representative bea nguyen, the first vietnamese-american to be elected to the georgia statehouse. we were speaking to lisa ling. she said too often when there are killings like this, we focus on the suspect, on the shooter. we don't ask what should be the first question which is, tell me about the victims. how are the victims? how are the people targeted? in this case, the six asian women who were killed, but also the asian american community in general. so that's my first question to you. how are you doing? what are the feelings within the community this morning. >> well, thank you for asking about that. i think one of the most important things we should do right now is center the victims and their families and center the asian american commune ity here in georgia but across the country. it's been a hard -- it's been a hard couple of days. we're very overwhelmed. there is increased fear amongst our community but there's also deep pain and anger. as you mentioned before, so often, the centering is around the perpetrator. in this case, it's no different. and so we are trying to focus on prioritizing the victims and their family, but we are also trying to amplify the messaging that, look, this has been going on for the past year. the increase in hate crimes against the aapi community. 150% as you referenced earlier. 68% of the victims are asian women. and as we saw with the shooting, six of those who died are asian women. >> you have heard law enforcement say they are not yet willing to call this a hate crime. they say the suspect called it a sex addiction issue. what are your concerns about that reluctance to label it at this point? >> i think that our country has always been reluctant to admit that systemic racism is a real problem that can be deadly. and it certainly was deadly in this case. and, you know there is no denying that he targeted these three businesses that are asian owned. he drove 40 miles from one location to another, and he passed other adult sex entertainment businesses that he could have also shot up. and he chose not to do that. and the fact that he's even characterizing this as eliminating some sort of sex addition problem is dehumanizing and directed at the women who worked in this industry. even if we take away the racial element, our hate crimes law covers sex and gender. so under the hate crimes law that we passed legislatively that i voted for last year, he could still be prosecuted for targeting women in the sex industry. >> that's a fact. that's a law at this point that has been signed in georgia. we played jay baker, the sheriff's deputy saying the suspect had a bad day. how do you -- given those comments and what else you've seen, what's your level of confidence in the investigation this morning? >> well, the shootings took place in multiple jurisdictions, and it's still unclear how we're going to move forward, if there's going to be any intervention from the fbi. on one hand, we have cherokee county, which, you know, we saw some news about the law enforcement officer who himself used racially charged terms and had t-shirts printed off blaming the covid-19 virus on china. and he was selling those for a profit. and so that is alarming and troubling. on the other hand, we do have the atlanta police department, and they have not ruled it out as a hate crime. so we're going to wait and see what happens, but, you know, i still am very firm in my position that, one, he targeted three asian businesses. six asian women are dead and you simply cannot separate the fact that there's hypersexualization of asian women. it's interlinked to sex working industry and you cannot separate the misogyny, the racism and gender-based violence. >> what would make you feel safe after everything that you have been through the last year and what you have seen in your own community the last few days? what would make you feel safe going forward? >> you know, my first priority is making sure that my family feels safe and that the community feels safe. in my role as a public official, i'm always going to have a targ oat my back for speaking my truth. my concerns are around, how do we protect the asian community as a whole. it begins with calling out xenophobia and holding our elected officials accountable for the language they use and adding fuel to the fire as it pertains to the covid-19 virus. and it also begins with recognizing the longstanding history of violence against asian-americans in this country and telling our story and reminding folks this is not a one-time incident. we've seen brutality against our chinese rail workers. incarceration of japanese americans. the brutality against muslim americans following 9/11. i want to make sure we amplify the voices of asian americans and asian people and do so sew without backing down and calling it out when we need to call out racism and xenophobia. >> thank you for joining us. representative bee nguyen, thank you very much. developing this morning, russia is recalling its ambassador to the u.s. for consultations. this is just after president biden said this about russia's interference. >> he will pay a price. we had a long talk, he and i. i know him relatively well. the conversation started off. i know you, and you know me. if i establish this occurred, then be prepared. >> you know vladimir putin. you think he's a