Three thousand miles of separation from racial strains in other states do not insulate Hawaii entirely from that particular kind of ugliness. On the whole, however, the pandemic stresses — attacks targeting those of Asian ancestry because of the China origin of the COVID-19 virus — have not yet reproduced here the sometimes violent outbursts being reported across the mainland.

This can be in part credited, no doubt, to the state’s long history of multiculturalism. That said, there is every reason for Hawaii to speak out against any such noxious expressions of hate. As blunted as racism is here, it does exist and could intensify if the population decides to look the other way.

Leaders have spoken out, as well as a number of those with Hawaii ties. Hawaii-born U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has called for “deeper investigation” of these crimes. Actor Daniel Dae Kim of “Hawaii Five-0” fame addressed a congressional hearing on the issue.

In local politics, Gov. David Ige was moved to issue a statement after the March 16 shootings at three massage parlors in the greater Atlanta area that killed eight people, six of them women of Asian descent. The state Legislature also passed welcome resolutions condemning this kind of xenophobia.

The suspect, Robert Aaron Long, has told police he acted to strike out against the venues as sources of temptation fueling his sexual addiction, so the complex motives for the killings remain unclear. Regardless, mounting tensions over racism were brought to a head by the Atlanta episode, sparking a national conversation on Asian Americans and their sometimes difficult path to acceptance.

“That six of the victims were women of Asian descent is particularly appalling, and I condemn all violence based on race or ethnicity,” Ige said on Friday.

Five days before the shooting, the rise of violence spurred Hawaii U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono to co-sponsor the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, aimed at supporting law enforcement responses to such crimes. Hirono rightly noted that dedicating an official at the federal Department of Justice to review the reports would help expedite enforcement.

The other co-sponsor, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng of New York, cited nearly 3,000 reported incidents of physical, verbal and online attacks against Asian Americans since the pandemic started.

Whether or not the legislation advances in the polarized climate on Capitol Hill, it is ultimately beneficial to shine a clear light on the horrific outrage of assaults against innocent people.

On Friday, President Joe Biden was joined in Atlanta by Vice President Kamala Harris, whose mother was born in India and with whom the issue of anti- Asian hate resonates.

Slavery is undeniably what metastasized as institutional racism against African Americans, but the wounds inflicted on Asian Americans are deep as well.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 precluded the immigration of Chinese laborers, specifically. The mass internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is another such scar, and immigration following wars in Korea and Vietnam brought more prejudice that surfaces, even in Hawaii.

Last week, Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck gave the apology owed for his recent remarks mocking Asians, but that’s only one instance of lapses that still occur here as well. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii correctly noted in its statement Thursday that the Hawaii “melting pot” has not melted away racism.

However, Hawaii has had a great deal of practice at understanding its ethnic diversity and embracing its multiculturalism, positives its people can extol during these troubled times. In the end, it is heartening to see their willingness to do so.