Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Summary

Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans
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Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans
According to the United States of America's (USA) Department of Justice, hate crimes emanate from biasness against an individual or group of people due to their differences in skin color, religion, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender, national origin, or gender identity. Hate crimes target individuals due to their physical appearances and instill fear in the affected communities and families. They are a form of discrimination against a specific group of people that might be triggered by various things or perceptions (The United States Department of Justice, n.d.). The law enforcement agencies encourage people to report hate crimes so that victims can be helped accordingly. Recently, hate crimes against Asian Americans have been on the rise in the USA because these people are blamed for the spread of coronavirus. Since COVID-19 originated from Wuhan, China, some individuals believe that Asian Americans have something to do with it. Hate crimes against Asian Americans in the USA, which is fueled by the association of COVID-19 with Asians, portray how racism has mutated where individuals are discriminated against based on their culture, religion, skin color, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ethnic differences.
Hate crimes against Asian Americans in the USA have been on the rise as many people blame these individuals for the spread of COVID-19. "Brutal Attack on Filipino Woman Sparks Outrage: 'Everybody Is on Edge'" by Nicole Hong, Ali Watkins, Ashley Southall, and Juliana Kim shows how hate crimes directed at Asian Americans have increased recently. The article depicts a situation that was captured by the security camera near the Times Square building in Manhattan. A man attacked a 65-year-old Asian American or Filipino immigrant walking down the street (Hong, Kim, Watkins, & Southall, 2021). The incident occurred during the day, and the surveillance video shows no argument between the two parties involved. The man started kicking the old lady in her stomach for no apparent reason. He also kicked her in the head once, where the female victim crumpled toward the sidewalk. The man was heard yelling at the Asian American, "you don't belong here," before he disappeared (Hong, Kim, Watkins, & Southall, 2021). Consequently, such violence against people due to their cultural, racial, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity differences should be condemned since they make society unsafe for specific demographics.
The most significant thing that makes the issue of hate crimes in the USA most disturbing is that society is watching the oppression against a specific group of people and cannot help. In most cases, if people see a violent scene unfolding in the street, they rush to help or stop it. Others call police officers when the situation is uncontrollable. In the scenario discussed above, when the 65-year-old Asian American lady was kicked in her stomach and head, those who witnessed the incident did nothing. For example, near the lobby of a luxurious apartment building near Times Square, three men watched the event enrolling (Hong, Kim, Watkins, & Southall, 2021). One of the men, identified as a security guard, had the guts to close the building's front door to prevent the struggling older woman from entering there. At this point, it appears like society is losing its morals where people can witness a racist incident happening without intervening. The lack of bystanders' intervention portrays that hate crimes against Asian Americans are supported by some individuals who blame these individuals for the spread of COVID-19.
Public officials were unhappy by seeing how society is reacting to hate crimes against Asian Americans. Bill de Blasio, New York City's mayor, said that the attack was "absolutely disgusting and outrageous" and pleaded with New Yorkers to always intervene when they see such incidences (Hong, Kim, Watkins, & Southall, 2021). Andrew Yang, an Asian-American, seeking for the position of New York's mayor, asserted that he was heartbroken by the number of attacks against his community members and urged Asian Americans to walk in groups or pairs to avoid such incidents (Hong, Kim, Watkins, & Southall, 2021). The fear of Asian Americans in the USA has increased since the attack on the 65-year-old female sent a significant message to them that even when they are assaulted in broad daylight, they are left alone to suffer without help from bystanders. Mon Yuck Yu, New York's immigrant health advocate, found the incident heartbreaking and said that "If you are being attacked, the community will not be standing for you" (Hong, Kim, Watkins, & Southall, 2021). Although the perpetrator was identified through security footage, he had not been arrested as of Tuesday evening. The victim, Vilma Kari, is recuperating in the hospital since her pelvis had fractured.
Asian immigration to the USA significantly increased after the implementation of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA, 1965). Based on the USA Census Bureau of Statistics, Asian American population rose from 3.5 million to 11.9 million from 1980 to 2000. In 2013, the population further increased to 19.4 million (Zhang, Zhang, & Benton, 2021). The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) portrays that the rate of hate crimes directed at Asian Americans has been surging dramatically. Indeed, different parts of the USA are experiencing hate incidents against Asian Americans, which are reported on social media. The current political and social climate has significantly contributed to labeling COVID-19 as the "Chinese virus." The Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and Chinese for Affirmative Action depict that over 2,100 anti-Asian American incidents of hate-related to coronavirus were reported countrywide between March and June 2020 (Zhang, Zhang, & Benton, 2021). Empirical studies try to compare hate crimes experienced by Asian Americans to those encountered by Hispanics and African Americans. Overall, multiple hate crime incidents against Asian Americans have been trigger...