Pew Report: Discrimination experiences shape most Asian Americans’ lives

Most people of color have experienced discrimination in the United States. Sad, but it's a hard fact of life for Asian Americans and other POC.

And no matter how forgiving one is, experiencing bias is bound toshape a person's outlook and how one lives life day-to-day. 

Today, 57% of Asian adults living in the US see discrimination against  Asian Amricans as a major problem, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.  A majority of those surveyed (63%) report that too little attention is paid to the racial issues concerning Asian Americans.

“I feel like Asians are kind of known as the model minority," said a Chinese American who took part in the study. "That kind of puts us in an interesting position where I feel like we’re supposed to excel and succeed in the media, or we’re seen in the media as exceeding in all these things as smart. All of us are not by any means. Yeah, I feel like we’re in this weird middle ground.”

Overall, 58% of Asian adults say they have ever experienced racial discrimination or been treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity. This includes 53% who say they experience racial discrimination from time to time and 5% who say they experience it regularly.

        FYI: Read the entire report here.

In addition to this general question, the survey also asked about specific discrimination incidents:

• 78% of Asians living in the US have been treated as a foreigner in some way, even if they were born in the United States. This includes Asian adults who say that in day-to- day encounters, strangers in the US have told them to go back to their “home country”; assumed they can’t speak English; criticized them for speaking a language other than English; or mispronounced their name.

• 63% of Asian Americans have experienced incidents where people assume they are a “model minority,” which includes those who say strangers have assumed that they are good at math and science or not a creative thinker. The model minority stereotype generalizes Asians in the US as intelligent, well-off and only able to excel in technical fields. At the same time, more than half of Asian adults (55%) say they have not heard of the term “model minority.”

• 37% of Asian adults say strangers have called them offensive names in day-to-day encounters. US born-Asian adults are nearly twice as likely as Asian immigrants to say this has happened to them (57% vs. 30%).

• 20% of Asian adults say they have been held back at a security checkpoint for a secondary screening because of their race or ethnicity. Across regional origin groups. One respondent said: 

"After 9/11, things changed a lot. I feel like things changed for a lot of us and I remember my parents putting out American flags everywhere – outside the house, on the mailbox, like wherever they could stick them. And even now, I do get … constantly pulled over when you’re in line at the airport, by TSA and at this point I just know I’m going to get pulled over. … I make my way leisurely to that section because I know that they’re going to profile me.”

South Asian adults are the most likely to have this experience, with 35% saying so. This is about twice the share reported by Southeast (15%) and East (14%) Asian adults.

Notably, the survey found that 38% of Asian adults who were born in the U.S. or immigrate here before they were 18 years old say that when they were growing up, their family never talked about the challenges they might face because of their race or ethnicity.

The multilingual, nationally representative survey conducted from July 5, 2022, to Jan. 27, 2023, among 7,006 Asian adults, asked about personal experiences with 17 different discrimination incidents. Asian Americans’ day-to-day encounters with discrimination were not just single events, but often came in several overlapping forms.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

Civil Rights Commission issues report on federal reponse to anti-Asian racism

Law enforcement agencies across the United States need to be more vigorous in investigating alleged hate attacks against Asian Americans, says a new report.

The United States Commission on Civil Rights released the report Tuesday, "The Federal Response to Anti-Asian Racism in the United States." Based on extensive research, expert and public testimony, the report assesses the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the US from 2019 through 2021, and the federal role in preventing and enforcing federal hate crime laws.

“The report indicates that language barriers are impeding the reporting of incidents and that many incidents that do not meet the legal criteria for hate crimes, such as racial slurs or being spat on, still evoke fear but go unaccounted for in official statistics. said Commission Chair, Rochelle Mercedes Garza.

This report examines three main areas: 1) national trends and data regarding the rise of hate incidents and hate crimes against members of Asian communities; 2) local and state law enforcement’s prevention and reporting practices regarding hate crimes; and 3) federal efforts and policies that encourage greater participation in reporting hate crime incidents, as well as prosecution and enforcement efforts to prevent hate crimes.

“Ultimately, the absence of adequate performance metrics poses a significant challenge in assessing the federal government's effectiveness in combating the surge in hate crimes against the Asian community," said Garza. 

"While these barriers continue to exist, the Commission has outlined holistic strategy to combat anti-Asian hate incidents, ranging from data collection improvements and legal enforcement to community support and education initiatives.”

While anti-Asian sentiment is part of US history, the bias encouraged a rise in attacks against all Asians during the Donald Trump administration when through the use of racist slurs and innuendoes, Trump linked the COVID-10 virus to China and by inference, Chinese people. That surge of anti-Asian hate continues to this day.

Key findings in the report show that more comprehensive and national data is necessary to fully understand the extent of the harm that is being felt by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.

The report found:

● A major impediment to understanding the severity and magnitude of hate crimes against persons of Asian descent is the lack of comprehensive data. 

● The transition to the NIBRS data collection has been slow for some agencies: for 2021, the number of participating agencies within the FBI hate crime database was 11,834, compared to the 15,138 participating agencies for 2020 data, and many of the agencies that have not submitted 2021 data are the largest jurisdictions. 

