I think that's really a testament to the hard work that's done to dramatically scale up vaccination.

[15:30:00]

CABRERA: As we get this really encouraging news about vaccine doses administered, there are some concerns about a potential new surge.

We have seen coronavirus hospitalizations dropping but now it seems that they plateau around 40,000 according to the latest data available.

Is that concerning to you? And what do you think is causing that?

GOUNDER: I am worried. Many of us are worried. This is something that we have been warning about for several months.

We have seen this U.K. variant first emerge in the U.K. and prompted them to undergo strict lockdown measures again during the holidays. Now that variant has spread elsewhere in Europe. France and Italy have to reimpose very strict lockdown measures.

They, too, are vaccinating, like us, but that vaccination has not been enough to prevent this spread and this new surge.

And I am concerned now 20 percent to 30 percent of cases of COVID in the United States are this new U.K. variant. And we are very much on track for that to be the dominant strain here in the United States within a couple weeks here.

CABRERA: As we mentioned, the CDC updated the guidance for schools and shortened the physical distancing guidelines for children from six feet to three feet in the classroom.

Some teachers unions are still questioning whether there's enough data on this. Was this the right call?

GOUNDER: This past year has been a crash course in the biology of the coronavirus. We have learned a tremendous amount over the past year.

I want to be very clear. Children are not immune to COVID. However, they are far less likely to get infected, to get sick.

And when you see transmission in schools, it is almost all adult-to- adult transmission. It is not the kids who are getting the adults sick.

So I think these are very reasonable measures. Of course, you still need to continue the masking and the ventilation measures.

In some places, that could be opening a door or window. In other places, you might need an air filtration unit.

But I think the guidelines are reasonable.

CABRERA: With warmer summer months coming and spring, it is a little bit more doable to open windows for that ventilation in schools that haven't been able to upgrade systems.

For those who hear the CDC is shortening the physical distancing guidelines for children in school and think, hmm, that guidance could apply perhaps to adults outside of school, say in grocery stores, what do you say?

GOUNDER: Adults are not children. We have seen that once you hit the teenage years and older than that, that the way in which the virus transmits, infects people is different. So adults need to continue masking, staying as much as possible in well-ventilated places. We're seeing a tremendous amount of transmission on par with last summer.

So this is really not the time to let the guard down.

CABRERA: And 98 percent of AMC Theaters in the U.S. are now open. Is it safe to go to the movies? What precautions should people take if they go?

GOUNDER: Oh, gosh. I certainly would not go to an indoor movie theater and will not go for indoor dining or gyms for quite a while yet.

I understand there's political pressure, a lot of business pressure to reopen some of these indoor services but this is really not the time.

I think we understand that until more people are vaccinated, we really do need to double down on masking and being in well-ventilated spaces, away from crowds as much as possible.

CABRERA: Dr. Celine Gounder, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much as always.

Coming up, President Biden reveals the first dog, Major, is getting a bit of training now after a biting incident at the White House. We'll talk to none other than the Dog Whisperer himself. Cesar Millan is out next guest, live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:38:01]

CABRERA: President Biden's wayward pup, Major, is no longer in the doghouse after a biting incident with the Secret Service agent.

The president revealing the German shepherd is working with a trainer and will return to the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Did Major out of the doghouse?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes. The answer is yes.

Major was a rescue pup. Major did not bite someone and penetrate the skin. The dog's being trained now with our trainer at home in Delaware. He was going home.

I didn't banish him. Jill was going to be away for four days. I was going to be away for two. So we took him home.

But we turned a corner and there two people I don't know at all, you know. And they move, and he is going to protect.

He is a sweet dog. And 85 percent of the people love him and he just licks them and wags his tail. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: If anybody knows a thing or two about training dogs, it's my next guest, celebrity dog trainer and star of the Emmy-nominated reality series, "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan," which ran for nine seasons on "National Geographic."

Cesar Millan is with us now.

So good to have you here.

CESAR MILLAN, DOG TRAINER & HOST, "DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN": Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

CABRERA: Has to be tough enough for a person to get used to living in the White House, let alone a rescue dog. What would your advice be for the Bidens after this incident?

MILLAN: When you talk about the White House, everything is a protocol. The environment has to be safe. The people have to be in agreement and in sync.

