Anti-Asian Sentiment Resources

Hate Incident: expressions of hostility based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Hate incidents are not illegal. They may take the form of name-calling or using racial slurs, hate speech, the distribution of racist leaflets or other disrespectful behavior.

Hate Crime: defined by federal or state statutes. A hate crime occurs when a person commits an act such as assault, battery, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to property or mob action because of the victim's real or perceived race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Hate crime laws vary from state to state.

Xenophobia and Population Visibility: Asian Pacific Americans are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States, a trend that started in the 1970s. Today, Asian Pacific Americans are highly visible, especially in the states of California, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Texas and Washington. Unfortunately, this visibility gives rise to tension from individuals who feel threatened by this increase in ethnic diversity, especially in urban and suburban areas where Asian Pacific Americans encroach on or displace other residents.

Economic and International Relations: When the U.S. economy declines, attention often shifts to the role that other countries play in providing "unfair" competition. Asian Pacific Americans are often perceived to be "foreigners" who take jobs away from "real" Americans. For example, in 1990, Japan was perceived as "taking over" the U.S. by buying companies and real estate. Little attention was given to the fact that Great Britain was then the largest foreign investor in the U.S., while Canada held the largest percentage of foreign-owned real estate. In 2001, an incident where a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. military aircraft caused a backlash when talk radio hosts defamed Chinese.

Media Portrayals and Public Perceptions: Asian Pacific Americans are portrayed in the media in a variety of contradictory stereotypes, ranging from the "model minority" at the head of his or her class in school, to the non-English-speaking welfare recipient who is a "drain on the system." Asians are also characterized in film as unscrupulous businessmen and cruel mobsters, or as compliant, submissive and exotic. One-dimensional portrayals, coupled with the absence of accurate images and positive role models, obstruct public understanding of the Asian American community, which can contribute to an anti-Asian climate.

Stereotype of the Asian Monolith: Despite the diversity among Asian Pacific Americans, they are often misperceived as a monolithic group. Thus, even though an act of anti-Asian sentiment might be perpetrated with a particular ethnic group in mind (e.g., Indian, Filipino or Korean), a failure to make distinctions between Asian Pacific American ethnic groups causes members of all groups to become potential victims.

Importance of Reporting Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are motivated by prejudice and bigotry. These crimes pose a unique danger to society because, while they often result in an attack on an individual, they can affect the fundamental rights and emotional well-being of entire communities by making them feel vulnerable and isolated. Hate crimes cause tensions, which may erupt into violence between members of different ethnic, religious or racial groups.

Reporting Hate Crimes:

• Underlines the need for stronger hate crime laws and penalties.
• Informs law enforcement agencies and communities about the scope of the problem, thereby enabling them to deal with the problem more effectively.
• Reinforces the notion that hate crimes are not to be dismissed as "pranks."

Failing to Report Hate Crimes:

• Makes it appear as if the problem does not exist.
• Increases attackers' confidence that they can get away with their crimes and continue to commit them.
• Even though many police departments are set up to investigate hate crimes, incidents of hate crime reporting involving Asian Pacific American victims is seriously underreported to the police. Reasons for this include:
• Immigrant victims may face language and cultural barriers to filing police reports.
• Immigrant victims are often unfamiliar with American law and fearful of law enforcement.
• Some victims are afraid that by reporting hate-related attacks, it will draw attention to them and make them vulnerable to further attacks.
• Some victims believe that their complaints will not be taken seriously by the police, or worse, that the police will persecute them for reporting incidents.

Steps to take if you are the victim of a hate crime, or if you witness a hate crime:

• Call the police immediately and be sure a report is taken.
• If there are injuries, call the paramedics immediately.
• Leave all evidence in place. Do not touch or remove anything.

If possible, document the incident by photographing evidence and writing down the facts. Write down who said what and obtain names of any witnesses.

Inform the police that you were a victim of a hate crime.

If the police hesitate to report a hate crime, insist on it. Check for the hate crime designation on the police report.

Obtain a copy of the police report for your records.

Alert organizations such as the JACL, organizations that deal with hate crimes, and local human relations commissions.

JACL Response Guidelines

JACL responds to incidents of defamation and hate directed at Asian Americans through direct intervention or by providing assistance to JACL chapters to confront incidents in their local areas.

 

Contacting JACL

If you are the victim of or witness to a hate crime or defamation, alert your the JACL Midwest office:

Midwest Office (Chicago)
773.728.7170 Midwest@jacl.org

 

Network Update: A periodic report from the JACL Anti-Hate Program, providing an overview of hate incidences that have occurred and any JACL responses. Fall 2006 Summer 2007 Winter 2008 Fall 2008 Spring 2009
Words Can Kill the Spirit: a brochure to combat the use of racial slurs directed against Asian Americans. This brochure is intended to inform the public that the use of slurs and other forms of defamation must not be tolerated.	Anti-Asian Sentiment on Campus: a brochure that highlights the increase in anti-Asian sentiment on our college and university campuses. The brochure provides examples of actual incidents and steps to take if similar incidents occur.
A Troubling Legacy: a detailed booklet that shows the history of anti-Asian sentiment in our country.	When Hate Hits You: a comprehensive handbook that provides a brief historical look at anti-Asian sentiment in our country, along with recent examples or anti-Asian violence and a section on how you and your community can respond to hate incidents.