Asian American Hate Crimes Rise During Pandemic

“For over a year, Asian Americans have been fighting an additional virus of hate and bigotry,” said New York Rep. Grace Meng in a statement. “Anti-Asian rhetoric like ‘China Virus,’ ‘Kung-flu,’ misinformation, and racism have left Asian Americans traumatized and fearful for their lives.”

A reported 3,800 instances of anti-Asian hate crimes came to a head last week, when eight people were shot and killed in Atlanta spa parlors. Six of the victims were Asian women.

“This is one of the more violent tragedies in a string of about 3,800 hate incidents and crimes against Asian Americans—68 percent of them women,” said Rep. Judy Chu of California. “It’s clear that the individuals were targeted because they are amongst the most vulnerable in our country: immigrant, Asian women.”

Congress held a hearing this week, in which several Asian-American lawmakers, scholars, and advocates testified on the rise in hate crimes and discrimination the community is being faced with. Subcommittee Chair Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., began the hearing Thursday with a moment of silence for the people who were killed in Atlanta.

“I want to make clear that all Asian Americans who are understandably feeling hurt and afraid right now and wondering whether anyone else in America cares that Congress sees you, we stand with you,” he added. “We’re gonna do everything in our power to protect you.”

At the start of the pandemic, in March of last year, an advocacy group called Stop AAIP (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Hate was launched in response to the starling amount of xenophobia resulting from the pandemic.

“Our approach recognizes that, in order to effectively address anti-Asian racism, we must work to end all forms of structural racism leveled at Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color,” reads the Stop AAIP Hate website.

Their plan to help eradicate anti-Asian hate crimes comes in the form of a five-pronged approach, including the following initiatives:

– Serve as the leading aggregator of anti-Asian hate incidents
– Offer multilingual resources for impacted community members
– Provide technical assistance from rapid response to preventative measures
– Support community-based safety measures and restorative justice efforts
– Advocate for local, state, and national policies that reinforce human rights and civil rights protections

OFM stands in solidarity with the AAPI community and will continue to report on not only the injustices they face, but the reliance and strength they uphold, which makes them an invaluable part of our community.

Cover image by Ray Manzari