3,795.

 

This staggering number symbolizes the number of reported attacks against the Asian-American community that occurred over twelve months during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Although Asian hate crimes have always been present, their number has surged by 150% in the past year. At the inception of the global pandemic in early 2020, many news reports pinpointed the origin of the outbreak to Wuhan, China, which led people to blame the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population for the virus.

 

By March 2020, President Trump was referring to the virus as  “kung flu,” “Chinese virus,” and "Wuhan virus." These phrases quickly became popular hashtags on Twitter, amplifying the growing anti-Asian xenophobia.

 

Anahi Viladrich, a professor of sociology at Queens College and The Graduate Center at the City University of New York, says stigma against Asian-Americans has gone viral during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Social media has significantly contributed to the pandemic of prejudice and hate against Asian populations globally. With its power to freely move across time zones and social geographies, social media has turned terms such as ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘Wuhan virus' into race-based stigma against Asian groups in the United States and overseas.” Viladrich said.

 

As the pandemic continued to take lives around the world, an overflowing pool of racially motivated incidents against Asian-Americans took shape in the form of verbal harassment, shunning, and even violent physical attacks.

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However, due to the fact that the AAPI community is not often recognized as a racial minority, the hate crimes against them initially received little media coverage. The true scope of racial incidents and assaults has not been on the radar of the broad public until recently when the violence escalated and gained national attention.

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“I was mad, like blood boiling through my veins, watching my community get slaughtered,” Amanda Nguyen, an activist and the founder of the Rise Civil Rights nonprofit organization said. “How many more people need to be killed in order for the news outlets, especially mainstream ones, to think that we’re worthy of a story?”

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In the past few months, racist acts against Asian-Americans have spiked across the country and have also become more prevalent in the Bay Area. Among other incidents, on January 28, 2021, an 84-year-old Thai immigrant, Vicha Ratanapakdee, was attacked on his morning walk in San Francisco. On March 11, 2021, Pak Ho, a 75-year-old man from Hong Kong, was robbed, assaulted, and killed in Oakland by a man who is known for victimizing elderly Asians.

 

As a result of the increase in racially charged hate crimes, some Asian-Americans feel forced to alter their daily routines in order to avoid situations that could possibly prompt a racial attack, creating a devastating effect on the Asian community. Many find themselves taking extra precautions when doing everyday things such as going to work or taking a walk, and others have reported going home early from work out of fear of harassment.

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“There’s a complex variety of factors, but the fundamental reality is that there's an increase in the number of Asian- Americans who feel unsafe,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, Founder and Director of AAPI Demographic Data and Policy Research.

 

In response to growing fears in the Asian community, some groups of young Asian-Americans and other young Americans have made efforts to create services to help escort and protect elderly Asian-Americans in their cities. One example, according to CNN, is the movement “Compassion in Oakland,” a project created by Jacob Azevedo to help protect and support elderly Asian Americans in Oakland’s Chinatown.

 

"I just wanted to offer people some kind of comfort," Azevedo told CNN. "There's a lot of racial tension going on (and) our communities need healing. This is an issue that's been ongoing for a while."

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Initiatives like this are part of the growing movement of activists, protestors, social media platforms, websites, and public art displays that are striving to combat anti-Asian hate. Organizations like “Stop AAPI Hate,” “AAPI Women Lead,” and “Asian Mental Health Collective” have also formed to bring awareness to anti-Asian violence, to help educate the public about anti-Asian racism, and to raise thousands of dollars to help the victims of racially motivated attacks. 

 

During this time of crisis, Viladrich also stresses the importance of responsible reporting and banning negative and derogatory comments on social media. She notes that while social media can be used to spread misinformation and racial slurs, it can also be used to raise awareness and educate the public about anti-Asian racism and inspire compassion and support for the AAPI community. 

 

Whether it is donating to AAPI organizations, volunteering, protesting, or simply helping support local Asian-run businesses and restaurants, any action is a contribution to positive change. 

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"We are in a moment of reckoning right now," Nguyen said. "We have been systematically erased on every single level, and people can start to combat that by educating themselves about us."