killer? >> uh-huh, i do. >> so what price must he pay? >> the price he's going to pay, well, you'll see shortly. >> cnn's matthew chance live in moscow for us this morning. and more reaction coming this morning from moscow. >> yeah, erica. they have not liked these remarks at all here in moscow from joe biden. in the past few minutes, president putin himself has been asked about his response to joe biden's kind of affirmation that he thinks president putin is a killer. he said what would i answer to him? be healthy. i wish him good health and i say this without irony and without joke he said. he also added that people tend to see others as we see ourselves. when we evaluate people and nations, it's always as if we are looking in a mirror. basically playground sort of war of words speech saying, well, kind of takes one to know one or something like that. the kremlin spokesman, putin's spokesman has been a little less cryptic in his response to these remarks by joe biden saying that these are very bad statements by the president of the united states. he definitely does not want to improve relations with us, and we will continue to work with the united states on that basis. not just words either. there's been actions as well. in fact, last night, in a move that hasn't taken place for several decades, the russians recalled their ambassador to the united states, to moscow for consultations to talk specifically, i'm told by my sources, about the joe biden comments and what they mean for the relationship. and also about the whole range of strains and issues that exist in this relationship that's been so fraught between the two nuclear powers for so many years now. so clearly, that's a sign. that act of recalling the ambassador is a sign of anger, i suppose, that the united states, joe biden stepped over some line from the point of view of moscow, but it's also a sign of how concerned the russians are that this relationship is spiraling out of control. they've already got a whole load of sanctions heaped on them over the past several years by this administration recently, but by the previous one as well. and they want those sanctions lifted. but at the moment, the mood seems to be going in the opposite direction. that's deeply concerning for the russian economy and russian leadership. >> matthew chance, thank you. joining us now, andrew mccabe, cnn senior law enforcement analyst and former deputy director of the fbi. i want to start there if we could. i think it's really interesting when you hear matthew put it in perspective there, the reaction that we're seeing is, in his words, reaction of anger but also one of concern. it's an acknowledgment that this is going to be a much different relationship moving forward. >> that's right, erica. i think we have to -- in these diplomatic matters, we always have to keep in mind -- putin has to show force. he has to show a strong reaction. he has to communicate to the russian public that he's not going to take that sort of treatment. i think a lot of that is what's wrapped up in pulling the ambassador back. >> it's also a reaction to just a wild ly different tone from te administration that existed a few months ago. could not humanly be more different on subjects of substance. it's not just president trump's reluctance to blame putin for anything and joe biden two months into the administration calls biden a killer. it's the intelligence -- the leaders of the intelligence community, like dni john ratcliffe who claimed this about efforts to attack the u.s. election in the fall. listen. >> china's using a massive and sophisticated influence campaign that dwarfs anything that any other country is doing. >> so what's so striking about that, this week, andy, is that this new report that was just published said, uh-uh, said that china did not engage in influence efforts. that they considered it but then decided not to, and that it was russia. it was russia who interfered. it's just such a drastic shift. >> it is, john. it's been a long time coming and desperately needed. let's get one thing off the table right away. president biden is correct. vladimir putin is a killer. this is a guy who leads the country that blatantly pursues a policy of assassinating their perceived political enemies in other countries around the world. so there's no question about whether or not the president was correct here. but this sort of -- i hate to call it a reset because that's typically applied to our relationship with the russians in an incorrect way, but this is essentially a massive reset, right? we're now going to start addressing all of the maligned ways that russia consistently targets this country. let's not forget most of the intelligence community believes the russians were responsible for what we now believe is probably the largest, most pervasive hack of u.s. government and private sector with the solarwinds hack. what the intelligence community told us in the dni report a day or so ago that we have very, very strong intelligence that indicates beyond any question the russians meddled in the last two presidential elections. not just the last one. so i think the president is sending a very clear signal here that the days of coddling russia and looking the other way and blaming russian malfeasance on the chinese are over. we are going to address this head-on in a way