Dozens of Asian American residents of the suburb that Ohio’s Republican lieutenant governor calls home penned a letter to him Wednesday, citing their concerns over a tweet he sent referring to the “Wuhan virus” and the fears they have for the safety of their children because of such comments.
“Lt. Governor Husted, your choice of words has only raised the anxiety and fear that Asians and Asian Americans in Upper Arlington are currently experiencing,” the letter obtained by the local NBC affiliate read.
“Our children have been targeted for bullying and abuse in the district well before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that abuse has increased significantly in the last 14 months and has reached levels that have brought news media attention to our doorsteps,” the letter continued. “Our children are the classmates, friends, and neighbors of your children.”
The letter to the lieutenant governor was signed by nearly 70 members and families of the Asian community in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus.