New FBI data shows an alarming spike in hate crimes against Asian and Black citizens in the U.S.
In 2020, the number of reported hate crimes rose to the highest level in more than 12 years, which was driven by assaults against Black people and individuals of Asian descent. The data released on Monday shows that hate crimes against Asian Americans increased by 70% from 2019 to 2020, with 274 incidents. Hate crimes against Black people saw a 40% spike in this same time frame, with 2,755 racially motivated incidents reported.
The increase in Asian hate crimes is attributed to former President Donald Trump and his supporters referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus” due to the virus’s origin in China. Rhetoric such as this made people of Asian descent a target. African Americans faced an increase in attacks last year as racial tensions ran high following the high-profile murders of Blacks at the hands of white people, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, which took center stage during the controversial 2020 Presidential Election.
Attorney General Merrick Garland noted that these statistics only account for the attacks that are being reported.
“These hate crimes and other bias-related incidents instill fear across entire communities and undermine the principles upon which our democracy stands,” Garland stated.
The United States increased by 6% in hate crimes overall in 2020.
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