that's undoubtedly very comfortable -- uncomfortable for vladimir putin. >> we also want to talk about this report looking at domestic violent extremism. you had some really strong thoughts on this. as we're talking about the misinformation that was put out there, you know, as john just pointed out, with that sound from radcliffe. we're also looking at the misinformation that, according to this report, is fueling attacks like what we saw on january 6th, that that attack itself could, in fact, also inspire further attacks, along with conspiracy theories. it's really laying out quite plainly where we are and how we got here. >> it does, erica. in a very, very direct way. and let's remember, these are the nation's smartest, most professional, most accomplished analysts who have access to the absolute best, broadest intelligence we have. and what they said in that report was that we have racially motivated and militia domestic violent extremist groups pose the greatest threat to our nation, that continue to be driven by their historic motivations like racial animus and fear of government overreach. but that threat has been accelerated by the lies about the 2020 election. and so, you know, it doesn't take much to extrapolate that. those people who did and who continue to perpetuate those mistruths, those lies about a stolen election are actually contributing to the threat we face from domestic violent extremist groups. it's a very clear line of, i think, accountability that the report lays out. >> andrew mccabe, thank you for being with us this morning. millions of americans booking vaccination appointments while others booking trips to crowded beaches. what worries miami's mayor, next. still your best friend. and now your co-pilot. still a father. but now a friend. still an electric car. just more electrifying. still a night out. but everything fits in. still hard work. just a little easier. still a legend. just more legendary. chevrolet. making life's journey, just better. ♪ (car horn) ♪ (splash) ♪ turn today's dreams into tomorrow's trips... with millions of flexible booking options. all in one place. expedia. i'm a verizon engineer. we built our 5g nationwide so millions of people could do what they love in verizon 5g quality. and in parts of many cities, we have ultra wideband, the fastest 5g in the world. this is 5g built right. only from verizon. coronavirus cases on the rise in 17 states now. that's an increase of three states from just yesterday. there's concern about the new fast-spreading variants of the virus, and then there's also concerns about this, spring break. scenes like this we're seeing. florida's beaches crowded, restaurants and bars also. joining me to discuss, the mayor of miami, francis suarez. thanks for being with us. talk to us about spring break. we spoke to the mayor of miami beach. he's worried about people flooding the beaches and restaurants and bars. what are your feelings about spring break? >> no doubt it's a tremendous challenge. he's doing a great job trying to control the crowds as much as possible. they have increased the number of police officers. they've increased arrests dramatically. they are implementing a zero-tolerance policy. the issue is we've been, for months, messaging our community. and our community has done a very good job of trying to respect the rules we've established to get the coronavirus under control. wearing masks in public, distancing, washing our hands. all the restaurants have equipped themselves with either plastic guards or handwashing, sanitation stations all throughout the restaurant. we've spent a lot of time and energy and gotten all of our major indicators down. obviously, spring break brings a flood of tourists and they may not be thinking as conscientiously as the people who stay here and have to deal with other repercussions later. >> the trend lines have been good for you over the last several weeks. what concerns you most, though? one of the reasons -- one of the things that scientists are most worried about are the variants which are very present in florida right now. >> you know, what concerns me is what concerns, i think, every mayor. you're trying to vaccinate as quickly as possible so you can get your immunity level up as much as possible. you want people to be able to return to normal and, obviously, be safe. so every day that goes by, where the entire population hasn't been vaccinated, you worry, obviously. also when you have people that come in from out of town, it's just normal. that happens everywhere. they may not be as careful. they, obviously, want to have a good time. when they're having a good time they may not be as concerned about how their actions are impacting others. and that's something that i think the mayor of miami beach has been messaging very dramatically. the mayor of dade county has been collaborating as well. we've been trying to work together to message it correctly and make sure that people know they need to be safe as they have fun. >> messaging in some cases is the major weapon that you as mayor of miami has because the governor in florida, ron desantis, you can't enforce a mask mandate. you can tell people to wear masks but can't really do much to force them to wear masks. governor desantis is taking something of a victory lap for the florida economy right now and how he's