Reports indicating the surge in hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community continue as people report more often, allowing data to be more accurate. But as each report is released, concern increases about how the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating an already prevalent issue in our country: racism against Asian Americans.
The latest data on hate crimes against Asian Americans may be the most alarming. Released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism on Monday, a compilation of hate crime data from across the country found that anti-Asian hate crimes rose by 339% in 2021 compared with 2020, NBC News reported.
Additionally, the data, which focused on all races, found that across most cities, Black Americans continue to be the most targeted group. Overall, Los Angeles reported more incidents than any other city in the U.S., followed by New York.
“We must bring attention to the hate that impacts all communities,” said John C. Yang, the president and executive director of the nonprofit civil rights group Asian Americans Advancing Justice, emphasizing that “solidarity benefits us all.”
“The support of our allies representing diverse communities of color and diverse faith communities has meant a great deal as our Asian American communities have been under attack. All of our diverse communities, including LGBTQ+ communities, have experienced hate, and there is a profound but tragic solidarity in that,” he added.
In addition to general statistics of the compilation of hate crimes, the report also included statistics about the types of hate incidents Asian Americans face most often. This included nonviolent forms of discrimination like verbal harassment and shunning, compiled by the tracking platform Stop AAPI Hate. Stop AAPI Hate reported about 10,370 hate incidents from March 2020 to September 2021.
“People may not report as much if you haven’t taken ethnic studies and live in Kansas. So that’s one factor of why we’re getting more reports. On the coasts, you have more Asian Americans who are attuned to and aware of how we’re facing discrimination,” Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, told NBC News. He added that the data may reflect a number of factors, including an increased awareness around reporting tools and growing openness to reporting such incidents.
Over the last year, multiple tools have been created to better address the increased number of crimes occurring against the AAPI community. This includes an online reporting tool created by advocacy group National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) to allow people to report incidents of violence or harassment in 29 languages. The tool aims to collect more accurate data about anti-Asian hate crimes by enabling individuals to use native languages for fuller, more accurate reports.
This latest data report on hate crimes against the AAPI community follows several others with the same upward trend. It follows data compiled by the FBI that found hate crimes in general rose by 76% from 2020 to 2021.
While the FBI report focuses on hate crimes impacting all races and ethnicities nationally and indicates an overall slow rise in hate crimes, data from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University-San Bernardino has found that hate crimes against Asian Americans surged in 2020 in at least 15 cities, Daily Kos reported. As the data was further reviewed, reports indicated that crimes against Asian Americans rose by 169% when comparing the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021.
The rise in hate crimes is significant not only nationally but locally. Major cities across the U.S. have seen a surge in hate crimes against the AAPI community. Last month, San Francisco reported the highest increase in attacks against the AAPI community the city has ever seen.
According to preliminary figures released by the city’s police department, hate crimes against the AAPI community went up 567% from the previous year. An increase from nine victims to 60 was reported between 2020 to 2021. Half of last year’s victims were allegedly targeted by one man, the Associated Press reported.
Advocates and local officials predict the actual numbers are much higher due to the reluctance of people to report to the police.
Because the elderly are the primary targets in these attacks, businesses in predominantly Asian American communities are taking steps to keep their customers safe. According to ABC News, many local businesses in California are moving away from only accepting cash to encourage people to use debit or credit cards for their safety.
The mindset is that by carrying less cash, customers—specifically those who are elderly—will be less likely to be considered a target.
No one should have to fear completing their day-to-day activities. The AAPI community needs our support now more than ever, whether it be checking in on our family and friends, spreading awareness of COVID-19 misconceptions, or contacting members of Congress to do more against anti-Asian hate. Check out this guide on resources and ways to support the AAPI community and our Asian friends. Hate is the real virus, and we must end it.
