On January 31, 2024, tech CEOs of TikTok, Meta, X, Snapchat, and other social media platforms went before the United States (U.S.) Senate Judiciary Committee in Capitol Hill for a hearing regarding child safety on their platforms. TikTok, especially, has been a recurring security concern of the U.S. government since the creation of the app. It has been targeted under suspicion of working with the Chinese government and selling user information to be used for spying. A controversial questioning done by U.S. Senator Tom Cotton grilling Singaporean TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on his allegiance with the Chinese Communist Party must be acknowledged as blatant racism and ignorance. Even though this hearing was primarily supposed to be about the failures of these social media giants in protecting online child exploitation and abuse, Chew was unreasonably directed away from the problem at hand and instead questioned more about his nationality and his role in the Chinese Communist Party. Although Chew adamantly denied having any affiliation to the Chinese while simultaneously being perplexed by what was being asked, U.S. Senator Cotton continued to press on, dismissing Chew and refusing to hear him out. Singaporeans have voiced their anger against the U.S. Senator for his ignorance, which ultimately reflects how he sees Singapore as a country: as subordinates of China. News articles from around the world have reported on this problematic situation, demonstrating the global scale of reactions Tom Cotton fueled by his interrogation filled with blatant discrimination and accusations.

According to NPR, although U.S. Senator Tom Cotton is receiving immense backlash, he forgoes apologizing and instead cements his argument on his behalf. He stated on Fox News that “Singapore, unfortunately, is one of the places in the world that has the highest degree of infiltration and influence by the Chinese Communist Party…Mr. Chew has a lot to answer for, for what his app is doing in America and why it’s doing it.” Furthermore, according to NBC News, Cotton defended himself again by saying, “It’s entirely reasonable to pursue a line of questioning about whether [Chew] himself, like his company, is subject to the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.” Cotton’s statements signify his adamant belief that Chew is lying about his affiliation with China and his own nationality. He also implicitly labels every Singaporean or ethnic Chinese individual as automatically associated with China. Based on Cotton’s insistence of Chew’s departure from the truth, Cotton is not responding to the problem in hope of alleviating it; instead, he further demonstrates the persisting problem of racism against Asian Americans and Asians in general. As a member of the U.S. government, Cotton displays bias against Asians being associated with China instead of promoting diversity and inclusion of all races, as America claims it does. Additionally, his dismissive responses to criticism fail to address and consider how his responses will affect Asian Americans in America. His probing of Chew insinuates a persistence of racism targeting Asian Americans that continues to plague American society. Even worse, this racism is permeated in America’s Congress. But, fundamentally, the growing threats with China have nothing to do with Asian Americans that live in America or people of Asian ethnicity in general; the racism that has existed within America unfortunately continues to be exacerbated because they are being linked together. Efforts to mitigate anti-Asian American sentiments have had limited success due to certain political actors or even presidents that have fueled hate for Asian Americans. Current global issues reflect how Asian Americans are treated in the United States due to ongoing conflicts with China. Instead of focusing on mitigating conflicts abroad, Cotton wrongfully used Chew as a punching bag.

Things should have certainly played out differently. It can be argued that a similar incident occurred when former President Donald Trump termed the COVID-19 virus as the “Chinese” virus. He did not understand the impact it would make globally as Asian Americans and Asians alike were treated with violence for all the hardships caused by the pandemic. Although it had originated in Wuhan, China, Trump had no reason to exacerbate the panic and create further distress by causing nationwide violence against Asian Americans. Because of Trump’s influence during his presidency, he caused anti-Asian American sentiment to take off during the midst of the pandemic. The problem at hand was getting everyone vaccinated, yet it became more than that by inciting fear of Asian Americans and fueling resentment towards them. Similarly, instead of using his time wisely and discussing the failures of these social media platforms in regards to protecting children, Cotton aggressively interrogated Chew and turned this hearing into an anti-Asian crackdown. Cotton simultaneously reduced Singaporeans as a whole into Chinese subordinates instead of the separate entity that they are; Singaporeans just speak Chinese, nothing more. According to The Hill, the Asian American caucus in Congress has also condemned Cotton’s unnecessary interrogation as racist and derogatory, concerned about the dangers of Cotton’s ignorance and how it would affect the Asian American and Pacific Islander (A.A.P.I.) community in America. If Americans and the world see the United States as a prejudiced nation, it incites hypocrisy that America does not live up to its values and ideals.

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton should not have entertained his own political agenda during a hearing intended to be about child protections on social media platforms. Failing to represent and consider the American people the way he is supposed to, Cotton encourages further discrimination and racism towards the A.A.P.I. community and undoubtedly cements his own ignorant views of the Asian community. What needs to be accomplished is having more Asian American representation in government, which will instill confidence in the A.A.P.I. community that they have a voice to be heard. U.S. leaders have to stop pushing their personal agendas and be more educated. The ongoing conflict with China should stay within the realms of diplomacy and not domestic areas at home.