County Executive Marc Elrich condemned recent remarks made by Maryland Delegates Mark Fisher and Brian Chisholm toward Delegate Chao Wu, calling the comments “garbage” and accusing the lawmakers of unfairly questioning Wu’s loyalty because of his background and accent.
In the 13-minute video posted on X, the delegates accused Wu, who was born in China, of being a “Chinese Communist Spy.” Elrich said racism and xenophobia have no place in government, praised bipartisan condemnation of the remarks, and emphasized that Montgomery County’s diversity is one of its strengths.
“I am appalled by the racist and xenophobic video posted by Delegates Mark N. Fisher and Brian Chisholm accusing Delegate Chao Wu of being a spy for the Chinese government and mocking the way he speaks. Delegate Wu has served the people of Howard and Montgomery counties with seriousness and integrity since taking office, and he deserves better than this kind of garbage.
At a time when the entire country is celebrating the sacrifices and achievements of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, to question someone’s loyalty because of where they were born is one of the oldest and ugliest patterns in American politics. Asian Americans have dealt with that suspicion for generations. We have seen it during wars, during periods of economic fear, and whenever politicians decide it is easier to divide people than actually solve problems. The idea that someone can never fully belong here because of their background or accent is deeply damaging, and public officials should know better than to encourage it.
As Shirley Chisholm said in 1973, ‘Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread, and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal.’ Her words still matter because prejudice often hides behind jokes, casual accusations, and rhetoric people try to dismiss as politics. We should not pretend this behavior is harmless or normal.
Racism and xenophobia have no place in the State Legislature. Delegates Fisher and Chisholm owe Delegate Wu an apology. I appreciate that leaders from across the political spectrum have spoken out against this conduct because this should not be a partisan issue.
Montgomery County is stronger because people from all over the world have chosen to build their lives here. We are not going to stay silent when residents or public officials are targeted because of where they come from, how they speak or what they look like. This country has gone down that road before, and people in positions of leadership should understand the damage it causes.”
