Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says members of family have experienced Asian American discrimination

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that members of his family have experienced discrimination as Asian Americans.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that members of his family have experienced discrimination as Asian Americans.

Hogan's wife, Yumi, is from South Korea.

"My wife, my daughters, my grandkids are all Asian and they've felt some discrimination personally," said Gov. Hogan on CNN's State of the Union.

Hogan referenced a new report that shows while hate crimes are down 7 percent from 2019 to 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans have spiked 150 percent in major U.S. cities.

In a primetime address Thursday night, President Biden called the attacks un-American.

"I think it was great that President Biden brought this up," he said. "It's something I've been focused on. We feel it personally with my daughter who is sometimes afraid to come visit us. People who had best friends who were harassed at the grocery store or being called names. People yelling about the China virus even though they're from Korea, born in America. It's something we have to get under control and I wish more people would be speaking out."

The data shows there were six hate crimes against Asian Americans in D.C. in 2019, and three in 2020. Advocates say harassment and discrimination felt by Asian Americans isn't always criminal and even some crimes are often underreported.

In November, a tea shop owner in Northwest D.C. was assaulted with pepper spray by a man who came in yelling about COVID-19.

The assault was caught on surveillance video. Yunhan Zhang, owner Valley Brook Tea in Dupont Circle, said no arrests have been made.

Zhang said racism has always been there, but it's on a different level since the pandemic began.

"It became more obvious. It became more public," said Zhang. As if a certain gate has been opened and people can just go public about that."

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