handled the pandemic. florida ranks right about in the middle in terms of death and sickness. has he given you the support that you want? >> look, it's -- this pandemic has been incredibly challenging and there's been this notion that you either have to pick one or the other. i think that's been frustrating for elected officials. the governor has taken some decisions that have been very public about in terms of my disagreements and want to maintain local control, particularly fining people for not wearing masks in public. i've analogized it to not wearing a seat belt and that puts yourself in danger as well as other people in danger. so there are things he and i have respectfully disagreed with, but i also have to commend him in a sense because he did take some decisions that were courageous and the fact of the matter, the economy is relatively open. and it is booming. the city of miami is getting a tremendous amount of migration from places like new york and from silicon valley. and people that come here are extremely excited about the fact that they can enjoy the city. they can be out and about and that they can enjoy the normal things they can't do where they're from. and that is going to have a long-term beneficial consequence for the city. no doubt about it. >> you've been a strong proponent of the state and local aid part of the $1.9 trillion relief law. so what will that money that you're going to get as part of this bill, mean to you? >> well, first of all, most people have to understand that in the first c.a.r.e.s. act, cities that have population of less than 500,000 did not get a direct payment. so we were at the mercy of counties, many of which hoarded the money. in the case of miami-dade county, we only got $15 million of the $80 million we should have gotten based on our population. we're basically making up for the fact we didn't get those funds at the beginning. what did we do with them? we want to make sure our first responders are paid well. they are the ones who have been on the front line. our general employees that support those first responders. also that we get direct aid to those most in need in our community. the economic devastation of this pandemic, you know, we don't even know the extent of it. but we've been helping people pay their rent, their mortgage. we've been feeding them, giving them the basics and essentials. we've been helping small businesses stay hope so they can pay their employees. this emergency aid goes to the most affected, most vulnerable in our community to give them a safety net from today until the time where the vaccine takes complete hold and we're able to go back to normal. >> mayor francis suarez, thank you for being with us. >> thank you. he says he's been cursed, yelled at, even pushed simply because he's asian-american. and he's a congressman. we'll hear from him next. ♪ limu emu & doug ♪ excuse me ma'am, did you know that liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? thank you! hey, hey, no, no, no limu, no limu! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ new projects means new project managers. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. the moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a short list of quality candidates from our resume database. claim your seventy five dollar credit, when you post your first job at indeed.com/home. for nearly a decade, comcast has been helping students get ready. we've connected 4 million low-income students to low- cost, high-speed xfinity internet. we're working with hundreds of school districts across the country to sponsor free internet and laptops. and parents are seeing an impact. and now we're turning 1,000 community centers into lift zones - wifi enabled safe spaces to study. so more students can be ready for anything. i'm trying to do some homework here. six of the eight people killed in a georgia shooting spree were asian women. police say the suspect told them race was not a factor, but that declaration offering little comfort this morning. joining us to discuss, democratic new jersey congressman andy kim, a member of the congressional asian-pacific american congress. i know just from reading what you wrote, listening to some of your interviews, you've experienced discrimination on several occasions throughout your life. firsthand. even when you worked at the state department. but it's something you've been reluctant to speak up about, to speak out about. that is changing for you. i'm curious, how is the message for you different this morning? >> well, it's so personal in terms of what we're experiencing. what each of us is bringing to the table. and i have been hearing from asian americans all over this country, each of them sharing their own stories and how this has affected them. i think this is important. i think that this is something we feel has been invisible. hard to see and part of that is on me and others to speak out more as well. so, you know, i've certainly been sharing my story, my perspective and trying to think about what i can do as a congressman, what we can do as a government together to be able to try to stop this and try to make sure that we can keep our community safe. >> here's what you can do. there's also what allies can do along with you. we've been talking this morning about the resolution that passed in