COVID-19 Injury Lawyers

Asian Americans Face Discrimination Over COVID-19 Hate Crimes, Attacks

Posted March 9, 2021

After widely publicized anti-China rhetoric pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have experienced hate incidents. In 2020, the activist group Stop AAPI Hate received more than 2,800 self-reports of coronavirus discrimination nationwide, which ranged from verbal harassment to physical assault.

While mainstream media has remained mostly silent, social media and other digital tools have allowed Asian Americans to show the discrimination they’ve experienced, while seeking help from support groups and local authorities.

As more activists use their social media presence to make a stand, lawmakers have responded.

According to NBC News, “In late February, California lawmakers introduced a bill that would allocate $1.4 million in funding to UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center and Stop AAPI Hate. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the NYPD’s Asian Hate Crimes Task Force would make a more concerted effort to monitor attacks in the subway.”

But obviously, this is not enough. From violence in grocery stores, vandalism at small businesses, and hate-filled comments in the street, those Americans who have faced discrimination for the last year are looking for nation-wide support.

Proving Hate Crimes

In order to prove a hate crime has occurred, the courts will review:

  • Defendant’s statements
  • Defendant’s membership in a hate group
  • Defendant’s possession of literature or symbols associated with bias
  • Defendant’s writings, graffiti, or tattoos
  • The use of biased slurs or graffiti during or at the site of the crime
  • The date of the incident, if it coincides with a significant holiday or anniversary
  • Other hate crimes committed by the defendant in the past

Because of concerns of free speech and the actual criminal intent, these cases are often difficult to fight, but not impossible.

Let The COVID-19 Injury Lawyers Be Your Voice.

When you are experiencing discrimination, harassment, or even assault, you need to know that you have someone in your corner. If you are experiencing hate crimes as a result of coronavirus-related bias, contact us today. We have nationwide lawyers ready to take your case. You may feel like you have lost your voice. Let us help you, and be that voice in this uneasy time.

Posted in COVID-19.

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