During the spread of COVID-19 there has been a clear increase of hate crimes directed at Asian Amercians. It has taken too long for the media to acknowledge that these crimes are happening. But now that this issue is being discussed it is important to understand it.

Leaders are calling for action. They expect a change in the police investigation and Americans in general to consider the way that they have been silencing Asian Americans. Last month President Biden called for better data collection and mandated change in the training that police officers received. Yet these demands are not being met and the crimes can still be seen at a steady rate.

Senior Margot Bergner said, “ I know that a lot of people in my community believe that Asian people have the same amount of privilege as a white person. This is completely false. There needs to be a wake-up call for the violence and hate that is being directed at Asian Americans.”

This past month there have been countless attacks on Asian Americans, including a young man who stabbed an Asian man who is now in critical condition and an 84-year-old Thai American man who was shoved and died at impact. These are only a few of the crimes that happened this month and were reported. There are countless other crimes that have happened in the past year.

Sophomore Naysa Kalugdan said, “With the increase in Asian hate crime within the past few years, I am extremely remorseful and indignant towards those targeted and their families. As a proud Asian-American who has strong ties to her heritage and community, it is exceptionally heartbreaking to hear about all of the oppression that AAPI (Asian-American Pacific Islanders) are facing today — especially with the outbreak of COVID-19. I have been working diligently to do all that I can to ensure the health and safety of the Asian community, specifically the Hmong and Filipino communities, in Minnesota. I’ve been sharing the powerful stories of all of those who have fallen prey to Asian hate crimes, whether through microaggressions or through extreme physical violence, and to empower the youth in my community to unite against these prejudices. Whenever new stories about hate crimes against AAPI come to light, I often question myself about concepts relating to “more.” What more can I do for my community? What more needs to happen to stop the oppression nationally? Though the AAPI hate crimes are utterly disturbing and exceptionally terrifying, I’m using the stories of Noel Quintana, of Vicha Ratanapakdee, of all AAPI people who have experienced racial discrimination — both publicized and not — as an opportunity to spread awareness, to fight for the AAPI communities, and to empower AAPI youth, and allies, to make a difference in our generation and the generations to follow. So I urge the young adults in my community to reflect, to educate themselves, and to fight. What more can you do to ensure justice for our community?”

There is clear data showing that the surge of Asian hate started when Trump began accusing the pandemic on Chinese people and putting them to blame for COVID-19. Asian people still feel silenced and afraid to speak out about what is happening to them. They are scared because some of them are immigrants, some of them are scared they will not be believed or judged. There is change that needs to happen. Each person as an individual can help this change happen.

What you can do:
– Speak out: Tell your family, friends and your community about Asian Hate and acknowledge that it is a real issue.
– Join Campaigns and encourage others to do so as well:
I Still Believe in Our City
We Are One New York
Fight Fear with Facts
Report Discrimination Animated Video
Graphic Available in 21 Languages
Hate and Bias Incidents Related to COVID-19 Fact Sheet
Educational Resources
Community Resources
Asian American Federation (AAF)
Stop AAPI Hate