Introduction
Hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased in the past year, a development that experts say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2019 to 2020, bias-based crimes against Asians rose nearly 150 percent in major U.S. cities, and the trend has continued this year. Many blame the increase on the rhetoric of former President Donald Trump, who called COVID-19 the “China virus” and “kung flu.” While the pandemic has highlighted anti-Asian animus, hate crimes generally are on the rise against other racial, ethnic and religious groups and among people targeted due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Researchers say these crimes are often significantly underreported and underprosecuted, and lawmakers hope new federal statutes designed to improve state and local hate crime reporting will better define the scope of the problem. Others say that merely gathering better statistics will not solve the problem and want more prosecutions of bias-based crimes. Critics of hate crime laws say they violate free speech rights and create special protections for certain groups based on political considerations.
Residents protest Asian hate crimes in Los Angeles' Thai Town neighborhood in April, at a mural commemorating a victim, Vicha Ratanapakdee. Hate crimes against Asians rose about 150 percent in some large U.S. cities last year, a trend some experts attribute to COVID-19 and rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, who called the disease the “China virus” or “kung flu.” (Getty Images/Los Angeles Times/Genaro Molina)
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Aug. 13, 2021 |
Hate Crimes |
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Feb. 12, 2021 |
Slavery's Legacy |
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May 12, 2017 |
Anti-Semitism |
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Mar. 17, 2017 |
‘Alt-Right’ Movement |
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Sep. 18, 2015 |
Far-Right Extremism |
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Nov. 22, 2013 |
Racial Profiling |
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May 08, 2009 |
Hate Groups |
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Jun. 01, 2007 |
Shock Jocks  |
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Jan. 07, 1994 |
Racial Tensions in Schools |
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Jan. 08, 1993 |
Hate Crimes |
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May 12, 1989 |
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Nov. 05, 1969 |
American History: Reappraisal and Revision |
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Mar. 31, 1965 |
Extremist Movements in Race and Politics |
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May 13, 1964 |
Racism in America |
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Dec. 03, 1958 |
Spread of Terrorism and Hatemongering |
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Jul. 10, 1946 |
Ku Klux Klan |
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Jan. 09, 1945 |
Race Equality |
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Dec. 19, 1933 |
Lynching and Kidnapping |
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