A major impediment to understanding the severity and magnitude of hate crimes against persons of Asian descent is the lack of comprehensive data, states the report. "Without mandatory national data collection and training law enforcement on how to accurately identify and report hate crimes, preventing these crimes is substantially challenging."

As a result, the report concludes, hate crime victims are less likely to report incidents due to fear of retaliation, concerns that justice would not be served, and distrust in the criminal justice system.

Another major barrier to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the magnitude of hate violence against Asian communities may be due to incidents not rising to the legal benchmark of a hate crime. Many incidents that are reported to community organizations, such as being spit on or called racial slurs are not accounted for in official numbers, yet still invoke fear in community members

In addition, the report finds that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and victim services must identify deficiencies in and bolster their Limited English Proficient (LEP) programs to ensure all community members are reached.

SCREEN CAPTURE / X

Rep. Grace Meng, left, gets a briefing on the report from Civil Rights Chair Commission Chair
 Rochelle Mercedes Garza.

Among the eight members of the Commission is Queens resident Glenn Magpanta, the only Asian American on the panel. Magpantay was recommended and sworn in this past February and Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-NY.

“As the only Asian American Pacific Islander currently serving on the Commission, this report has a deep personal connection to me,” said Filipino American Magpantay. “I am the survivor of a hate crime for being gay from 25 years ago and the victim of a hate crime for being Asian from 25 months ago.

Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, welcomed the report but acknowledged that more needs to be done to address the continuing attacks against Asian Americans.

"While there have been comprehensive efforts to address the alarming increase in anti-Asian hate crimes since the coronavirus pandemic began, like the enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the findings in this report show that more must be done to ensure this law is fully implemented and the civil rights of AANHPIs are fully protected."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

Anti-Asian crimes explode 361% in New York City

On Dec. 1, a man hurled anti-Asian-slurs at an Asian woman waiting for a subway train. Security cameras show that a man approached the lone woman on a nearly empty subway platform, insulted her and then slapped her on the face as she tried to escape.

A video of the unprovoked attack was released Sunday. The 58-year old woman refused medical assistance but the incident is being investigated by New York City's Anti-Hate task force.

Verbal and physical attacks against Asians have been increasing in frequency on the subway and streets of New York.. The latest attack at the 174th Street 2 and 5 subway station has been added to the total of 129 anti-Asian attacks in New York City, according to new statistics collected by the New York Police Department's Hate Crime Review Panel, a civilian group that helps law enforcement identify potential hate crimes, 

Incidents targeting people of Asian descent has increased 361% this year, which has two weeks to go. In 2020, there were only 28 reported hate crimes against AAPI. Nationallly, an FBI report found anti-Asian hate crimes increased 73%.

The alarming increase “is consistent with a general surge in racism against Asian Americans, first of all," said Russell Jeung, co-founder of the hate incident reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate. "It’s consistent with the increase in crimes during the epidemic. And then thirdly, reflective of the Asian American community more likely to report."

Stop AAPI Hate, a community-based organization, reports that there have been over 10,000 hate incidents since it began collecting self-reported bias incidents in March of 2020, when the pandemic hit the U.S. 

The NYPD report  reflects a nationwide trend of increased attacks against Asians in the last two years, spurred in part by the pandemic whose origins have been traced to China and the rise of white supremacist sentiment and partially blamed on the Trump administration's use of "China Virus," or "Kung Flu," in referring to the coronavirus.

“The anti-China rhetoric, the white supremacy — that does influence all sectors of society and that Asians are portrayed as outsiders either to the country or to a neighborhood,” Jeung said. 

Overall, the NYPD reports that there have been over 500 hate crimes this year resulting in 250 arrests. The number of hate incidents are probably higher but have not met the legal requirements to be labeled as a hate crime, which has to have evidence that the attack was based on the victim's race, ethnicity or religion.

While hate crimes against Asians saw the biggest jump, the study found hate crimes directed towards Jews jumped from 121 to 183, while hate crimes based on sexual orientation jumped from 29 to 85.

Anti-Asian hate crimes bill heads to the House after overwhelming approval in the U.S. Senate

Senator Mazie Hirono, left, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at a press conference prior
to the Senate's vote on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

The overwhelming passage of the hate crime bill that seeks protections in the U.S. Senate sets the stage for the House of Representatives and President Biden to take the final steps to turn it into law during May, AAPI Heritage Month.

The measure, passed in the Senate Thursday by a near-unanimous vote, 94-1, would direct a US Justice Department review of hate crimes and provide support for local law enforcement responding to violent incidents.

Advocates for Asian Americans link this past year's rise in hate incidents against AAPIs to the racist rhetoric of Donald Trump and his GOP supporters who heaped the blame on the coronavirus pandemic to China.

The attacks are “a predictable and foreseeable consequence” of racist and inflammatory language that has been used against Asians during the pandemic, including slurs used by Trump, said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, who introduced the bill in the Senate.

“Today’s historic, bipartisan vote on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act sends a powerful message of solidarity to the AAPI community—that the United States Senate rejects anti-Asian hate. Now, I urge the House to swiftly pass this legislation so the bill can go to President Biden to sign into law,” Hirono said.

