FACT BRIEF

Did most hate crimes against Asian Americans in 2020 occur in New York and California?

Friday, February 12, 2021

By Lisa Freedland

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YES

The majority of hate crimes against Asian American Pacific Islander communities in 2020 occurred in California and New York, which are home to more Asian Americans than any other states. Between March and August, about 46% of Asian American hate crimes occurred in California and 14% in New York, according to a database of racially motivated crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Approximately 1,800 hate crimes against Asian Americans were reported between March and May, after the new coronavirus appeared in Wuhan, China, according to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Throughout 2020, President Trump called the coronavirus “the Chinese virus.” In January 2021, the Biden administration issued a memorandum condemning intolerance against Asian American Pacific Islanders, claiming the government should acknowledge its role in “furthering these xenophobic sentiments.”

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Stop AAPI Hate Stop AAPI Hate: Stop AAPI Hate national report

White House: Memorandum condemning and combating racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

World Population Review: Asian American population by state (2021)

UN Human Rights Council UN Human Rights Council: Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism

CNBC: Trump defends calling COVID-19 the ‘Chinese virus’

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