FBI report undercounts anti-Asian hate crimes

AAJC PHOTO

Anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels despite a slight decline from 2023, indicating a continuing crisis, says an analysis responding to the FBI's 2024 Hate Crime Statistics report. 

“Current FBI data reporting undercounts the true scope of anti-Asian hate crimes,” said Sim J. Singh Attariwala, Director of the Anti-Hate Program at Advancing Justice – AAJC. “Our report shows that these hate crimes have not significantly declined since the pandemic, and harmful rhetoric is now expanding to the scapegoating of South Asian communities.

AAJC and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) released Nov. 20 a new report responding to the FBI’s National Hate Crime Statistics for 2024. The FBI numbers is flawed and tell only part of the story. Underreporting remains a critical challenge, with nearly half of violent hate crimes going unreported. Trust deficits, language barriers, and fear of reprisal continue to silence victims.

The report from the community legal advocates, Anti-Asian Hate in 2024: Analysis and Recommendations, contextualizes the hate crime figures, emphasizing alarming trends and the work left to combat elevated levels of anti-Asian hate. The Asian Resource Hub, a collaborative unique digital platform by the two organizations illustrating anti-Asian hate and uplifting culturally competent support, was updated to include and examine the FBI’s new data.

The report provides insight into national trends, sociopolitical drivers of hate, enduring risks for the future, and recommendations for political and community mobilization. The report found that:

• Anti-Asian hate crimes declined slightly from 2023 – but were still nearly three times higher than pre-pandemic levels. 

• Anti-Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander hate crimes were the highest since recording began in 2013. 

• California, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and Massachusetts were the states with the highest amount of anti-Asian hate crimes and had some of the highest numbers of total hate crime reports overall.  

• Anti-Asian hate, especially for Chinese and South Asian communities, was incited by political rhetoric, disinformation, and online extremism. 

While most of the country showed a slight decline in anti-Asian hate crimes, the West, which is home to vast majority of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, showed a 3% increase, according to the FBI report.

California and Washington continued to lead in reported incidents, reflecting both the size of their Asian American populations and potentially more robust reporting mechanisms.The increase in the West underscores the need for sustained investment in prevention, education, and community support, responds the AAJC analysis.

While the FBI publishes nationwide statistics, the numbers are often just a snapshot of reality. The figures are limited in disaggregation and are vulnerable to underreporting. Advancing Justice – AAJC’s report aims to provide a fuller picture of the numbers by supplementing them with information from community-based platforms and external research.

The primary criticism of undercounting in recent FBI hate crime reports (including the expected 2025 report, which would cover 2024 data) is the voluntary nature of data submission by local law enforcement agencies and past difficulties in transitioning to a new reporting system. This has led to incomplete and potentially misleading national statistics.

A large proportion of participating law enforcement agencies (often 80% or more) report zero hate crimes in their jurisdictions to give a more flattering picture of their localities.  Critics argue this is highly unlikely to be accurate, especially in areas with known extremist group activity, suggesting a failure to identify or correctly record hate crimes.

The missing data prevents a complete and accurate understanding of the extent of the hate crime problem in the U.S., which hampers prevention efforts and makes it difficult to track trends effectively. Data from independent organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) or Stop AAPI Hate often show higher numbers of incidents than the official FBI reports.

In the same vein, the Asian Resource Hub uses data from a combination of sources, including the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics, to illustrate the scope of hate and inform the direct assistance provided tailored to community members’ needs in eight languages.

"Without corrective action, hate crime statistics risk becoming more invisible as trust in government erodes and funding for anti-hate programs nationwide is cut," says Attariwala. "This report provides context and recommendations to help leaders respond effectively and protect the most marginalized.”

“This report confirms what our communities have long known; anti-Asian hate remains at alarming levels,” said June Lim, Director of the Demographic Research Project at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California. “With the updated Asian Resource Hub, we’re ensuring survivors and families can access culturally competent support and information in multiple languages. Without investment in prevention and community-based reporting, anti-Asian hate crimes will continue to occur and go underreported.”

"This is not just a data report. It is a call to action. We must equip institutions to recognize and respond to hate in all its forms and build a future rooted in safety, dignity, and equality. To ensure transparency and sustained attention to this issue, concludes Attariwala.

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