Hate Crimes Against Asian-Americans in the Modern-Era
By: Daniel Palaganas, ART 3170-02, Professor Aziz
What are Hate Crimes?
There are 2 ways to define hate crimes. One is a federal definition, and the other is a state definition. The federal definition states that a hate crime is committed if the crime is based upon the victim's race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability, or national origin. On the other hand, the state definition varies from state to state, but most hate crimes are prosecuted under the the state level. Arkansas, Indiana, South Caroline, and Wyoming are the only states in the US that do not have hate crime laws.
What would be Classified as a Hate Crime?
A hate crime must involve a crime, typically a violent crime, such as murder, vandalism, assault, or a threat to commit any of those crimes. It also includes planning or asking other people to commit the crimes, even if it never came into fruition.
Brief History of Asian Immigration into the US & its Correlation with Asian Hate Crimes
Prior to 1965, Asian immigration to the US was not a popular thing. However, after the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act in 1965, Asian immigration into the United States increased exponentially. Over time, the increase of the Asian population in America led to the increase in hate crimes against Asians, but hate crimes against Asians have been around way before the surge in Asian immigration in 1965. Back in World War II, after the Pearl Harbor attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which established the development of Japanese internment camps. Although its intentions may have been seen to protect the country, it disregarded the fact that the President of the United States was discriminating, and possibly, committing discriminatory acts towards Americans of Asian descent. Although this was not a hate crime necessarily, it served as a foundation for the discrimination and hatred towards Asian immigrants.
Current Examples of Modern-Day Asian Hate Crimes
According to Stop AAPI Hate, a group that tracks reports of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans, from March 19, 2020, to the end of 2020 there were a reported total of 3,292 complaints of Asian American discrimination. However, a new report from February 28, 2021, to March 16, 2021 states that there were at least 3,795 Asian hate incidents here in America. Also, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, at CSU San Bernardino, New York City and Los Angeles have seen the greatest spike in anti-Asian hate crimes, from 3 to 28 and 7 to 15, respectively. Both of these statistics are just a fraction of all of the hate incidents occurring here in the US. Here are some examples:
January 28, 2021 - An 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand dies after being shoved to the ground while walking in a San Francisco neighborhood
February 3, 2021 - A Filipino-American man was slashed in the face with a box cutter by another passenger while riding the New York City subway
These are a few of the many hate crimes and hate incidents that occur every day in our nation today.
How Does this Issue Affect Me? Why did I choose to make a blog concerning Asian-American hate?
Hate crimes against Asian-Americans affect me personally because I am one myself. What hit me the most was when I recently heard about the elderly Filipino man who was innocently slashed across the face with a box cutter. As a Filipino myself, it greatly saddened me to hear that such an act would be done to someone of the same ethnicity as me. Also, as a human being, I would not wish this kind of treatment against anyone. Hearing and seeing about how there is these kind of people in the world who commit these hate crimes against innocent people absolutely disgusts me. It makes me sick.
I chose this topic because this issue requires more awareness. This does not apply only to Asian hate but to all kinds of hate towards any nationality. No person of any skin color, gender, and race deserves any act of hate. Our world needs to be better when it comes to treating other people that are not like ourselves. We, as human beings, can do better.
If you witness any hate crimes against any Asian-American, please contact your local police, local FBI field office, and state attorney general's office. Also, you can report these incidents to Asian-American community organizations such as Asian American Advancing Justice, A3PCON, Muslim Advocates, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, Sikh Coalition, and SAALT.
References:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/16/us/san-francisco-vicha-ratanapakdee-asian-american-attacks/index.html
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