New York (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in the US has repeatedlycontacted with and canvassed authorities and parliaments of the US and itsstates for ensuring security and safety as well as the right to access to fullservices for Vietnamese citizens and Vietnamese Americans in the US, givenincreasing discriminations against the Asian American community in the country.

Discussing with representatives from the White HouseNational Security Council (NSC), the Department of State and parliamentcommittees, the Vietnamese side expressed concerns over discriminations andeven violence suffered by Vietnamese citizens in the US and VietnameseAmericans related to the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vietnamese representative office in the US has alwaysemphasized active contributions of the Vietnamese Americans and overseasVietnamese community in the US to the host country, especially to the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight to ensure the health, security and social welfarefor people across the US.

On March 31, Vietnamese Ambassador Ha Kim Ngoc andambassadors of other ASEAN countries to the US sent a letter to US Secretary ofState Anthony Blinken and the NSC condemning discriminations targeting AsianAmericans. They also asked local authorities to continue carrying out measuresto address the issue, including ensuring security and the right to access tohealth care, education, employment and other social welfare services for them.

Ambassador Ngoc also sent letters to US members ofparliament, including Senator Patrick Leahy, President pro tempore of theSenate; Congressman Ami Bera, Chairman of the House Foreign AffairsSubcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation; andCongresswoman Stephanie Murphy, the first Vietnamese American woman elected tothe Congress, to require them to raise voice to end racial discriminationsagainst Vietnamese citizens and Vietnamese Americans in the US.

The NSC and the Department of State acknowledged ideas ofthe representative offices of Vietnam and other ASEAN countries in WashingtonDC, pledging to maintain support to ensure interests of the Asian Americancommunity in the US.

The Vietnamese embassy has frequently maintained informationchannels and provided around-the-clock support for people in need. For support,people are advised to call hotlines of the Vietnamese Embassy in the US,Vietnam’s Consulates General in Houston, San Francisco and New York, and theCitizen Protection Call Centre of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s ConsularDepartment.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden and Vice President KamalaHarris strongly condemned the hate and violence against Asian Americans, andcommitted to putting an end to the situation. Senator Patrick Leahy andCongressman Ami Bera also tweeted to protest the discrimination. Meanwhile,Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy ran an article on Washington Post, criticizingdiscriminations against Asian Americans and showing support for the Washingtonadministration to  intensify measures toprotect them./.