The virus was initially identified in Wuhan, China, and as a result, many people began to associate Asians with the virus and blamed them for its spread.
COVID-19 has been identified as a significant contributing factor. In early 2020, as the pandemic began to spread globally, so did xenophobic rhetoric and discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans
The total number of reported anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020 was 33 cases, according to data from the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
The rate of reported Asian hate crimes in NYC spiked by 354.55% in 2021, resulting in total of 150 cases.
While there were certainly cases of anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020, the significant surge in reported cases in 2021 can be attributed to several factors
One possible reason is that the pandemic has continued to persist throughout 2021, leading to ongoing economic and social stress that may exacerbate prejudice and discrimination.