The lone "nay" vote was cast by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley. The conservative lawmaker who raised his fist in support of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists that stormed the Capitol, said he opposed the bill because of the possibility of infringing on free speech.

President Joe Biden praised the bill's passage in the Senate, saying: "For more than a year, far too many Asian Americans have woken up each morning increasingly fearful for their safety and the safety of their loved ones, They have been scapegoated, harassed, and assaulted; some have even been killed. It has been over a year of living in fear for their lives, as acts of anti-Asian bias and violence have accelerated from coast to coast — an unconscionable burden our fellow Americans have been forced to bear, even as so many Asian Americans serve their communities and our nation tirelessly on the front lines of the pandemic.

"Too often throughout our history, acts of hate and violence directed at Asian Americans have been met with silence," Biden continued. "Our nation must stand together to speak out against hate, and declare unequivocally: These acts are wrong. They are un-American. And they must stop." 

The bill should have no trouble passing the Democratic-majority in the House and Biden has already expressed his support.

"We’ve all heard the sickening stories and seen the horrifying videos of Asian Americans being beaten, slashed and spat on. Today, the Senate said enough is enough, and underscored loud and clear that there is no place for hate anywhere in our society," said Rep. Grace Meng, who sponsored the House version of the bill.

The Hate Crimes Act would appoint a Department of Justice employee to monitor and keep a record of potential hate crimes and expedite any legal actions against individuals who may fall under the new law's parameters.

Stop AAPI Hate, a community-based organization, has compiled over 3,800 acts of hate against AAPI over the course of a year when the pandemic became apparent in the U.S. In the first two months of 2021 alone, over 500 incidents have been reported to the group.

The hate incidents range from verbal harassment, bullying and vandalism to physical assaults, some of which resulted in the death of the victims.

"More reporting of hate crimes will provide us with increased data and a more accurate picture of the attacks that have been occurring against those of Asian descent, and a more centralized and unified way of reviewing these crimes would help to address the problem in a more effective manner," said Meng. 

"I have heard from so many Asian Americans who tell me that they are scared to walk outside. Families won’t let their kids go to the park or play outdoors. People are urging their parents and grandparents to stay inside, telling them that they’ll run their errands and deliver groceries to them. Being forced to endure this terror and fear is unconscionable and unacceptable. Everybody in our country deserves to feel safe, and that includes the Asian American community."

'The New Yorker' cover strikes a chord with wary Asian Americans

R. Kikuo Johnson's illustration on the cover of The New Yorker struck an emotional chord with Asian Americans. Terms describe the cover as "gut-wrenching" and "heartbreaking."

The Hawaii-born artist work on the cover the magazine's April 5 edition shows an Asian American mother and daughter holding hands waiting for a subway train. Their body language and eyes conveys a sense of tension and anxiousness. 

In his research for the comicbook-like illustration, Johnson reviewed the articles about the attacks on AAPI. 

“As I absorbed one account after another, they became increasingly difficult to read. So many mothers and grandmothers have been targeted,” he told HuffPost. “I imagined my own mom in that situation. I thought about my grandma and my aunt, who have been among my greatest sources of support. The mother in the drawing is made up of all these women.”

The artist, who has illustrated comic books and graphic novels, said that as a storyteller, the illustration he chose for the cover, "this image seemed to best capture the moment.”

RELATED: Southeast Asian woman graces TIME magazine

In an interview with The New Yorker, Johnson explained, "Once I arrived at the dark-gray shadow descending from the top, the whole mood of the piece fell into place. The position of the mother’s feet and eyebrows was what required the most finessing. I wanted a gesture that was somewhere between vigilant and fearful."

The subtly powerful cover illustration connected with a number of AAPI.

On Twitter, Jiayang Fan commented:

I can’t stop staring at this cover. I can’t stop wondering who would come to this mother-daughter pair’s aid if someone attacked them. I can’t stop thinking I was once the daughter and how helpless I still feel to protect my mother.

Johnson first gained notice in 2005 with the publication of his debut graphic novel, "Night Fisher," a Hawaiian coming of age tale.

Its not the first time The New Yorker called on Johnson to do a cover. His cover illustration, "Safe Travels" (below) won a Gold Medal in 2018 from the Society of Illustrators. He's done several covers since then.

His award-winning drawings regularly appear in books, advertisements, periodicals, and animation, but he may be best known for his covers of the New Yorker Magazine. Johnson now lives in Brooklyn and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design, his alma mater.

“I fell in love with comic books at a young age and spent my teenage years devouring them and creating my own,” Johnson explains in an interview with Its Nice That.

He credits Maui's rainy weather and his parents for allowing him to spend countless hours drawing at home.

“In college, I started drawing a graphic novel, 'Night Fisher,' which would ultimately become my first significant professional work.” 'Night Fisher’s' success led to much of his other work. 

“Conveniently, many art directors who hire illustrators also read comics, and soon the reputation of 'Night Fisher' earned me gigs as an editorial illustrator. I never intended to make illustration my primary creative outlet,” he explains, “but it was a happy accident that has allowed me to continue to tell stories with drawings”.

The artist R Kikuo Johnson at work.