the house in the fall. 164 republicans voted against that resolution. i know there is a hearing later this morning. you have spoken, as i understand it, with a number of your colleagues across the aisle. talk to them specifically about the rhetoric coming from former president trump and some lawmakers as well. especially as it relates to covid-19. i'm curious, have any of them reached out to you in the last 24, 48 hours or even in the last year, concerned about how you're doing? your safety? your family's safety? >> no, they haven't. and i think that this has been something that i saw firsthand when it came to that debate you were talking about. that that resolution about racism when it comes to the coronavirus crisis, some of my colleagues were only thinking about that in terms of politics. they were thinking about in terms of themselves, the former president. that's not what this is about. and i hope that if anything comes out of the tragedy of the last few days, i hope people see this was not about politics. this was not some tactic that the democrats or others are trying to use to jab at the former president or someone else. this is about our lives. this is about the safety of our communities. this is about eight people who were just killed. this is about countless others who have experienced discrimination. that's what this should be about. but so often, things on the floor of the house of representatives gets reduced down to just policy -- politics and partisanship tactics which is just a real shame. >> it absolutely is. there's been a lot of talk about what we heard from the cherokee county sheriff's office yesterday, talking about the conversations with the suspect and the assessment of where the suspect was at in those moments on tuesday. take a listen to this if you would. >> he understood the gravity of it, and he was pretty much fed up. had been end of his rope and yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did. >> our colleague lisa ling pointed out a short time ago, the bad day on tuesday was really for the eight victims, for their families. the bad days are consistently happening to asian-americans across this country on a daily basis. when you hear those words, that this was a bad day, how does that sit with you? >> that sounds so detached from what actually happened and what we should be talking about as a nation. and that gentleman is supposed to be a spokesperson for the community. spokesperson for our laws and our rule of law in this country. instead, he sounds like a spokesperson for the killer. this is something where we should not be trying to try to downplay what happened. we should be speaking about it with the rawness of which it is, which is a mass murder that occurred, killing innocent people, people who should be with their families right now and be able to enjoy their lives. it really breaks my heart to hear that kind of callousness with words that were chosen, again, from someone who is supposed to be a spokesperson for the community and for the people. >> we have seen these massive numbers in terms of reported hate crimes that have risen. harassment and violence against asian americans specifically in the last year and specifically in urban areas. asian women are particularly vulnerable to violence. what is your message this morning when it comes to how this country views asian women? >> i talked about this with my wife last night, just trying to get her perspective on what had occurred. it was really something to see her grappling with this. there are obviously elements that are the same between how she and i are looking at this, but there are added elements as well. her sharing experiences that she's had of discrimination from men about -- because of her being an asian woman. and it was very painful for her to talk about, to the point where she had tears in her eyes. this moment means something more to her and other asian american women around the country, and we need to be very aware of that and be present for them in recognizing that trauma. again, that's something that it's so important that we not just look at racism against asian americans. just solely through the lens of the coronavirus crisis and the attacks and discrimination we've seen over the last year. the discrimination has been faced well before the coronavirus crisis. it will exist after the coronavirus. and it takes many different forms and leaves many different wounds and scars behind. and that is something that we have to understand the totality of it. >> congressman andy kim, appreciate you being with us this morning. appreciate you sharing your experiences and moving this conversation forward for all of us. thank you. >> thank you. just in to cnn, brand-new data on america's unemployment crisis. is it getting better or worse? we'll check on that. plus, americans are now receiving those latest stimulus checks. for some, that's a big boost. but is it enough? if you smell gas, you're too close. leave the structure, call 911, keep people away, and call pg&e right after so we can both respond out and keep the public safe. if you see wires down, treat them all as if they're hot and energized. stay away from any downed wire, call 911, and call pg&e right after so we can both respond out and keep the public safe. new jobless numbers. christine romans here with the details. what do they say? >> another disappointment. 