Intersection. Targeting Hate

• Author: Liane Jackson
• Pages: 9-10

Intersection is

a column that

explores issues

of race, gender

and law across

America’s criminal

and social justice

landscape.

The rise in hate crimes against

Asian Americans in recent

years shouldn’t come as a

shock. A long history of

discrimination and racial prejudice

piled the kindle; incendiary political

rhetoric lit the re. So now, in the wake

of the March 16 mass killing of six

Asian American women in the Atlanta

area, an acknowledgment of the terror

perpetrated against this community has

become part of our national reckoning.

Police charged Robert Aaron Long

with eight counts of murder in the

attack, which catalyzed a movement to

address harassment and bias incidents

against Asian Americans. Hate crimes

against this ethnic group rose about

150% in major U.S. cities last year, an

underreported fact that is now front

and center.

As often happens with communities

of color, there was an invisibility to the

victims until a moment in time when

something truly horric happened and

captured the national conversation.

The Atlanta slayings were that call

to action. The national spotlight has

turned to the causes and prevention

of attacks on Asian Americans. Some

politicians who aggressively blamed

China for the coronavirus pandemic

encouraged xenophobia. President

Donald Trump referred to COVID-19

as the “China virus” and the “kung

u,” further stigmatizing Asian Amer-

icans. These dog whistles are just the

latest in our long and troubling history

of disease racialization and minority

scapegoating that too often ends with

targets on backs.

For a variety of reasons, including

voluntary reporting and a lack of police

training or acknowledgment of bias

incidents, tracking hate crimes is chal-

lenging and imperfect. There were 122

incidents of anti-Asian American hate

crimes in 16 of the country’s most pop-

ulous cities in 2020, according to data

compiled by the Center for the Study of

Hate and Extremism at California State

University, San Bernardino.

The group Stop AAPI Hate received

reports of 3,795 hate incidents over a

period of nearly 12 months since the

pandemic began. And a Pew Research

Center survey found that 31% of Asian

Americans had been subjected to racial

slurs or jokes in the same time period.

The scarlet R

Authorities often downplay or fail to

acknowledge killings within communi-

ties of color as acts of terrorism or label

them hate crimes, particularly when the

perpetrator is white. This racial blind

spot does nothing to alleviate ongoing

concerns about bias within police ranks.

During a press conference, a Chero-

kee County Sheriff’s Ofce spokesman

said Long told police vengeance for his

“sex addiction” was the motive for the

shootings, not race. Capt. Jay Baker

also noted the killings were a result of

Long having “a really bad day” and

wanting to eliminate temptation, a

bizarre statement that sounded dan-

gerously close to victim-blaming. And

INTERSECTION

Targeting

Hate

Bigoted attacks must be met

with stronger protections

BY LIANE JACKSON

edited by

LIANE JACKSON

liane.jackson@americanbar.org

Mourners bring f‌lowers to the

memorial set up outside of the

Gold Spa in Atlanta.

ABA JOURNAL | JUNE–JULY 2021

9

Inter Alia

Photos by Callie Lipkin/ABA Journal; Megan Varner/Getty Images

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