Breaking the Silence: Business leaders pledge millions to the fight against anti-Asian bigotry

A coalition of Asian American business leaders have made it clear that they will no longer be silent against the racism facing AAPI communities.

Almost 1,000 AAPI business executives from across the country added their voices and their pocketbooks against the attacks targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday, March 31, by pledging to donate $10 million to organizations fighting against the anti-Asian violence.

Part of the "open letter" published in the WSJ states:

"We, the Asian American business leaders of America, are tired, angry and afraid — and not for the first time. We are tired of being treated as less than American, subject to harassment and now, every day, we read about another member of our community being physically attacked — simply for being Asian. We are afraid for the safety of our loved ones. We are angry that our families can no longer go outside in their own neighborhoods where they have lived for decades because it may not be safe. 

"We have given a lot to this country where we were born or to which we immigrated. Our community includes your cashiers, your teachers, your cooks, your doctors, your dry cleaners, your colleagues, your neighbors, your friends. We cut your nails. We write your code. We, together, have launched rovers to Mars and back. Many of us have created jobs for hundreds of thousands of Americans. We choose to make America our home and we strive every day to make America better — just like you.

"We don’t deserve to live in fear in our own country."  

The violence against AAPI communities has been growing for over a year since the Trump administration began blaming the coronavirus to China, calling it the China Virus, the Wuhan Virus and the Kung Flu.

By insisting on associated the virus to China, Trump has successfully playing to the country's centuries-old fear of Asians by blaming Asians for the pandemic that has disrupted the economy.

The mass shooting in Georgia that killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women, sparked nationwide demonstrations condemning the anti-Asian attacks and prompted statements and actions by the business community.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, YouTube cofounder Steve Chen,  DoorDash founder Tony Xu, OpenTable CEO Debby Soo and Care.com founder Sheila Marcelo are among the business leaders who have signed onto the open letter.

Other high-profile signatories include Facebook vice president of product George Lee, Boxed CEO Chieh Huang, Peloton Interactive co-founders Yony Feng and Hisao Kushi, and Alfred Lin, partner at Sequoia Capital.

“As a proud Asian American, it is disheartening to see the hatred and violence against our community,” Zoom’s Yuan told CNBC in a statement. “Racism in any form is unacceptable, and I feel strongly it is important to lend my voice and stand up with my fellow colleagues, friends and family who are suffering during this time.”

Since the ad appeared two days ago, over 2,800 AAPI business leaders and their allies have joined the pledge.

Part of the commitment the coalitions is asking includes "creating and funding AAPI employee resource groups to ensure Asian employees, especially women who bear the brunt of the harassment, have a safe space to tell their stories, receive support and report discrimination without fear of retaliation" and a commitment "to reporting out on diversity of all groups and to redefine Asian Americans as a group worth representation at all levels of the organization."

$1.25 BILLION INITIATIVE FROM BANK OF AMERICA

Prompted by the attacks against the AAPI communities, has caused an awakening of the business community to the scourge of racial discrimination has prompted other big corporations to create their own initiatives.  The giant banking behemoth, Bank of America, committed $1-billion over a four-year period to fight racial inequities. Since the rise in anti-Asian violence, the bank has extended the initial initiative to a fifth year and added $250 million.

“The urgency we feel to address long-standing issues of inclusion and racial inequality has only increased following the attacks and hate speech directed at Asian people over the last year,” said Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan. “Across the public and private sectors, it is clear that we must do more – to take action, help others convene, and serve as a catalyst for a broad-based, collective response to the critical issues affecting our nation.”

“The urgency we feel to address long-standing issues of inclusion and racial inequality has only increased following the attacks and hate speech directed at Asian people over the last year,” added Brian Moynihan.

Immediate actions taken to help accelerate and expand pre-existing work include:

• A grant to the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) organization to advance the nonprofit’s work to promote civil rights, bystander intervention, in-language advocacy, social services assistance and legal support. This funding supports five Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliates based in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
• The addition of Connie Chung Joe, chief executive officer of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, to serve as a member of Bank of America’s National Community Advisory Council (NCAC), in support of ongoing dialogue and stakeholder engagement with the Asian community in the U.S., and on broad issues of gender and racial equality. Members of the NCAC engage with leaders on Bank of America’s business policies, practices and products in support of employees, clients and local communities.
• Additional support for the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) and The Leadership Conference Education Fund as the two organizations work to advance local community advocacy, training, and resources through community-based efforts.
• Increased philanthropic support through Bank of America’s employee matching gift program. Bank of America employees can double their charitable donations to these three nonprofits and select others; the company’s matching gift minimum has been lowered to $1 for the next 90 days, to expand the impact of their support to the Asian community in the U.S.

“The rising number of attacks against Asian people, including the tragic shootings in Atlanta recently, have served as a stark reminder that we must stand united against discrimination, hate speech and violence,” said Thong Nguyen, vice chairman at Bank of America. “We will not tolerate acts of racism in any form. Today’s commitment builds upon Bank of America’s many years of work in support of inclusion and racial equality.”

