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Anti-Asian hate crimes in New York rose 361 percent: Police

Saturday, 11 December 2021 2:34 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 11 December 2021 3:03 PM ]

This picture shows a New York Police Department (NYPD) patrol near Time Square on October 5, 2021 in New York. (Photo by AFP)

The US police have reported a general surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in New York City this past year.

NBC News on Saturday cited the New York Police Department (NYPD) as saying at a news conference this week that incidents targeting Asians rose by 361 percent last year.

The NYPD report said that anti-Asian hate crimes in the city rose from 28 to 129 as of Sunday.

Russell Jeung, co-founder of the hate incident reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate, said the police data reflected a general surge in racism against Asian Americans.

“It is consistent with a general surge in racism against Asian Americans," Jeung said.

Jeung pointed out that the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes could be due, in part, to the political climate, as both Republicans and Democrats were pursuing anti-Asian policies.

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“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.

Jeung noted, however, that the police data was also consistent with an overall rise in crimes linked to the hardships caused by COVID epidemic, as well as being reflective of the Asian American community's increased awareness around reporting such hate crimes.

Many of the hate crimes in New York City had occurred in low-income areas and enclaves that had been impacted by the pandemic, Jeung added.

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Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center poll found the public has negative views toward China, with 55 percent of respondents saying they supported limiting Chinese students’ study in the US.

A separate study showed people with Asian names were more likely to be accused of spying in the United States.

The study was conducted by the Committee of 100, a nonprofit organization of prominent Chinese Americans.

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