Asian Hate Crimes in the US
By: Sarah Son
As you have presumably heard already, there have been thousands of reported anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States ever since the start of the pandemic. “For too many, 2020 wasn’t just about a deadly virus. It was about an epidemic of hate,” said Rob Bonta, California’s first Filipino-American attorney general. Much of this hate sparks from the belief that Asians began the global spread of the coronavirus. The horrible crimes directed towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders consist of verbal harassment, shunning, physical assault, being coughed/spat on, workplace discrimination, and refusal of service. Elders are especially common targets, as they are weaker and more vulnerable. Comparing the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, the reports of anti-Asian hate crimes increased drastically by 164%. New York’s increase rate was the highest at 223%, 140% in San Francisco, 80% in Los Angeles, and 60% in Boston. Interestingly, some other large cities such as Phoenix, Seattle, and Miami reported no change. A notable violence incident was in March of 2021, where eight people were killed and shot in three massage parlors located in Atlanta, Georgia. Six of the eight were Asian-American women, with families to support and love. Also in March, a Chinese lecturer was beaten up in Britain (where Asian communities have seen a 300% increase in hate crimes). Similar hate crimes have been reported in other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as Australia. This is a reminder that anti-Asian hate crimes aren't just a problem in the United States, they’re a problem in other countries as well.
Carl Chan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, advises victims to take photos of the attackers as soon as possible. He urges the public to “please come forward” to report more incidents, and demands better police presence. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t just forget about it. We have to be united.”
Follow this link to donate to Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander communities, and offers a long list of victim memorial funds and organizations.