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Sen. Feinstein decries ‘unconscionable’ racism against Asian Americans amid coronavirus outbreak

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, speaks to members of the media at the Capitol on Feb. 15, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

As the coronavirus has spread across the United States, officials are trying to push back against Asian American bias and misinformation surrounding the outbreak.

There are already signs that some are staying away from Chinatowns and other Asian communities in the U.S., sparking concern about bias.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco) issued a statement this week urging residents not to spread false information or give in to fears.

“We’ve also seen a rise in racism toward Asian Americans because the virus is associated with China,” she said. “This is unconscionable and it’s not the American way. People of all ages, races and ethnicities are susceptible to this disease. Bigotry toward any one group for a virus they have nothing to do with makes no sense.”

Read the full story on LATimes.com.