The number of hate crimes against Asian Americans has substantially increased during the first quarter of this year compared to 2020.
New hate crime data indicate that there have been 86 reported attacks against Asian Americans so far in 2021 in 15 of America’s largest cities and counties, according to a report released on Thursday by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
The number of hate crimes perpetrated against Asian Americans during the first quarter of 2020 was 32, demonstrating a 169% increase.
MAN ARRESTED FOR NYC HATE CRIME AGAINST ASIAN WOMAN PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF KILLING HIS MOTHER
New York City had more than three times the number of anti-Asian hate crimes, 42, than any other city. The Big Apple had 13 during the same time period last year, marking a 223% increase in hate crimes. San Francisco, which reported 12, and Los Angeles with 9, ranked second and third in the number of anti-Asian hate crimes so far in 2021; their totals increased by 140% and 80% from last year, respectively.
Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Florida, and Cleveland are the only cities included in the study that showed a decrease in the number of hate crimes from the first quarter of last year to this year. According to the report, each city had one hate crime in which the victim was an Asian American in 2020, while none of the cities have had any reported thus far this year.
The increase in the first quarter of 2021 comes on the heels of a surge in similar crimes a year before. There was an increase of 146% across 26 of America’s largest jurisdictions during 2020, according to a previous report by the same group.
Experts have pointed to the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, as a possible reason behind the increase in hate crimes directed at the Asian community.
On March 16, a man killed eight people, six of whom were Asian, in three separate shootings in Atlanta. The alleged shooter denied that his acts were based on their race. He claimed, according to police, that he was a “sex addict” and that he wanted to “eliminate” the “temptation” of massage parlors.
Despite his comments, activists claim that the shooter’s argument was rooted in anti-Asian hate, given the stereotypes of Asian massage parlors.
Last Thursday, the Senate passed legislation to combat anti-Asian hate crimes more forcefully in a nearly unanimous vote. The bill, which was sponsored by Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, would establish a position within the Justice Department to review and expedite all reports of such hate crimes, and it would expand support for state agencies to respond to such hate crimes.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Late last month, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a 30-day review of the Justice Department’s strategy in fighting hate crimes.
Garland, in the memo reviewed by the Washington Examiner, said the review would look at how the government can do better to “increase and help track the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents that may violate federal law,” as well as to “prioritize criminal investigations and prosecutions to hold offenders accountable utilize civil enforcement authorities to address unlawful acts of bias that do not rise to the level of hate crimes.”
