US Asians, harassed over coronavirus, push back on streets, social media

NEW YORK (Reuters): A spike in harassment of Asian-Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began has led community activists in the United States to fight back – forming street patrols, rallying on social media, and supporting each other online.

Asians of varying national backgrounds have suffered a surge of attacks this year, which activists linked to the pandemic’s emergence in China. Some said they feared harassment could worsen in a US election year, with US-China tensions ratcheting up over trade, Hong Kong and the coronavirus.

“When China is made the enemy, people who look like Chinese are the enemy. The economy is tanking, people are dying. They’re angry and fearful and want to take it out on Asian Americans even more,” said Russell Jeung, professor of Asian-American studies at San Francisco State University. Since March 19, over 1,800 cases of harassment related to the coronavirus pandemic have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate, a website Jeung created with two advocacy groups.

Nine out of 10 victims were targeted because of their race, with 37% of incidents taking place in public areas, the organization said. Verbal harassment and shunning occurred in over 90% of the cases. Victims were physically assaulted, or coughed or spat on, in some 15% of cases. Some of the harassment has taken place inside of stores, Jeung said, adding that Stop AAPI Hate is working with retailers to figure out how to ensure safe access for customers. The New York City Commission on Human Rights this week launched a multilingual campaign to combat COVID-19-related discrimination after it received over 350 such complaints from 1 February to 15 May. Of these, 133, or 37%, targeted Asians. That compared with just 11 complaints of discrimination targeted at Asians during the same period in 2019.

The FBI has warned of a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to media reports citing internal documents. In some Chinatowns, volunteer patrols are forming to protect residents and confront harassers. The Guardian Angels, with patrols in over 130 cities worldwide, are recruiting in U.S. Asian communities for the first time in 41 years. Members include seniors and women, who are often targets of abuse. “It’s boring at home. I might as well do something,” said laid-off dental assistant Sara Chin. The 46-year-old also patrols with New York’s Chinatown Block Watch. “Our mission is to observe, record and report,” said Leanna Louie, a San Francisco businesswoman who started patrol group United Peace Corp. In eight weeks, it has filed 24 reports, including medical response incidents, auto burglaries, theft and shoplifting, leading to three arrests, she noted.

“We can break the old habits, old patterns and outdated stereotypes,” Louie said. “We have assisted in aiding the community to step out of the shadows and feel more empowered.” The San Francisco Police Department has expanded its presence on foot and in cars around the city to act as a deterrent against such crimes, it said in a statement.

In New York, flyers and posters emblazoned with the words ‘Don’t be cruel’ were created by Shirley Ng and her friends for display on Chinatown storefronts, with pointers on how to report a crime. “I don’t have to wait for support. It’s my community,” said Ng, an events assistant at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.