A new database launched Tuesday will report and track incidents of hate against Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian communities (AANHPI) in New York City.
The AAPI Hate Tracker aims to collect data on incidents of hate, bigotry, bias, or discrimination against members of the city’s AANHPI communities.
AmNewYork states that the tracker is a joint effort between the Committee of 100 and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), two groups that assist Chinese and other Asian American communities. Furthermore, the tracker is supported by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“As incidents of Asian hate continue to plague our community, it is our hope that this work will have long-standing use in understanding the causes of Asian hate and bias and guide us in implementing evidence-based solutions,” said Cindy Tsai, interim president of the Committee of 100.
In March, TAAF released a survey that among 1,000 Asian Americans in New York, one in every five respondents experienced physical attacks or assaults in 2023, yet only 46% of those who experienced a hate incident reported it.
However, with this new database there is hope for more awareness and accountability. A spokesperson for TAAF states “The AAPI Hate Tracker is helping to more accurately assess the reality of AAPI hate in our community while also connecting victims to support and resources for recovery.” The organization also hopes the tracker will “… drive policy recommendations that will help address the root causes of hate, bias, and violence.
The database is easily accessible, and anyone who believes they are a victim of this type of harassment can file an incident report with the tracker. Additionally, individuals who are not directly involved but witness these incidents, may also file a report.
The South China Morning Post confirms that victims can “request additional support from local non-profit partners supporting the project.” Even if the incident’s motivation is unclear, individuals are still encouraged to report it on the tracker.
According to The South China Morning Post, TAAF and the Committee of 100 are aiming to replicate the tracker in other US cities and offer 11 different languages on the platform.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
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