The Rise In Anti-Asian Attacks During The COVID-19 Pandemic

 In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, violent attacks and harassment toward Asian Americans have spiked.

Stop AAPI Hate tracks reports of violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Since the start of the pandemic, they've received reports of over 2,800 hate incidents across the United States.

Hate crimes against Asian Americans in 16 cities rose by 150 percent in 2020, a recent report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino revealed. These incidents range from violent attacks and verbal abuse to the vandalization of Asian-owned businesses.

Advocates are attributing the spate of violence partly to xenophobic rhetoric that connects the COVID-19 pandemic with Asian Americans, which includes former President Donald Trump's habit of blaming the virus on China.

But anti-Asian racism isn't new. Centuries of anti-Asian racism in the United States have led to this moment.

What's behind the rise in anti-Asian attacks? And what might our past tell us about the fight to be seen and to feel safe?

Source: https://www.npr.org/2021/03/10/975722882/the-rise-of-anti-asian-attacks-during-the-covid-19-pandemic