Rising Voices Denounces Demeaning and Xenophobic Rhetoric by Michigan House Republicans

DETROIT - Rising Voices denounces the recent hateful and racist speech coming out of the Michigan House Republican caucus. During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM) when we should be celebrating the diversity and contributions of the AAPI community in Michigan and the U.S., House Republicans chose to instead double down on their xenophobic behavior. 

Last week, the Speaker of the Michigan House Matt Hall used his platform to refer to Representative Mai Xiong as “a very low IQ representative” and “probably one of the dumbest ones in the legislature.” These statements were not only disrespectful, they were intentionally demeaning, rooted in racism and misogyny, and aimed at silencing one of the few women of color serving in our state’s legislature. 

On Thursday, May 1, the first day of AAPIHM, Representative Josh Schriver took to the House floor a speech riddled with xenophobic rhetoric, falsely claiming that sanctuary cities “protect criminals” and referring to immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America as threats to American sovereignty. He cited white nationalist talking points, painting immigrants as people who refuse to “acclimate” to American life, in need of “reforming” to assimilate, and openly questioning their loyalty to the U.S. What Rep. Schriver conveniently ignored in his anti-immigrant rant is that international migration is the main driver for population growth in Michigan. Without immigrants helping to reverse the decades of population loss, our state would not be on as strong a footing as it is today.     

These statements are not isolated incidents. They reflect a pattern of dehumanization, aimed at excluding minorities from being full-fledged members of our society. These incidents cannot be simply dismissed as just “hateful comments” made by members of the Michigan GOP. They have a real negative impact on our community, as bigoted rhetoric can turn into actual harmful legislation. We see this in the introduction of Alien Land Laws in the Michigan House (HB 4233-34), discriminatory bills that aim to resurrect a racist history of anti-Asian exclusion by barring immigrants, particularly from Asian countries, from land ownership and economic opportunity in Michigan. The same lawmakers who demean our communities with words are actively trying to disempower us through policy.

Let us be absolutely clear: This kind of rhetoric and policies are dangerous. It emboldens white supremacists, demonizes communities of color, and undermines the safety and belonging of immigrants and refugees across our state. If Michiganders and the public media continue to let this kind of xenophobic speech go unchecked, we will only normalize this type of behavior. 

A new survey conducted by The Asian American Foundation found that 40% of Americans believe that Asian Americans are more loyal to their countries of origin than to the U.S. A quarter of Americans believe that Chinese Americans are a threat to the general public and national security. Meanwhile, the same survey shows 63% of Asian Americans report feeling unsafe in day-to-day spaces and fear they will be victims of discrimination or violence in the next five years.

“As AAPI Heritage Month begins, Michigan’s elected officials must recognize that merely celebrating our food and culture are not good enough,” said Rising Voices Co-Executive Director Jasmine Rivera. “Our families and communities deserve more than empty symbolic gestures–they deserve dignity, respect, and professional conduct from those who serve the people of Michigan. Using positions of power to bully, belittle, or devalue fellow public servants and entire communities is disgraceful and unacceptable. Michigan faces serious challenges ahead and we demand serious leadership. Harmful and hate-filled rhetoric and policies will not build the safe, inclusive, and thriving future our families need and deserve.”

Rising Voices stands with Rep. Xiong and immigrant communities across Michigan in condemning the racism, xenophobia, and dehumanization on display in our state legislature. We call on all Michigan leaders to do the same: reject hate, affirm the dignity of all our communities, stop the advancement of discriminatory legislation, and build a future where immigrant and AAPI voices are not just present but are protected, respected and matter.

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Rising Voices, a project of the Center for Empowered Politics, is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization that seeks to increase the civic participation of Asian Americans in Michigan by developing the leadership, organizing, and power-building capacity of Asian American women, youth and communities. risingvoicesaaf.org