And same way for an animal, for a dog in this case. The environment has to feel safe, have to feel peace, have to feel love. The dog has to adapt to the new environment.

And then the humans in that environment, from the gardener to the chef to everybody that's around that dog, has to understand the same aspect of energy, of the psychology, whatever training.

But it is not the dog to be trained. It is the humans that need to be trained.

[15:39:59]

It's the same way when you adopt a dog. Most people get a dog for children. But then the rest of the family don't get the same training.

And most of the time, the one who ends up with the work is the mom of the house. And 85 percent of the clients are women. So what happens is they don't get trained at the same time as a family.

So the White House is not a place where people are stress free. The White House is a place where it's all about life, setting rules, boundaries, limitations and not a place of calmness.

So take that in consideration -- and nothing to do with the dog come from a shelter. It could happen to a dog that's purebred. And you have to understand the environmental.

And the humans need to be trained. Otherwise, the same thing is going to happen again. It's agreement, protocol.

CABRERA: So what would make a dog then be more likely to bite or be aggressive with one person versus another?

MILLAN: It can be environment. If he protects the environment. Dogs protect the environment.

It can be house or his family. We all know that the females, when they have puppies, protect the puppies. So it's natural.

It could be a toy, could be food, something personal. Right?

So you have to understand this, that it is no knowledge behind instincts. It's all reaction.

And training a dog is irrelevant. Training the human is how you prevent unwanted problems. The human has to know. Having the FBI, Secret Service, CIA, the Navy SEALs, the incredibly smart people, but no protocol for a dog.

CABRERA: What would you say to that Secret Service agent? If you were to train him, what would you say, do this, don't do that?

MILLAN: Every time you are around animals, you be calm. That's why I train humans. I train people to be calm and give direction.

Most people like to be excited or get nervous or tense. So these three energies can trigger a flight or a fight. Move forward or away from you.

We have to remember that it's no knowledge behind instincts. It's all reaction. They don't think. They don't know they're in the White House and the dad is the president of the United States. They have no idea.

What they know is, what energy do I live with? Is everybody in sync with each other? Is everybody in agreement? They are disconnected. The people not in sync become part of a different pack.

CABRERA: The Bidens also have a much older dog named Champ. And the president revealed they got the younger dog, Major, to keep Champ company.

Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: We asked the vet, what can we do to keep Champ going? He said get him a young dog.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So for owners with older dogs, is that generally a good idea?

MILLAN: It is. It is. Not too young. Too young of a dog, the elder dog doesn't want to deal with a pup. They can deal with a more mature dog. But the energy of a pup is too energetic. And they don't have the energy or patience for a younger dog.

So that's why it's important to drain the energy of the younger dog before going with the elder. It is better for a dog to be with a companion, yes. That's why we get dogs. Especially now, when people went through the COVID situation, they needed a project. Right? So humans went to shelters and grab a dog and bring it home to have a project.

We need to have some type of project, a way to walk, use our mind, our heart, spirit.

Remember, those dogs were there before COVID. Nobody went before the COVID situation. Everybody went when the human needed the help. Right?

CABRERA: I want to ask you --

MILLAN: Yes?

CABRERA: Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt. There's just a little delay.

But I want to pick up on what you're talking about during the pandemic. We saw such an incredible surge in pet adoptions just this past year.

But now quarantine restrictions are easing, so how should people help the pets acclimate to new routines, which may include leaving the house or having guests over for the first time since lockdown?

MILLAN: The same thing. Listen, exercise plays a big role for leaving the house or for bringing people into the house. Right?

Once you address the body, then you have a tired dog. Then you can start setting rules, boundaries, limitations.

New people, when entering the house, also make sure they're calm and practice social distance.

Social distance is one of the best words to happen on COVID-19 for animals. Because in the animal world, social distance means respect.

Before COVID, people were approaching dogs left and right. And even if the dog didn't want to meet them, if the dog was nervous or tense. Even if the dog showed no interest in humans, the dog people wanted to touch the dog because they say, I'm a dog lover.

But social distance is actually the best thing to happen to all dogs around the world because social distance means respect.

CABRERA: That's good to know.

I do want to pivot to your personal story, which is amazing.

