Attacks against Asian Americans have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic, with thousands of incidents reported in the past year.
To many Asian Americans, the pandemic has invigorated deep-seated biases that in some cases date back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of more than a century ago.
Prosecutors are seeking hate crimes charges.
Yet some activists, including organizations representing gay and transgender Asian Americans, say the legislation is misguided.
Many conservatives have historically dismissed hate crimes laws, arguing they create special protected classes so that victims of similar crimes are treated differently.
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