Hate and Violence against Asians in the US is rising

[ASEAN NOW News]

This week we have reported yet another attack on a Filipino in the United States.

 

file photo

 

The Philippine Consulate in New York reported last week that a 51-year-old Filipino woman was “verbally assaulted and harassed” in the city.

 

Elmer Cato, the Philippines’ consul general in New York, said on Twitter that the Filipino woman was also prevented by her attacker, identified as a “homeless woman,” from boarding a train at the 63rd Drive Subway Station in Rego Park in the Queens borough.

 

This comes just a little over a fortnight since an 18-year-old Filipino tourist was violently assaulted near the Philippine Center in Manhattan where he sustained injuries on his face.

 

Described by Cato as “another hate incident,” this attack is the latest reported to the consulate in New York which has seen a 12.6% increase in hate crimes compared to the past year, according to data from the New York Police Department.

 

Major crimes in the city have also soared by 37%, while transit crimes spiked by 55.5%, prompting the consulate there to advise Filipinos to be vigilant.

 

Filipinos and other Asians have been targets of racially motivated attacks in the US, which began to see a spike since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 

 

Why is this violence increasing?

 

One-third of Asian Americans fear threats, and physical attacks and most say violence against them is rising.

 

Amid widespread reports of discrimination and violence against Asian Americans during the coronavirus outbreak, 32% of Asian adults say they have feared someone might threaten or physically attack them, which was a greater share than other racial or ethnic groups.

 

The vast majority of Asian adults (81%) also say violence against them is increasing, far surpassing the share of all U.S. adults (56%) who say the same, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

 

The new survey was conducted in April 2022, after the fatal shooting of six Asian women and two other people in the Atlanta area on March 16 and assaults on Asian Americans that occurred that same month (Asian adults were interviewed in English only).

 

President Joe Biden spoke out against anti-Asian discrimination and violence a few days after the shooting.

 

Trump to blame

 

Asian respondents who say violence against their group in the U.S. is increasing give many reasons for the rise, according to an open-ended question in which people responded in their own words.

 

 

Some 20% directly cited former President Donald Trump and his rhetoric about China as the source of the pandemic, his racist comments, or his labeling the coronavirus as the “kung flu” or “Chinese flu” as one of the reasons for the rise in violence.

 

Some 16% cited racism in the United States against Asian people as the source of violence, and another 15% said the rise in violence is due to COVID-19 and its impacts on the nation.

 

An additional 12% said scapegoating and blaming Asian people for the pandemic has been responsible for the rise in violence against the U.S. Asian population.

 

About three-in-ten Asian respondents who say violence against their group in the U.S. is increasing (29%) did not provide an answer to the open-ended question.

 

Some cited several reasons together for the rise in violence against Asian people in the U.S.

 

One respondent said, “Four years of Trump has normalized racism and bullying. His continual example of blaming Asians for the coronavirus is allowing people to openly discriminate against Asian[s].”

 

Another respondent mentioned that “they are blaming Asians for the coronavirus pandemic, thinking they bring this to our country.”

 

And a third respondent cited “a mix of coronavirus news and its origins in China coupled with talks regarding racial inequality. Asians are not accepted as people of color as they are seen as the model minority, but also are seen as foreign because they are not White.”

 

Cast of Easter Sunday movie

 

Next week in a Hollywood first, “Easter Sunday” the movie opens and features an all-Filipino cast.

 

Hopefully, like the earlier Crazy Rich Asians movie Easter Sunday will try to ease the tensions in the States.

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

12 minutes ago, ASEAN NOW News said:

blaming Asian people for the pandemic has been responsible for the rise in violence against the U.S. Asian population

Typical uneducated people acting violently. 

 

We've got nearly half the world's population here in Asia but some fools hate all Asians because of their personal grief due to China's troubles. 

 

[FritsSikkink]

Not really a surprise with their track record.

[300sd]

Seems to be a lot of those uneducated types around that country!

[bangon04]

"Some 20% directly cited former President Donald Trump and his rhetoric about China as the source of the pandemic, his racist comments, or his labeling the coronavirus as the “kung flu” or “Chinese flu” as one of the reasons for the rise in violence."

 

and the average Trump supporter is too stupid to know the difference between Chinese and other asian......

[Nickelbeer]

I will have to confess that I do not understand this reaction. Are ALL “Asians” supposed to share equally in responsibility for COVID-19???   I was led to believe that Covid originated in China. I cannot think of a country in Asia (except North Korea) where the general population has less of a say in the conduct of the country. Bizarre. 

[grahamuk]

Presumably this corresponds with a lowering of the average IQ in the States ?????