[15:45:04]

And for those that don't know, you crossed the southern border illegally, had 100 bucks, didn't speak English.

And I bring this up because you're relatable and may help provide a perspective for what's happening now with a surge in migrants coming across. As somebody that came to this country undocumented, what do you think

when you see so many families and children struggling in the quest to get to America now?

MILLAN: It comes down to life and death, dreams, opportunities. Things that we don't have in our countries. We talk about safety and love.

I come from Mexico. If you know my story, if you know where I'm from, it is not a safe place. And the kids over there, the parents don't have a job. Or if they have a job, they don't get paid well.

So it's that spiritual way of being, the loving way of being to keep the family together. And something that makes humans take that chance, even if he dies.

And when you jump the border or cross the border, it is not a -- you don't do it just because you want to bother people but you have no other option. Right?

I heard, ask not what the country can do for you but what you can you do for the country.

I start to educate the country and they give a TV show. Doesn't happen to an immigrant. But we come with a dream, love and joy, and how to make a difference in the country that give us an opportunity.

And we're very loyal, humans with integrity and loyalty. We go to work, dancing and singing. You need that energy in any environment.

We don't go into the top of the leader of the pack but from the bottom of the pack.

So all the position in the pack, economy, low income, rich, that's the leader of the pack. And then the bottom of the pack is immigrants, the people that come into the country and come with the energy, the energy to push.

And my case is a perfect example that I made a difference in this country.

CABRERA: You are an example, too, I think, of Mexican culture, hard work, of entrepreneurial spirit engrained in a lot of people from south of the border. My family is Mexican heritage, as well.

What do you say to people who would look to demonize migrants coming into the U.S. right now?

MILLAN: It's perspective. It is like racism. You hear, at an early age, things that are not healthy as a child and develop that perspective.

But we are in a perfect time right now, especially with 2020 how it makes the whole human race become in agreement and learn to wash our hands, cover our mouth and practice social distance.

So we have learned that if we want, we can practice the same behavior at the same time for the health and the positivity and the continuation of humankind. Right? It is education.

I train people, rehabilitate dogs. My new show is entertainment and enlightenment.

In television, you have to create an entertainment but to me it is all about education. It is all about keeping the mind of a human engaged but enlightenment.

So it's the outcome of the lessons people get in the new show is out of this world. And I'm very, very proud.

My two kids are 25 and 21 and it's family oriented. It takes a long time to raise a pack, to raise children, to make sure you give them the right perspective, to make sure they contribute to the world.

Not only America, but now with social media, the platform is bigger. Before, it is just to be America or just where you were in the world.

But now the whole, the whole world is there. So we can all play and we can all share our ideas.

CABRERA: Yes.

MILLAN: Now we can all change the world. It is perspective.

We have to -- in my foundation, I created a curriculum with Yale University. Nobody knows. But it is a Mexican with a curriculum to give it to preschoolers so they learn how to connect, communicate, and have a relationship with nature.

So it's important that children hear the good message at an early age because that's an imprint.

CABRERA: Yes.

MILLAN: That's how I became who I am.

CABRERA: Right.

MILLAN: My grandfather, who died at 105, told me not to work against Mother Nature. Always gain trust. Always gain respect. They'll give you a gift of loyalty. So I grew up with that perspective.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: Thank you. Thank you for

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: Thank you for joining us, Cesar Millan, and sharing your perspective. I really appreciate it.

[15:50:01]

MILLAN: Thank you.

CABRERA: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: This week's "CNN Hero," David Flink, was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia at age 11. Now, through his nonprofit, Eye to Eye, he's working to make sure children like him don't fall through the cracks of the education system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID FLINK, CNN HERO: Eye to Eye provides a safe space constructed around what's right with kids, so they can talk about their experiences.

[15:55:05]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you get scared during tests?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I have anxiety. And I shake a lot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, that happens to me sometimes.

FLINK: People's hearts sing when they're seen.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: This is nice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really cool. I like how you use the duct tape as a handle.

FLINK: My moment I'm wishing for is when the problem of stigmatizing kids because they learn differently goes away.

I want them to know their brains are beautiful. I want them feeling like they know how to ask for anything and we can do it. And that's what we give them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)