770,000 people for the very first time filed for unemployment benefits. john, you and i here have a grim milestone to mark. it's 52 weeks in a row now of these numbers that would be historic by any other standard. you add in the latest week the pandemic unemployment insurance numbers. another 282,000 people filed for unemployment benefits. and you have more than a million people for the very first time filing for jobless benefits. 18.2 million receiving a government check in all of these programs. one full year. so what are we doing about it? the fed chief yesterday said they'll keep interest rates low. they're not moving interest rates for the foreseeable future. they'll continue to buy all these bonds. the fed chief saying we'll have the best near since the 1980s because of all the things we're trying to do to support our economy. what we are doing to support all these people? the american rescue plan is really skewed to low-income and middle income families who have been devastated by all these numbers we report every week. essentially it's the biggest tax cuts in a single year, biggest tax relief than any time in modern history, including the trump tax cuts, including even ronald reagan in 1981. they are temporary, but they're big and targeted to the lower earning worker. workers who earn $91,000 or less than. the last time we did tax reform it was skewed toward companies and rich people. the hope is here that policymakers, a year in, have figured out how to help working people. and regular people who have been really just hammered by this year of crisis. >> all these new data points and measures passed, it's one big giant to be continued. that's why we're watching it closely. stimulus payments are starting to appear in bank accounts for millions of americans. those who lost their livelihood during the pandemic are using those checks in most cases just to stay afloat. vanessa yurkevich has more. >> we've given up so much as a family already. it's scary to think we might be losing more. >> it's been a year of sacrifice and uncertainty for ashley ordonez, kyle price and their five children in denver, colorado. they drained their savings and sold her wedding ring all to survive. >> that was a tough one. >> it's just a piece of material, and it's a means to an end for my business. >> reporter: like 100 million other americans, they're eligible for stimulus checks as part of president joe biden's covid relief package. they could get up to $8,400 for their family, which they say will go straight into their wellness studio that's been surviving month to month. the checks will give them one more. >> it's keeping our dream alive. >> reporter: in arkansas, nikki martin's check arrived just in time. >> it has kept a roof over my head and kept our lights on. >> reporter: martin just finished months of aggressive chemo treatment when the pandemic started. >> i didn't get to celebrate being cancer-free for very long before this hit. >> reporter: without a job she filed for disability checks and is still waiting, making her ineligible for unemployment. but when that $1400 in stimulus hit her bank account, she breathed a sigh of relief. >> i just immediately got online and paid every bill i had and got caught up for the first time in months. >> reporter: and madeleine agiar, out of work for the last year, has spent much of it here, applying to hundreds of jobs. >> i've had to move from where i lived before in new jersey to my parents' house in the bronx. >> reporter: she lost her job in hospitality when the industry was crushed by the pandemic. with work hard to come by, she found herself in debt and receiving a stimulus check, both for the first time. >> when you think about $1400, does that seem like a lot? >> not in comparison to the debt i've had to incur. >> do you see a way out of the debt in the near future? >> i think the only way out really is to get a job. >> reporter: for many americans, stimulus checks will make a difference. but for ashley and kyle who put their house up for collateral to ensure their business, it simply is not enough. >> any extra income goes straight to the business so that we don't lose this house. it's kind of the last thing we have. so it's really scary thinking about me -- there's like -- >> reporter: thoughts of the future, too much to bear, especially one so uncertain. >> and it is still so uncertain for so many american families out there who are still in economic pain but these stimulus checks do provide some sense of relief. one thing i heard from many americans was that they are hopeful because of this vaccine. they say if that -- if it continues to roll out in the way that it does, they think more people will show up to restaurants. more people will shop in stores. more people will go get their haircut and that is so key because that helps bring back jobs for the millions of americans, john, who are still out of work right now. >> it's been overwhelming for so many people. the last 12, 13 months, overwhelming. hopefully they are going to get the help that they need. vanessa, thank you for that report. here's what else to watch today. olympic gold medalist kristi yamaguchi says asian americans can't stay silent anymore in the face of hate. she joins us next. 