A new report released this morning reveals the total number of hate incidents against Asian Americans has surpassed 6600.
Stop AAPI Hate tells AsAmNews the number includes all cases reported from March 19, 2020 to March 31 of this year.
2410 cases occurred in the first three months of this year alone despite a massive COVID vaccination program and gradual reopening of the country.
“A random person messaged me on Facebook,” reported one person. “They used slurs against me and against my Asian husband calling him “an almost Black ch***” and saying we should both be hung. (Dilworth, MN)
Two physicians [were] discussing the origin of the virus and calling it the “China virus” in front of the rest of the staff in the hospital. Also, there is harassment/discrimination against Asian healthcare workers in certain departments of the same hospital,” said another in a report. (Carmel, CA)
I’ve lived in the [neighborhood] over a decade and never seen any graffiti targeting Asians. I have shopped at this [drug store] since the opening of the location, but in my recent trip last week I found the offensive graffiti, “NO ASIAN PARKING” in the parking garage. I notified the drug store management too. (Seattle, WA)
The reporting center associates the steep rise in cases to increased attention to the problem by national media and the greater awareness of the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center.
The cases also follow the killing of six Asian American women and two others at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia, but does not include the murders of 8 people at a FedEx Center in Indianapolis, including four Sikh Americans, which happened on April 15 – after the reporting period.
“We know that to combat structural racism, we need to deploy a more holistic approach,” said Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. “We can find a path forward if we invest in community-based organizations at the forefront of responding to discrimination and a public safety system that is structured to not only support survivors of violence but also prevent further violence.”
Breaking down the numbers, Stop AAPI Hate tells us verbal harassment (65.2%) and shunning (18.1%) make up the largest percentage of cases.
64.8% of the cases come from women.
Youth were victimized in 11% of the cases and seniors 6.6%.
Chinese individuals have reported more hate incidents (43.7%) than other race or ethnic groups, followed by Koreans (16.6%), Filipinx (8.8%) and Vietnamese (8.3%).
“This AAPI Heritage Month, we are mourning those who have been taken from us and are grappling with our own fears,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. “Despite the heart-wrenching year we have experienced, our community has shown unity, strength and resilience. We honor and celebrate the powerful activism AAPIs and our allies have demonstrated.“
“This AAPI Heritage Month, we are mourning those who have been taken from us and are grappling with our own fears,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. “Despite the heart-wrenching year we have experienced, our community has shown unity, strength and resilience. We honor and celebrate the powerful activism AAPIs and our allies have demonstrated.“
A recent study indicates that, since the pandemic began, 45% of the Asian American adults surveyed experienced at least one incident tied to their racial or ethnic background. Stop AAPI Hate believes the number of reported incidents is only a fraction of the total.
Reports have come from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Stop AAPI Hate is calling for the following action:
- Dedicate resources to local communities, including community safety programs and in-language support for those in need of mental health, legal and immigration services.
- Build a strong civil rights infrastructure at the local level by fully funding community-based groups, which are often the first responders to incidents of hate.
- Increase exposure to the voices and histories of all communities by expanding ethnic studies and education.
- Strengthen federal civil rights laws that address discrimination in public accommodations — businesses where we buy our groceries, refill our prescriptions and eat our meals.
Today, AsAmNews together with The Slants Foundation and Asian American Movies are producing an arts and activism event, Rock Against Hate. The virtual concert includes numerous live musical performances from Asian American artists and appearances by celebrities.
For more information and to RSVP, go here.
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