SONY'S $100 MILLION RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE

In June 2020, Sony Music Group led to the establishment of a $100 millionGlobal Social Justice Fund with the full support of all Sony Group companies. This fund is used to support initiatives that promote social justice, anti-racism initiatives and to foster diversity, equity and inclusion both inside and outside of the company around the world.

This past week, Sony announced it has made donations to Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and Asian American Legal and Education Fund (AALDEF).

"Racial injustice is a global issue that affects us all," said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Corporation. "Today I join together with the leaders of Sony's businesses in the U.S. to denounce the appalling violence against the Asian American community. 

"As a company that cherishes diversity as one of our core values, we are committed to the human rights of all people. Sony places great importance on treating everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs or physical ability," said Yoshida. "I stand shoulder to shoulder with our group leaders to condemn this ongoing violence and discrimination."

UC nurses angry that they are targets of anti-Asian hate while they care for Covid-19 patients

NNU/CNA GRAPHIC

Asian American and Pacific Islander nurses af the University of California's five  medical centers are angry that as they care for COVID-19 patients, at the same time, they are being attacked by racists blaming them for the pandemic.

UC registered nurses are outraged by the ongoing racist and xenophobic attacks against Asians and call for solidarity with Asian communities and a public commitment to solutions that work toward ending structural racism and promoting social equity and healing, announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) last week.

UC nurses are speaking out across the state to condemn the ongoing xenophobic attacks against Asian communities,” said Dahlia Tayag, RN at UC San Diego. “Physical safety is critical to having a healthy community. Asians are being attacked in California and throughout the country. We must unite to challenge anti-Asian violence, harassment, and racism.”

RNs at the medical centers at UC Davis, UC San Francisco, UC Los Angeles, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego are available for interviews today.

The rise of anti-Asian hate incidents during the pandemic is appalling for nurses, many of whom are of Asian descent. As members of the Asian communities, they experience structural racism firsthand. For example, while nurses of Filipino descent represent 4 percent of all U.S. registered nurses, they have disproportionately suffered more than a quarter of Covid-19 RN deaths, according to a March 2021 NNU report.

“CNA/NNU nurses continue to be on the front lines of health care fights but we also continue to fight against racism, a public health crisis,” said Rosa Villarroel, RN at UCSF Mission Bay. “We support Asian communities, the workers in the hospital and the communities we serve. We want to let Asian communities know we see and hear their pain. As a Latinx/Indigenous woman I am no stranger to the traumatic effects of racism but together we can all stand up, speak out, and fight against two public health crises: Covid and racism.”

Anti-Asian sentiment spiked across the country at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, spurred by those who promote conspiracy theories and xenophobia, and we are now seeing a disturbing resurgence. Racial violence and harassment targeting these communities has skyrocketed in recent weeks, striking some of the most vulnerable among us – seniors in the Bay Area. Tragically, an 84-year-old Thai man was fatally attacked in San Francisco and a 91-year-old man sustained grave injuries from an attack in Oakland’s Chinatown.

#StopAAPIhate, a community-based organization collecting reports of anti-Asian incidents, reports that over 500 attacks nationwide in the first two months of 2021. In the year of the pandemic, from March 2020 to March 2021, there have been over 3800 hate attacks against AAPI, reports the CBO.

“We are furious that Asian communities are being attacked and harassed,” said Melissa Johnson-Camacho, RN at UC Davis. “As nurses working in a women-dominated profession, we are especially aware of violence against women. More than two-thirds of the incidents reported to Stop AAPI Hate were reported by women. We must fight structural racism and sexism and stop the violence and harassment.”

“We care for our patients and we care for our communities,” said Fong Chuu, RN at UCLA. “As nurses we value life. The massacre of six Asian women was a horrific tragedy. The women were targeted because their lives were not valued. An attack on our Asian neighbors and communities is an assault on us all, and we have an obligation as a society to condemn and prevent it.”

“We are confronting the xenophobic legacy of former President Trump,” said Marlene Tucay, RN at UC Irvine. “His labeling of the pandemic as the ‘China virus’ has led to this increase in racist attacks against Asian communities. These racist attacks are part of the growing public health crisis in our country that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Covid-19 has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color. As nurses, we know that working to achieve social equity is ultimately at the heart of ensuring public health and safety for all.”

Suspect arrested in the stomping attack of the elderly Asian American woman in NYC

A parolee convicted of stabbing his mother to death is a suspect in the assault of an elderly Filipino American woman in New York City.

The suspect, Brandon Elliot, 38, who has spent most of his life behind bars for killing his mother, was arrested early this morning around midnight at a homeless shelter where he had been staying.

Police say people identified Elliot as the suspect through his photo released on social media by the authorities. Besides the assault charges, Elliot will face a hate crime enhancement. He could face up to another 25 years in prison if convicted.

Authorities also released the name of the 65-year old victim, Vilma Kari, who immigrated from the Philippines decades ago. Kari was on her way to church Monday morning when she was victimized by an unprovoked attack in midtown Manhattan near Central Park.

The neighborhood where the attack occurred, Hell’s Kitchen, is predominantly white, with an Asian population of less than 20%, according to demographic data.
  

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea called the attack a “completely unprovoked violent attack on an innocent, defenseless woman.”

