Discuss how Chinese people were treated unfairly in 18th and 19th century Los Angeles. Then discuss how Asian residents in Los Angeles currently and recently have experienced asian hatred as a result of covid 19
Overview
A spike in anti-Asian violence documented since the outbreak has alarmed Asian Americans across the country, but a Los Angeles-based civil rights organization believes the actual number of hate incidents could be considerably higher.
“There are many more folks who have not reported instances than those who have,” Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles CEO Connie Chung Joe told NPR.
This underreporting is caused by a number of factors, including linguistic and cultural hurdles, as well as a lack of faith in law enforcement, according to Chung Joe in an interview with Morning Edition anchor Rachel Martin.
“If the community believes the police will do nothing, word will spread, and the community will believe that the next time I will not report it. What exactly is the point?” Chung Joe explained.
Between March 19 and December 31, 2020, Stop AAPI Hatred, a coalition focused at tackling anti-Asian prejudice during the COVID-19 pandemic, received over 2,800 eyewitness reports of anti-Asian hate, including physical and verbal assaults.
According to Russell Jeung, a co-founder of the group and a professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University, the number of reported instances has now topped 3,000.
“What we’ve observed isn’t just a spike, but a surge over the entire year last year with COVID-19 and the president’s political rhetoric in the previous administration,” Jeung explained to NPR’s Michel Martin.
The occurrences reported vary from verbal abuse to physical altercations. Denny Kim, a 27-year-old American, was arrested last month. Two individuals allegedly attacked an Air Force veteran in LA’s Koreatown area.
The confrontation, which left Kim with a black eye and nose injuries, was witnessed by Kim’s buddy, Joseph Cha, according to local TV station KTLA.
According to Cha, the two assailants who fled after the incident allegedly yelled, “all f-ing Asians gotta die.”
