Hate crimes against Americans with an Asian background have increased since the pandemic broke out just over a year ago.
Something that has begun to be discussed and demonstrated in earnest after the high-profile shootings at spa and massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia.
- We have seen these examples of a long line of violent, extremely violent, assaults on predominantly older people from the Asian population here in the US, but also lots of examples of everyday racism where it is more about swearing and harassment, says Stefan Åsberg.
"Completely incomprehensible"
Several serious assaults have also been captured on video and widely spread, the most recent of which is the brutal assault on a woman, who is attacked in broad daylight by a man in his 30s in Midtown, New York.
- This is completely incomprehensible, says Åsberg.
The woman, who is 65 years old with Filipino roots, is out walking on the sidewalk when she meets this man who kicks her down and then punches her three times, as it turns out, in the head while shouting racist swear words at her.
The man has now been arrested and the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
Some say that Donald Trump's statements about the corona, which he called the "China virus", have spurred hatred against Asians and caused violence to accelerate.
His successor, President Joe Biden, has expressed support for legislation against hate crimes in the wake of covid-19.
Hear Stefan Åsberg tell more about the brutal event, recent hate crimes and the consequences it has had in the clip above.