A surveillance camera inside the lobby of the apartment building captured the violent assault outside it's glass doors.

The video showed the suspect kicking Kari in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. The attacker continued to stomp on her head several times shouting racial slurs, including, "You don't belong here," before calmly walking away out of the camera's view.

What the camera also recorded was the reaction of security guards in the lobby of the apartment building. While the attack was taking place, one guard glanced towards the assault and then turned away. After the suspect left the scene, instead of going to the victim's assistance, another guard closed the glass door. 

Residents of the apartment building claim their guards called for medical assistance and reported the attack to the police. However, police say no 911 calls were received for the incident. Police came upon the aftermath of the attack as they were driving by.

Another camera captured the attack from the street, showed Kari strugging to get up on her feet but remained on her knees outside the apartment entrance. It took a minute before any passerby stopped, apparently to ask if she needed assistance. The passerby then walked away, Kari still on her knees. No one was seen coming out from the apartment to check on Kari's condition.

The managers of the apartment building say the guards who appeared to do nothing to assist the victim were suspended from their jobs pending an investigation.

Kari was released from the hospital Tuesday after suffering "serious" injuries, according to the New York Times interview of Kari's daughter, who wanted to remain nameless.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident “absolutely disgusting and outrageous.” He said it was “absolutely unacceptable” that witnesses did not intervene.

“I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what you do, you’ve got to help your fellow New Yorker,” de Blasio said Tuesday during a news conference. “This is something where we all have to be part of the solution. We can’t just stand back and watch a heinous act happening.”

“This brave woman belongs here,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.. “Asian American New Yorkers belong here. Everyone belongs here.”

Biden announces additional actions to respond to anti-Asian violence, xenophobia and bias

Dozens of demonstrations condemning attacks against AAPI took place over the weekend.

After a weekend of demonstrations across the nation denouncing the hateful attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the White House on Tuesday announced new initiatives in response to the mounting attacks and harassment that AAPI communities are facing over the past year.

"Across our nation, an outpouring of grief and outrage continues at the horrific violence and xenophobia perpetrated against Asian American communities, especially Asian American women and girls," the White House said in a statement Tuesday.

When the White House made the announcement, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, tweeted: "Racism is never far below the surface in America, which is all too evident as the AAPI community has experienced escalating attacks and targeted violence during the pandemic.

"We must confront the systems that allowed this hatred to fester and spread—exactly what @POTUS is doing," the tweet added.

The new initiatives are responding  to the increase in acts of anti-Asian violence, and to advance safety, inclusion, and belonging for all Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. These actions build on the President’s Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, issued his first week in office. 

Today’s announcements include:

Reinstating and reinvigorating the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, with initial focus on anti-Asian bias and violence: The President will re-establish and expand the initiative’s initial mandate to coordinate across federal agencies to combat anti-Asian bias and violence, especially anti-Asian violence at the intersection of gender-based violence. The initiative will have an expanded mandate to promote inclusion, belonging, and opportunity for all Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Over the coming weeks, the Administration will meet with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander leaders and organizations to hear their recommendations for the initiative’s mission, structure, and community engagement. And, the President will appoint a permanent Director to lead the Initiative in the coordination of policies across the federal government impacting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Funding for AAPI survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault: The Department of Health and Human Services is allocating $49.5 million from the American Rescue Plan to a new grant program for community based, culturally specific services and programs for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who face additional barriers to services and safety, such as language access barriers. This program will expand services to domestic violence survivors from Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Establishing a COVID-19 Equity Task Force committee on addressing and ending xenophobia against Asian Americans: President Biden established a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force through his Executive Order on Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery on Jan, 21, 2021. The Task Force is charged with making recommendations to the President to eliminate health and social disparities that result in disproportionately higher rates of exposure, illness, hospitalization and death related to COVID-19, and for preventing such inequities in the future.

To carry out this work, HHS is announcing Tuesday that the Task Force has established a subcommittee on Structural Drivers of Health Inequity and Xenophobia. This subcommittee will provide recommendations to ensure the Federal Government’s response to COVID-19 mitigates anti-Asian xenophobia and bias, as established by the President's initial memorandum.

In addition to addressing bias and xenophobia against Asian American communities, the subcommittee will advance health equity for specific Asian American communities, including Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities who have disproportionately been infected by and died from COVID-19. The subcommittee will lead policy sprints to develop actionable recommendations for advancing cultural competency, language access, and inclusion towards AAPI as the U.S. ends and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Establishment of a Department of Justice cross-agency initiative to address anti-Asian violence: To implement the President’s week-one Memorandum combatting AAPI xenophobia, DOJ has established a whole agency initiative to respond to anti-Asian violence. 

Actions to date include:

• Leadership and coordination: The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division re-convened the Department’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative and is focused on the rise of hate crimes against the AAPI community. The initiative is re-initiating community outreach and engagement programs and addressing gaps in hate crimes reporting.

