NEW YORK — Attacks on Asian Americans continue to rise, and the actual numbers may surprise you.
Researchers at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State released a full-scale report on Asian attacks last month, showing incidents are up 150%.
In New York City alone, anti-Asian attacks rose from three in 2019 to 28 one year later.
In the first quarter of 2021, about at least 42 attacks against Asian Americans were reported.
State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens) has been instrumental in getting the state task force involved in investigating these attacks and explained what needs to be done.
Kim said it was “absolutely astonishing” to see the amount of hate crimes and attacks on the Asian communities.
The assemblyman said the rise in attacks could be attributed to rhetoric from former President Donald Trump and declining social conditions everyone is facing during the pandemic.
“It’s really incumbent upon all policymakers to fix this immediately, but focus on long-term solutions so we don’t see this constant cycle of violence where Asians and Asian Americans are targeted and scapegoated every few years,” he said.
To ensure safety for New Yorkers, Kim said the NYPD is working with policy makers to make sure they’re doing their part in holding suspects accountable.
The city must also deal with poverty and declining decisions, which the attacks are brewing from, according to Kim.
The assemblyman said society needs to address the issues head on and “look at the root causes of violence.”
Policymakers, the public and media must “humanize the stories” and show that the victims are neighbors and parts of communities.
If you or someone you know are experiencing anti-Asian hate, click here for resources.
Anyone who witnesses an incident can also find out more information on bystander intervention by clicking here.
