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Attacks and discrimination against Asians skyrocketing amid pandemic

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(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) — An updated report looking into racism against Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States has found incidents of hate crimes and discrimination are on the rise.

The report, released Thursday by Stop AAPI Hate, found 6,603 hate incidents against Asians and Pacific Islander transpired between mid-March 2020 and March 31, 2021.

2,410 of those incidents happened within the first three months of 2021, the report shows.  4,193 transpired across the span of nine months.

Further breaking down the data finds 12.6 percent of the incidents were physical assaults while 64.2 percent involved verbal harassment.  Seven percent included online harassment while 10.3 percent was workplace discrimination — including incidents of refusal of service or use of public transportation.

Women made up the majority of the victims, at 64.8 percent.  Chinese individuals also made up the majority, at 43.7 percent.  Those of Korean and Filipino descent made up 16.6 and 8.8 percent, respectively.

37.8 percent of these incidents happened on public property like streets and parks, while 32.2 percent transpired in businesses. 

The report mirrors an earlier study released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, which determined hate crimes against Asian Americans skyrocketed by 150 percent between 2019 and 2020.

The Stop AAPI Hate group believes the numbers are higher, believing that a large group of victims have yet to come forward and make a report.  

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