• Data and transparency: To ensure transparency in the nation’s hate crimes data, and to support community-led efforts to shine a spotlight on acts of anti-Asian violence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will publish a new interactive hate crime page on its Crime Data Explorer website, which will spotlight reports of anti-Asian hate crimes. This online tool will help communities, researchers, and advocates study and measure national hate crimes statistics. And, to promote accurate reporting of hate crimes against Asian Americans, the FBI is also adding scenario-based training on anti-Asian bias crimes to its data collection training manual that is provided to state and local partners. In January 2021, the FBI Criminal Justice Information System transitioned to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, which improves upon the prior reporting system by adding more than 50 additional categories of crimes and demographic data, and supports state and local law enforcement agencies in reporting hate crimes, including crimes related to anti-Asian bias.

• Removing language access barriers to hate crimes information: DOJ has updated its hate crimes website, which provides a centralized portal of hate crime-related resources for law enforcement, researchers, victims, and advocacy groups. Information on the site has been made accessible in four of the most frequently spoken AAPI languages: Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

• Community resources and outreach: DOJ is partnering with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) on a panel discussion for its 50,000 members focused on improving efforts to combat anti-Asian hate incidents. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, Community Relations Service, and the FBI will participate in the discussion and share resources. DOJ is also partnering with community-based organizations to expand public education and awareness about hate crimes reporting, prevention, and response.

• Law enforcement training: The FBI will begin holding nationwide civil rights training events to promote state and local law enforcement reporting of hate crimes. These new civil rights trainings will feature modules on recognizing and reporting anti-Asian bias. The Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is field testing a new hate crimes curriculum focused on law enforcement response, investigation, and reporting of hate crimes. The course focuses on increasing capacity and competency to investigate and accurately report all hate crimes, including those motivated by anti-Asian bias.

• Launching a new virtual bookshelf of federally-funded projects that explore and celebrate Asian Americans’ contributions to the United States: The National Endowment for the Humanities is launching a virtual library including resources for educators, civic leaders, arts and humanities institutions, and families to explore Asian American history, and address the history and ongoing challenge of anti-Asian discrimination and racism in the United States.

• Funding critical research to prevent and address bias and xenophobia against Asian American communities. The National Science Foundation is taking a comprehensive approach to investing in research to understand, address, and end bias, discrimination and xenophobia, including against AAPI communities. NSF is currently supporting more than 100 grants across the country totaling more than $33 million dollars of investment. These diverse researchers are advancing innovative studies to reveal new and more effective strategies for reducing the frequency and severity of discrimination experienced by historically underrepresented groups, and reduce targeting of, and violence towards, historically underrepresented communities and individuals, including Asian American communities. This work continues NSF’s history of commitment to supporting fundamental research in these vital areas.

Tuesday’s announcements are additional steps in the Biden Administration’s work to advance equity for AAPI communities throughout the federal government.

In the Tuesday Press Briefing, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the White House will follow through with a promise made to Senators Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill, and Mazie Hirono, D-HI, the only AAPI senators, to  appoint a high-level liaison after consultation with AAPI leaders.

"In the coming weeks, the administration will meet with AAPI leaders to hear their input in how we can play the most constructive role possible in the community. And the President raised — because he felt it was imperative to elevate — the continuing threats, the hate speech, and the violence against the Asian American community in his speech he gave during a primetime address a week ago," said Psaki.

On his first day in office, Biden signed an Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. As part of this Order, the President charged federal agencies with taking a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for AAPI communities. 

In his first 65 days, the President announced that it is the official policy of this Administration to condemn anti-Asian bias and violence; visited AAPI leaders in Atlanta to denounce anti-Asian violence and gender-based violence with the Vice President; called on Congress to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act introduced by Senator Hirono and Congresswoman Meng; and promised to create a White House Liaison to the AAPI communities to ensure that AAPI concerns are being heard.

After a weekend of rallies against hate, attacks against AAPI continue

SCREEN CAPTURE

Security cameras captured the attack. The security guard, right, ignored the incident.
Video of the incident is below.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated 10:15, April 2 to include name of the victim.

A 65-year old Asian woman on her way to church was viciously attacked Monday morning in New York City.

The attack was shown on a store's security camera. The victim was shoved to the ground as the attacker shouted, "F*** You. You don't belong here."

The man kicked her while she was down and stomped on her head and kicked her again before leaving the scene.

The attack got the attention of security guards inside the establishment where the camera was located. The video shows one guard looking up at the attack and then returning to the task he was doing. Another guard came into view and shut the glass door as the attacker left the scene.

The woman, Filipino American Vilma Kari, was taken to NYU Langone Hospital with swelling and pain. She suffered a fractured pelvis in the attack, but is in stable condition, according to police. She was released from the hospital on Tuesday.

“We’ve gone from being invisible to being seen as sub-human. We just want to be seen as American like everyone else,” tweeted Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y. after viewing the video.

The attack comes after a weekend of rallies and marches to protest the growing violence against Asian Americans. Thousands of people took part in the rallies that took place in cities throughout the nation.

The demonstrations on Saturday were part of a continuation of a planned National Day of Action on Friday, organized by Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Coalition, known as ANSWER. The national organization was founded after 9/11.

The demonstrations were sparked by a year-long growth in anti-Asian attacks because they are being blamed for bringing the coronavirus pandemic to the U.S.'s shores. They were a way to bring attention to the plight facing AAPI today.

