Daniel Dae Kim Speaks Out at Congressional Hearing on Anti-Asian Violence

Daniel Dae Kim is speaking out.

The 52-year-old actor appeared at a Congressional hearing on Thursday (March 18) where he called out lawmakers who had voted against a resolution that condemned anti-Asian violence.

The meeting took place two days after a shooting in Atlanta, Georgia where eight people lost their lives, six of whom were women of Asian descent.

“I was disheartened to find that for a bill that required no money or resources, just a simple condemnation of acts of hate against people of Asian descent, 164 members of Congress – all Republican – voted against it,” Daniel said.

“And now here I am again, because as every witness in this hearing has pointed out, the situation has gotten worse, much worse.”

“Now I’m not naive enough to think I’m going to convince all of you to stand up for us – trust me, I’ve seen your voting records – but I am speaking to those [for whom] humanity still matters,” he added.

Daniel called on Congress to pass two pieces of legislation, including a bill that would “transform the way hate crimes are reported in the U.S.,” per Politico.

He closed by saying that this was a key moment in U.S. history and the response to these hate crimes “will send a message for generations to come as to whether we matter.”

A number of celebrities also responded to the violence on social media.