The violent hate crimes against Asian Americans you heard about since last spring havent stopped. In fact, they may be worse than ever.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Asian Americans have reported being targeted in nearly 4,000 hate incidents nationwide, with many crimes occurring in the Bay Area and New York City .
Tuesdays Atlanta area massage spa shooting deaths of eight people, including six who appeared to be of Asian descent, refocused the spotlight on anti-Asian violence.
According to NYPD data, hate crimes motivated by anti-Asian sentiment jumped by 1,900% in the last year. In the year prior to Feb. 28, a staggering 3,795 racist incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were reported to the the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate . Because these numbers are self-reported and some victims may not speak English, community advocates say there are likely far more cases that havent been recorded.
In spite of President Joe Biden s condemnation of anti-Asian racism , the attacks, especially those targeting Asian senior citizens, have continued with alarming regularity.
On Jan. 28, Vicha Ratanapakdee , an 84-year-old man from Thailand, was taking his morning walk around his San Francisco neighborhood when a 19-year-old was filmed rushing at him and violently shoving him to the ground . He died two days later as a result of the injuries from that fall.
Meanwhile, a 28-year-old stands accused of pushing a 91-year-old Asian man to the ground in Chinatown in nearby Oakland two days later. And in Manhattan on Feb. 3, a 61-year-old Filipino man needed almost 100 stitches on his face after another passenger slashed him on the New York City subway. He told the New York Daily News that he thought he was going to die from blood loss and that no one on the train came to help him.
This isnt just an American problem. In the U.K., reports of hate incidents against South and East Asian communities increased 21% during the pandemic in May alone. (Because COVID-19 first came to light in Wuhan, China, and because of the racist belief that Asians are a monolith, Asian people have been widely scapegoated regardless of origin.)
We are in a moment of reckoning, activist Amanda Nguyen told MSNBC recently as she called on people to denounce anti-Asian hate crimes. Silence erases our humanity. Yet it roars through the head of every Asian American as they step out the door and are afraid ... How many more people need to be killed?
What can you do to help? First, recognize that the Asian American community is under attack, then take action. Below, activists and advocates share eight things you can do to help the community as an ally.
Spread awareness on social media.
Since these racially motivated attacks began, many Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) advocates have decried the lack of media coverage and the seeming indifference of many Americans to these attacks.
Now that youre aware of whats going on, share what you know with friends and family on social media. Speak out and stand in solidarity with the Asian community.
People are hurting and want to feel like their voices are being heard, said Zeena Koda, the co-founder of Asian American Collective . Use the power of the internet to bring awareness to our larger community and educate each other.
Not sure what to say? Thats OK. Pass the mic by retweeting and sharing the words and work of Asian American activists who are speaking out and trying to disseminate information about how to help. For instance, the post below from @dearasianyouth . (And while youre at it, follow more Asian voices on Instagram and Twitter to diversify your feeds.)
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