Racism towards the Asian community is nothing new. Historically, one might look to the Chinese massacre of 1871 in Los Angeles, California, or perhaps the Japanese American internment camps during World War II.

Hate crimes and xenophobia towards the Asian community exploded since the start of the coronavirus pandemic back in March of 2020. The spread of the Coronavirus, originating in China, gave rise to the  targeting of Asians and Asian-owned businesses.

From March 2020 to February 2021, there have been roughly 3,800 reported hate incidents towards Asians (Source: Stop AAPI Hate). The number is significantly greater than reports from previous years.

Sadly, women are the most targeted victims of Asian hate crimes, making up 68 percent of these incidents, while men make up only 29 percent. According to NBC news, there have been submitted reports of women who have been verbal harassed, and it is believed that it reflects the “very intersection of racism and sexism.” 

Elderly Asians have also been quickly targeted. Consider the death of 84-year-old San Francisco Vicha Ratanapakdee, who was attacked and killed while walking outside of his own house by 19-year-old Antoine Watson.  

Elderly Asians across the nation have expressed their fear of going outside as crimes continue to rise. Earlier this week, another harsh crime was reported, this time by a 75-year-old woman who was beaten up in the face and tried to defend herself. 

On March 16, shootings at three spas in the Atlanta area ended in eight deaths and six injuries. While Authorities have yet to determine whether or not the attack was racially motivated, many of the victims were Asian women. 

Many people have also expressed their discomfort and anger after officials in Cherokee County announced that possible explanations behind the attack could be because that the attacker was “sexually driven” and “having a bad day.”

Protests across the nation have been reported ever since these attacks started to “Stop AAPI Hate,” as well as people in social media sharing petitions and resources to try to raise awareness on the issue by using the hashtag #StopAsianHate. 

Anti-Asian racism and xenophobia have also been reported all over the world such as in the UK, Russia, India, Sri Lanka. Victims have faced derogatory slurs as well as physical harassment. 

Examples include Asian people being punched in the face and taunted, getting accused of spreading the Coronavirus and asking them to “go back to China.”  In India, hate speech against Muslims has also increased. Group chats and groups have been created to boycott Muslims’ products, as well as planning attacks against them.  

If you have witnessed or experienced a hate crime, you can report it using the website: https://stopaapihate.org/  

Please sign the petition to stop hate crimes against the Asian community here: http://chng.it/bVyVJd6dBn