Anti-Asian hate crimes rose nearly 150% in major U.S. cities last year
A new study based on police department statistics across major U.S. cities found a nearly 150% surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020, while overall hate crimes fell by 7%. The numbers reflect a growing trend of discrimination against Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. The report, released this week by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, examined hate crimes in 16 of America’s largest cities, found the first spikes rose alongside COVID-19 cases in March and April. New York City saw the highest jump, rising from 3 to 28. Boston and Los Angeles followed, with increases from 6 to 14, and 7 to 15, respectively. The report is limited to crimes reported to local police departments. Meanwhile, “hate incidents,” defined by the Department of Justice as acts of prejudice that aren’t crimes, are also on the rise. In Los Angeles, Hong Lee was approached by a man who asked to eat lunch with her when she was standing in line at a restaurant. When she declined, telling him that she’s married, the man told her “go back to f—-g Asia.” “He was using a lot of derogatory terms, and I was asking for
