U.S. Army veteran and local Ohio lawmaker Lee Wong caught the attention of the world when he disrobed in the middle of an on-camera meeting and made an emotional plea to anyone questioning his patriotism.
In the days after eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, were killed at Atlanta-area spas, Wong decided to address anti-Asian discrimination by sharing his own experiences. The West Chester Township Board of Trustees chairman lifted his shirt during the session to display scars he received while serving in the Army.
"Here is my proof. This was sustained through my service in the U.S. military. Now is this patriot enough?" he asked attendees.
Looking back, Wong told Cheddar he had no idea he would go as far as lifting his shirt during the session, but it made a huge impact.
"I think they got my message," he said. "The response has been overwhelming. I have a stack of emails here [I am] still going through. It's unbelievable. People, good people, all over the world responded."
Wong said local officials have to be more sensitive. In particular, Wong said that it was "alarming" that Cherokee County Sheriff's Captain Jay Baker would describe the Atlanta shooter as having "a bad day."
"We've got eight people just killed, and how can you be so insensitive when it comes to Asian Americans?" he said. Wong added that when local officials make excuses for criminals, particularly ones that are accused of committing mass murder, it minimizes the plight of a victimized group.
"We are all human beings, all Americans, hard-working, law-abiding citizens, and [Asian Americans] need to be protected," he said.
With the White House announcing plans to establish an equity task force aimed at ending xenophobia against Asian Americans, Wong expressed the need for the federal government to do more when it comes to protecting disenfranchised groups. He said one of the things the government can do is be explicitly clear in its definition of hate crimes.
In the U.S. prosecuting hate crimes has proved to be difficult because there is an elevated burden to show that a crime was committed because of a particular bias. Wong said the definition of a hate crime as it currently stands is "very narrow."
He also noted that the responsibility to protect Asians doesn't solely fall on law enforcement, and he called on everyday Americans to "step up and speak up when necessary," and referenced the now-fired doormen in New York City who watched an elderly Asian woman get violently attacked and initially failed to help.
"Just do the right thing. [People] need to step in and stop this violence instead of close the door, let someone get kicked and beat up right in front of them. No one stopped him. That is troubling," he said.
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