Patsy T. Mink: “I came to the floor because so many Asians have expressed a dismay that a situation like this could happen in America…”

“I came to the floor because so many Asians have expressed a dismay that a situation like this could happen in America and many of them expressed the belief that it could only happen to an Asian. That to me is a very damaging aspect to have this country, so great and so wonderful in terms of its definition of democracy, to have a segment of our community believe that this occurred to this one gentleman because he was Asian and that the outcry did not come until after he was more or less exonerated. The outcry should have been there, as many of the organizations did, but it was sort of scuffled. Nobody really paid much attention to it. I agree absolutely that we have to call for an investigation, and it cannot be the one that the Attorney General has told the community that she would do. It is simply not adequate. It has to be taken to a different level and a situation where this whole matter can be reviewed. But it is a terrible thing. The Asian community feels burdened with this suspicion, and the wreckage of this whole incident has sort of fallen on all Asians, not just the Chinese-Americans, but all Asians. And so, I truly believe that the Congress has to take some responsibility in this matter and look at it.”