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[typing sound] i had this hundred thousand dollar student debt. two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars in debt. ah, sofi literally changed my life. it was the easiest application process. sofi made it so there's no tradeoff between my dreams and paying student loans. student loans don't have to take over for the rest of your life. thank you for allowing me to get my money right. this morning we've been talking about the deadly shooting in georgia that killed eight people, including six asian women. this is a much bigger issue. police in san francisco increasing patrols in predominantly asian na neighborhoods due to an alarming spike in the bay area. at least two of those attacks just yesterday. 75-year-old woman tells police she was punched while waiting at a crosswalk. police say the suspect also assaulted an 83-year-old asian man. so olympic gold medalist kristi yamaguchi calls the bay area home and joins us now. great to have you on the show with us. thank you so much for being here. we don't see you all the time. we don't see you that often necessarily, but you have chosen this moment to come out and speak forcefully. why is it so important? >> well, it's important because it needs to stop. and i think we can't tolerate it anymore. and, you know, i'm passionate about many different things, but this is definitely one that hits very close to home so i feel it's, you know, there for me to step up and speak out. >> you said you worry about your children, understandably. you worry about your parents. what about yourself? >> absolutely. >> how much do you worry about your own safety as you're just out living your life on a daily basis? >> you know, i think i came to the realization last night thinking more about this, and realizing that there are times when i'm out walking about and out and about, and, you know, greet people and i think i find myself waiting to see how they're going to react when they realize i'm asian and if there is a positive greeting back. there's a sense of relief there. so, you know, i know the entire asian-american community is on alert, and, you know, we have this feeling. and there's a little bit of fear in there, and that's sad. and i think our country is better than that. and i want us to get back to where everyone feels safe and, you know, the walls of racism are broken down. >> racism against asians and asian-americans has a long history in this country. it's not new. this is a very bad year that we're having. but oftentimes, and you've also spoken about this, there are many in the asian-american community who feel it's hard to speak out or they haven't felt comfortable raising their voices in this. why has that been, and how can it change? >> you know, i think in some ways it's a generational thing. and, you know, i know during the internment camps, the japanese-americans endured during world war ii, obviously my grandparents and my parents were affected by that. and there's a saying. and essentially it means enduring almost the unbearable with dignity and perseverance and tolerance. and i think it's their way of moving on and getting on with their lives. and setting up a new life for them. but now is not that time to be silent. now is really the time to raise more awareness of what's going on. and to demand that things change. and, you know, i think this younger generation is not afraid to speak out. i think they've given a lot of us courage to really stand up to what's right. and i think that's what we need to follow. >> speaking of this younger generation. you are a mom. you have two teenagers. and they are absolutely speaking out. they have even started selling t-shirts, stop asian hate. what kind of inspiration are you drawing from them? >> well, they are just very socially conscious and are involved in the community and really believe and feel that their voices and their actions are going to bring about change. it's inspiring. i think, you know, we're at a time right now where we need to see that and we want to see the walls coming down in our communities where there's more harmony among everyone. they really believe that they can bring that about. and they are leading the charge. so why not go along with it? >> what do you need from others who aren't in the asian-american community? what do you need from leadership right now in this country? >> you know, i think, right now, that the spotlight is being shined on what is happening and the rise in incidents, and i think that's the start. it's just raising awareness. and then -- and now it's also time for action. and to find a solution. i obviously don't know what that solution is, but i think working together, starting the dialogue, educating people more. not just on the history of asian-americans but, you know, what is happening right now. that can open the door to, you know, finding a more peaceful way to all live amongst each other. >> well, you are living history in your own way. the granddaughter of a woman in an internment camp and now a leader in so many ways. we appreciate you being with us and using your voice in this way. kristi yamaguchi, thanks so much. cnn's coverage continues, next. hi. so you're the scientist here. does my aveeno® daily moisturizer really make my dry skin healthier in one day? 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