Hate crimes are spiking in Dallas, Texas, and it appears that anti-Asian hate crimes are the driving force.
According to The Dallas Morning News, there have been 39 reported hate incidents this year. Around the same time last year, there had been only 14 reported potential hate crimes.
The Dallas police department told The Dallas Morning News that of the 39 incidents, 15 were related to anti-Asian and Pacific Islander incidents.
“Because of the anti-Asian racism that was fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and what happened in Los Angeles and New York, I think the people who harbor similar feelings in Dallas are acting out,” Jeanne Smith, who is of Korean descent, told The Dallas Morning News.
The anti-Asian hate that arose from the pandemic has not ended, even though many believe the pandemic has.
“That sense that Asian Americans are to be blamed for COVID-19 has not subsided, even though Americans don’t wear masks, don’t get vaccinated. In fact, the number of Americans who believe Asian Americans are to be blamed for COVID-19 has doubled since 2020,” Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and a professor of Asian Americans at San Francisco State University, said during a virtual press conference.
Many Asian Americans have recently expressed frustration with Texas politicians, feeling that they are being ignored. Asian Americans in Dallas are specifically asking their local leaders for more help.
“If you are truly representing us in this neighborhood, if you’re truly here to help our safety, we need you to recognize and know the leaders in this community, you need to know who the small-business owners are, and you need to ask us if we see something and you need to help us find resources proactively,” Carolin Kim said at a recent town hall meeting, according to The Dallas Morning News.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc. Please consider making a donation and following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Information about interning, joining the staff or volunteering is here. We are supported by a grant from the California Library Commission and its Stop the Hate program. You can find more resources here.
