War on Racism: Asian Hate Crimes on the Rise

                                                                                written by 10223 Choi Jae Hyuk

With each passing day, more and more stories of Asian Americans receiving anything ranging from strange looks to verbal abuse to violent beatdowns pop up in social media. Hate crimes against Asians in the U.S. saw a 150% increase in 2020 according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

Why could this be happening?

Experts believe the spread of COVID-19 and former President Donald Trump’s stance on the pandemic may have been the motivators.

China’s failure to report the outbreak of the virus in Wuhan back in December 2019 bought a lot of criticism from the international community.

Many politicians and news sources addressed it as the “Chinese virus” or “Wuhan virus”, including Trump’s rhetoric condemning China that he made during his presidency. As these comments were coming from high ranking officials, they were accepted by the masses as normal and resulted in encouraging xenophobia and bias against Asians.

The pandemic that is currently sweeping the world has created an atmosphere of fear for the Asians living in the U.S. A huge increase in racist hate crimes in the states keeps Asian Americans in a state of constant unease.

However, it is important to realize that this issue is relevant to not only the U.S. citizens, but also to us and everyone else around the world.

Atlanta Shooting

“...Although the shooter’s motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end,”

Former U.S. president Barack Obama commented addressing the Atlanta shooting of 2021.

During the Atlanta spa shootings, eight people were killed, and another was wounded. Six among the dead were of Asian descent.

The Korean embassy confirmed that four of them were of Korean ethnicity, and one even possessed South Korean citizenship.

This illustrates the significance of the issue, as we can learn that it is not something limited only to the U.S. We must take notice of these events in order to protect the rights of the Korean diaspora. In the U.S. alone there are 1.8 million Korean Americans residing.

“However, the increase of racist hate crime cases 

is not limited just to the U.S. 

It is happening everywhere .

around the globe.”

Northeastern Indians living near Delhi, especially those who possess Chinese appearances reported a sharp increase in violence and discrimination committed against them.

 

Two of the most circulated Australian newspapers, Melbourne’s Herald Sun and Sydney’s Daily Telegraph used provoking headlines such as "China Kids Stay Home '', garnering a lot of criticism along with a petition demanding apology with over 51,000 signatures from the community.

Armaco, a Saudi Arabian company was slammed after images of their migrant worker dressed up as a “human hand sanitizer” went viral online.

A 23-year-old Chinese citizen was beaten up right after receiving racist comments from an unknown individual in Berlin.

In London, a Singaporian-Chinese student was violently beaten by teenagers after they shouted at him "I don't want your COVID-19 in my country.”

The list is endless, and it's only growing longer.



What’s being done in response?

In order to counter the surge, many actions are being undertaken by the activists and some levels of governments worldwide in order to combat the violence. Citizen led organizations have curated projects to support those who were affected. Governments are working to bolster security forces and to create better crime analysis systems.

Organizations such as Stop AAPI Hate were formed to advocate for Asian American rights and keep track of racism and xenophobia related crime cases against Asians in America. Furthermore, many anti-violence rallies held under the name “Stop Asian Hate” have taken place in many states in the U.S. as well as in Canada and Taiwan, with numbers of protesters ranging from dozens to even thousands.

The U.S. Senate recently passed new legislation aimed at bolstering anti-hate crime efforts on April 22nd. Strengthened law enforcement will be issued, allowing higher security against hate crimes and other cases of violence.

It would also allow judges to mandate that the convicted receive education. In addition, Illinois is to become the first state in the U.S. to require public schools to teach the students about the history of Asian Americans through the new TEAACH act. The backers aim to tackle age-old stereotypes about Asian Americans and to educate children about the identity of Asian Americans. NYPD has also set up the new Asian Hate Crime Task Force as well as a way to provide 911 emergency contact services in a variety of different languages to provide more effective assistance to those in need.

 

The most important thing we can all do in this situation is to stay aware, and to share and talk about the topic. It is difficult for the oppressed to continue fighting without the others’ support and attention. To stop the tragedies, it is vital for everyone to educate themselves.

Simply by bringing this issue to attention in a discussion and being vocal about it can be incredibly beneficial. Showing that you care about the issue and being in the know is key to stopping the violence.