Covid Brings a Surge of Asian Violence and Hate to the U.S.
What You Need To Know
Since the pandemic began, attacks against Asian Americans have skyrocketed. Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian incidents have been reported in the last year, according to Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit that tracks discrimination Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, with women reporting 2.3 more incidents than men.
For months, news reports and viral videos have captured harassment and assaults against Asians, many of them elderly. In March, a deadly shooting spree at three Atlanta-area spas left at least six Asian women dead. Cities across the U.S., including Seattle and San Francisco, have increased police surveillance in Asian communities in recent weeks. New York City deployed counterterrorism officers. Protesters have gathered across the country to raise awareness and protest anti-Asian hate.
Officials including President Joe Biden, Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Representative Judy Chu of California have condemned the attacks as hate crimes. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell two days after the shooting said “Asian Americans should not have to experience discrimination anywhere.” Democrats have blamed President Donald Trump for inflaming discrimination by using racist rhetoric to describe Covid. Trump frequently blamed the pandemic on China and repeatedly referred to it as the “China virus” and “kung flu.” Cases of the disease were first observed in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, and the U.S. and other countries have complained that the Beijing government has not been forthcoming about the virus’s origin.
Key Coverage
By The Numbers
- Six The number of Asian women killed in a shooting spree in Atlanta on March 16
- 3,800 The number of anti-Asian incidents since last March, according to Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that started tracking acts of discrimination, harassment and physical violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders last year
- 150% The percent increase in hate crimes against Asian people in the U.S. last year
Why It Matters
When Covid made its way to the U.S., the FBI warned about a surge in hate crimes against people of Asian descent. After President Trump’s first usage of the ‘Chinese virus’ in March, anti-Asian posts spiked on Twitter. More than a year later, the Asian American community is still reeling from the effects of anti-Asian rhetoric. Violence, particularly against elderly Asian Americans, has been reported in cities across the country, from New York to San Francisco.
The pandemic has exposed racial and other inequalities in the U.S. While the Asian American community has, on the whole, achieved economic success, recent events have debunked the “ model minority” myth and exposed racism the community faces.
Pressure is mounting on U.S. institutions from corporate America to the White House to take action against Asian American hate. The tech industry, where Asian Americans make up a high percentage of employees, has been notably silent.
Wall Street giants, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp., came out with statements condemning racism against Asian Americans following the Atlanta shooting. President Biden has vowed to appoint more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to his cabinet after Democratic Senators Mazie Hirono and Tammy Duckworth threatened to block his nominations in the Senate due to lack of representation.
U.S. leaders and institutions need to develop long-term strategies for countering violence and hate.
