by Helen Lin
One of the underappreciated aspects of the covid-19 pandemic has been the increase in Asian American targeted hate crime and discrimination. Just from reported cases since early March 2020 there have been nearly 1500 reports of AAPI hate, 44% taking place at private businesses, and 69% targeted at women (from statistics in the links below). In states such as New York, there has even been a hotline set up solely for reporting on hate crimes directed against Asian American community members. Even our own Charlottesville community is not exempt from those statistics. Earlier in March, a female UVA student of Asian descent (who requested anonymity) had racial slurs screamed at her while she was on her way to meet a friend for lunch. Two other UVA students of Asian descent described having eggs hurled at them from a passing car while leaving the gym.
As the increase in hate crimes against the Asian American community has surged as the coronavirus pandemic continues in the US, Asian Americans are going through great lengths to ensure their own personal protection and safety. The spread of the COVID-19 has also led to an increase in gun sales, with anecdotal evidence indicating a large number of those in line to buy guns appeared to be of Asian descent. Other ways Asian Americans have been trying to assure their own safety include wearing GoPro cameras when in public, carrying pepper spray, and avoiding the public if possible. Asian American healthcare workers delivering services on the front lines are not exempt from this violence and hate. One nurse of Asian descent was spat on while giving medicine to a patient, an Asian doctor was cursed at while told to "go back to ****ing China", and other examples include parents refusing to let their children be attended to by nurses or doctors who looked Asian.
COVID-19 and the stigma surrounding the virus has had a profound impact on Asian Americans businesses even before states began implementing shutdown and isolation orders. Chinese restaurants specifically have suffered large losses in business and customers due to misconceptions regarding COVID-19. This has led to both temporary and permanent closings of Chinese restaurants across the country, even though restaurants have been so far considered an essential business. According to NBC News, Chinese restaurants saw a drop in customers as large as 80%, and this was prior to isolation and lockdown orders. Chinatowns across the country have also faced losses as people began to avoid visiting even before lockdown orders and curfews were implemented. It is important to note that while the most prominent losses have been faced by Chinatowns, many other Asian American communities have been negatively impacted as well.
To document these sad developments, the collection of links below provides further examples and evidence in support of the seriousness of this issue.
We are All Chinese Now: COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism in the United States
Asian American Discrimination And The Coronavirus Crisis
Attacks on Asian Americans skyrocket to 100 per day during coronavirus pandemic
Spit On, Yelled At, Attacked: Chinese-Americans Fear for Their Safety
Acid attack on Chinese woman in Brooklyn
Asian woman attacked on bus in NY
New York AG launches hotline to report coronavirus hate crimes, xenophobia against Asian Americans
Asians worldwide share examples of coronavirus-related xenophobia on social media
Statistics on reported AAPI hate crime
How to help struggling Asian American communities amid coronavirus pandemic