The shooting spree in Atlanta that killed eight people, including six Asian women was the impetus for the most recent demonstrations and a statement from President Biden condemning the hate and violence targeting AAPI. "It's un-American. It must stop!" said the President. 

However, the attacks continue. In New York City, there has reportedly been a 1,300 percent increase in hate attacks against AAPI. 

There have been 33 hate crimes committed against AAPI victims in New York City  since the start of the year. The NYPD said that officers will now walk the streets undercover to capture suspect attackers.

In the last two weeks, alone: 

• Three days after the tragedy in Atlanta, a 68-year old Sri Lankan man was punched in the head while riding the subway in New York City. The attacker yelled racial slurs at him.
• On March 20, a 66-year-old Asian man was also punched, this time in the face, on the Lower East Side.
• Tthree more attacks were reported on March 21: a Chinese-American mother was hit twice in the face after she finished attending an anti-Asian hate protest in Union Square with her 7-year-old daughter; a 41-year-old Asian woman was thrown to the ground in Midtown, and a 54-year-old Asian woman was hit in the face with a metal pipe by a stranger while walking on the Lower East Side.
• A suspect used anti-Asian slurs at a woman on a train in Queens on March 23. He smashed her phone when she started recording him. 
• On March 26, in Midtown, a man shouted anti-Asian slurs at a 65-year-old Asian woman and waved an unknown object toward her. 
• The next day, an Asian woman was struck by a man who made anti-Asian statements in a Midtown subway station.

The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating all these incidents.

#StopAAPIhate, a website collecting anti-Asian reports says over 3800 attacks against AAPI have occurred in the year since the coronavirus forced health guidelines of social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing.

The same agency reports that in January and February of this year, there have been 500 incidents of hate reported nationwide.

California's attorney general nominee will target hate attacks against AAPI

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Assemblymember Rob Bonta speaks at the Manilatown Center in San Francisco's old Manilatown.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's pick for the California's vacated Attorney General spot is ready to hit the ground running once he's confirmed by the legislature. Among Assemblymember Rob Bonta's first tasks is to confront the year-long wave of attacks and confrontations against Asian Americans.

"We’re reeling," Bonta said Friday after Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced Bonta as his pick for AG. "People are hurting, scared, anxious, angry and it’s a full-on state of emergency, state of crisis and important."

"The Asian American community, and I know this from lived experience, from personal experience, as a member of the API community, is in a state of crisis right now, it’s a full-on state of emergency," Bonta said, noting how the types of crimes targeting Asian Americans have escalated from spitting and vulgarities to murder.

"It is really important for the people’s attorney, the chief law officer of the state of California, to see and value our API community, and to care, and also to take action," Bonta continued.

As Attorney General, he'll have the full support of Gov. Newsom, who said Friday that the surge of anti-Asian violence "infuriates" him since he grew up in San Francisco with many Asian American friends.

“What the hell is wrong with us?” Newsom asked.

Newsom noted in his emotional statement that although California is known for the diversity of its people, the states also has a long history of xenophobia-driven actions against Asians.

“We have to be vigilant, this is something that’s been with us for 150 years in this state and the country,” Newsom said.

Newsom's instant history lesson recalled the California Legislature's bias against Chinese immigrants in the 1800s, passed several measures aimed at Chinese people, including requiring special licenses, labor rules and preventing naturalization. In 1882, the federal Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law.

Laws against Asians were driven by powerful Californians including Denis Kearney, a political leader and opponent of Chinese immigration, was active in San Francisco. Ironically Kearney Street, was the main street of the former Manilatown and the street where the historic International Hotel was located.

According to #StopAAPIHate, in the year the pandemic has gripped the nation, that is March 2020 to March 2021, over 3800 incidents of hate has been directed against the AAPI communities, from vandalism, verbal assaults to physical attacks.

In the first two months of 2021 alone, #StopAAPIHate reports it has already gathered 500 reports of hate incidents. If this rate continues, 2021 will outdo 2020's record number of hate-driven attacks.

Some of the actions Bonta hopes to undertake when he assumes his new is to ensure that an anti-hate hotline is up-and-running and that the criminal justice system provide more training for law enforcement and work with victims and communities to better understand and address hate.

A peek at Bonta's legislative efforts could give us a better idea of Bonta's aims. In the month prior to his nomination as Attorney General, Bonta introduced AB 886 which would provide support for victims and avenues of restorative justice.

“The recent rise in racist and xenophobic attacks on members of the API community and the larger increase in hate crimes must be addressed with decisive action,” said Bonta. “The embers of hate have always been present, but they have recently been fanned into a fire of violence by no less than the previous occupant of the White House.”

AB 886 will fund community-based organizations that provide culturally competent mental health services for victims of hate violence and restorative justice programs. AB 886 would also expand the eligibility for victims of hate violence to access victim compensation funds and not be denied solely because the victim did not file a police report.

“All communities deserve to be seen, valued, and protected,” said Bonta. “AB 886 would assure that consultation with the victim becomes a primary focus along with community healing. AB 886 would address prevention by providing additional restorative justice tools to proactively increase the likelihood that an individual who caused the harm would not do additional harm.”