Resources
Author: Janelle Wong, Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland
Year: 2019-2021
Method: Review of data from government agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting), national surveys (National Asian American Survey, AAPI Data/SurveyMonkey, Pew) community reporting (Stop AAPI Hate), and news analysis (Virulent Hate Project)
Population: AA and NHPI; national
Summary of findings: Most reported anti-Asian hate incidents are verbal rather than physical attacks. Although there has been an increase in reported anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents, these start from a relatively low baseline and have historically been underreported. In 2020, such crimes constituted 7% of all reported hate crimes in 16 of the largest U.S. jurisdictions. The nature of hate experienced by Asian Americans is also influenced by racist incidents against other non-white groups, with the Black community being one of the most targeted. According to AAPI Data/SurveyMonkey in 2021, 27% of Asian Americans have experienced a hate crime or incident, similar to reports from other groups: 34% of Blacks, 27% of Latinos, 25% of Native Americans, and 24% of Pacific Islanders. Additionally, findings show that Asian American elders are not disproportionately targeted. The AAPI Data/SurveyMonkey in 2021 results revealed that only 8% of those aged 65 and older reported experiencing a hate crime, compared to 14% of those aged 18–34. The prevalent media portrayal of offenders does not align with the data, which indicates that the majority of offenders are White, countering the overrepresented notion of Black offenders.