Anti-AAPI Hate Crimes Are Rising Worldwide
Triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, recent surges in Asian hate crimes have divided Americans and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, leading to public unrest and calls for actionable change.
On top of the virus that continues to ravage 2021, the year began with a number of attacks on Asian elders. Within the same week in February, a 61-year-old Filipino man in New York City and a 91-year-old Asian man in Oakland were violently attacked. An 84-year-old Thai immigrant died the same week after he was pushed onto the ground in San Francisco.
Data shows that since the beginning of the pandemic, the amount of hate crimes against the AAPI community has significantly increased. According to NBC News, around 3,800 Asian-Americans have experienced hate crimes this year, which is a drastic increase from the 2,600 incidents that occured last year. Out of the 3,800 incidents, 68% of them were targeted specifically at Asian women. The most recent attack on Asian-Americans was the shooting at Asian-owned spas in Atlanta, Georgia, where 6 out of the 8 victims were identified to be middle-aged Asian-American women.
In response to the increased hate against Asian-Americans, the AAPI community has garnered public support by advocating for change. This can especially be seen in a recent incident in which an elderly Asian woman was attacked during a protest in San Francisco, but ended up sparking nation-wide awareness and raising nearly 1 million dollars to fight for racial equality.
Although the pandemic has contributed to the recent surge in Asian hate crimes, the AAPI community has continued to fight back and protest against racism across the country.