People take part in a rally against anti-Asian hate crimes in San Mateo, California, the United States, on Feb 27, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua)
Democratic lawmakers in the United States say they will introduce a bill to counter a rise in hate-fueled incidents, including violence, against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 Hate Crime Act, announced on Thursday by Democratic Representative Grace Meng and Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono, would create a new position at the US Justice Department to review incidents and have oversight of responses to hate crimes related to the pandemic.
"The ongoing anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents, especially against our elderly Asian Americans, is absolutely horrific," Meng said in a statement. "I am honored to introduce the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act with Senator Hirono to address this disgusting pattern of hate."
A study based on police department statistics across major US cities found a nearly 150 percent surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020, despite a 7 percent drop in the number of overall hate crimes.
The report, released this past week by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, examined hate crimes in 16 of the largest cities and found the first spikes rose alongside coronavirus cases in March and April. New York City saw the highest jump, rising from three to 28. Boston and Los Angeles followed with increases from six to 14 and seven to 15, respectively.
The new bill would issue guidance for state and local law enforcement agencies to establish hate-crime online reporting systems and run public education campaigns in multiple languages.
"Although president (Donald)Trump has left office, his past rhetoric and use of disparaging terms such as 'Chinese virus' and 'kungflu' continues to heighten people's fears of COVID-19, and fuel everything from verbal assaults to physical attacks toward those of Asian descent," said Meng.
Increasing cases
The Asian American Bar Association of New York and the group Stop AAPI Hate, an initiative that tracks violence and harassment against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders－collectively termed AAPIs－have recorded an increase in hate crimes since the start of the pandemic.
The bar association found more than 250 incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans in New York in 2020, ranging from verbal harassment to physical assault.
Stop AAPI Hate received reports of more than 2,800 incidents of discrimination or attacks against Asian Americans, according to a report it released in February.
"We've seen the horrifying consequences of racist language as AAPI communities across our country experience hate crimes and violence related to the pandemic," Hirono said in a statement.
"The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act addresses the surge in violence against AAPI communities by dedicating an official at the Department of Justice to expeditiously review hate crimes reported to law enforcement."
She told USA Today that the act would likely pass the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, but "we shall see" whether it could gain traction in the Senate, where at least 10 Republicans would need to join all 50 Democrats to block any filibuster procedural roadblock.
Meng believes there is "more momentum" this year to pass the legislation and is confident that President Joe Biden's administration will be supportive, according to USA Today.
Biden has signed executive orders to address anti-Asian sentiment, and lawmakers from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus have requested a meeting with the administration to discuss the orders' implementation.