China News Service, New York, December 20th. Title: USA 2021: What is the answer to the problem of racial discrimination on the rise in crimes against Asians?

　　China News Agency reporter Wang Fan

　　From the attacks on Asian elderly in many places in the United States at the beginning of the year, to the Atlanta Dalian ring shooting, from the unprovoked slamming of an Asian woman in New York’s Chinatown, to the assault and injury of a Chinese girl in the Philadelphia subway... In 2021, Asian Americans were hit. Racial discrimination and violations occur frequently, and hate crimes against Asians have attracted much attention.

　　In New York, one of the cities with the most concentrated Asian population in the United States, the local police released statistics in December that the city’s crimes against Asians as of December 5 this year have increased by 361% compared to the same period last year.

According to a report released in November by the US non-profit organization "Stop Hatred of Asian-Pacific Americans", the organization has received 5,771 reports of hate incidents against Asian-Pacific Americans as of September 30 this year, which is more than the total number of reports received last year.

　　Although anti-discrimination groups and government agencies are working to prevent crimes from happening, the risk of violence faced by Asian groups has not diminished.

A survey released by the Pew Research Center this year showed that over 80% of Asian Americans said they are facing increasing violence.

The resistance of the Asian people

　　On March 16 this year, three shootings occurred in two spas in downtown Atlanta, Georgia and a massage parlor on the outskirts of the city. Eight people were killed and two were injured. Most of the victims were Asian women.

After the incident, a wave of anti-racism demonstrations by Asian Americans was set off across the United States.

　　"Stop hating Asians!" "Hate is a virus!" "Anti-discrimination! Anti-violence!" "We want fairness and justice!" From Boston, New York, Philadelphia, to the capital, Washington, DC, Dallas, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, and more Going to Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego... Asian groups can't bear the reports of Asian people being verbally abused, beaten, and even shot dead in the media every few days. They want their voices to be heard by the entire United States.

　　This wave of demonstrations continued to ferment throughout the year.

On November 30th, thousands of people in Philadelphia protested against a group of teenagers in the city assaulting an 18-year-old Chinese girl on the subway in a parade with the theme of "anti-discrimination, anti-violence, anti-bullying, safe city" that month. Injuried.

On the same day, New York and other cities also held rallies to support.

　　In addition to demonstrations, volunteer patrols have been spontaneously established in many places in the United States in the past year.

In Oakland, California, there are at least five volunteer patrols on a daily basis to protect the safety of Asian groups.

In New York’s Chinatown, people often see a group of "guardian angels" dressed in red coats and red hats patrolling the road.

Some Asian Americans also launched free self-defense training courses and provided supportive consulting services through the foundation.

Limitations of Anti-Hate Law

　　On May 20 this year, U.S. President Biden signed a bill aimed at combating crimes against Asians in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Anti-New Crown Hate Crimes Act, and officially became law.

According to the law, the U.S. Department of Justice can set up special positions to expedite the review of crimes against Asian Americans. The Minister of Justice will provide guidance to local law enforcement agencies. The reporting and tracking of hate crimes by local law enforcement agencies will be strengthened, and the public will have more information. Report hate crimes through multiple channels and obtain relevant information.

　　The "Anti-New Crown Hate Crimes Act" is regarded by Asian communities as a milestone in the "anti-Asian discrimination movement."

But in fact this is far from enough, because the law has limitations in its effectiveness in combating racist hate crimes.

"The Atlantic Monthly" pointed out in an article published in June that the law does not provide for mandatory measures. As prosecutors have discretionary powers, they often do not deal with potential hate crimes due to different considerations. Charge the relevant suspects with hate crimes.

　　Fox News reported an assault in San Francisco in May this year.

At that time, two elderly Asians were severely injured by a man who was stabbed with a knife while waiting for a bus at the Market Street bus stop in San Francisco.

Because the prosecutor believed that there was insufficient evidence to prove racist motives, the suspect in the case was not charged with a hate crime.

　　Similar situations occur everywhere.

According to the New York Times, there has been a surge in attacks against Asians in the New York area this year, but the suspects in many cases have not been charged with hate crimes.

An article in the academic journal "University of Minnesota Law Review" pointed out that the current model for determining hate crimes against Asians has not yet been established, and the federal and local anti-hate laws have limitations, which sue law enforcement officers for hate crimes Created obstacles.

The chronic disease of racial discrimination

　　On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2021, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres stated that Asian groups have been stigmatized due to the new crown epidemic, and a series of abominable violent incidents against Asians have exposed the chronic disease of racial discrimination.

　　ABC quoted the views of lawyers from the Asian American Legal Protection and Education Foundation, saying that the United States has long had a systemic racism problem. In the context of the new crown epidemic, the hatred against Asians has highlighted the United States. The severity of racial conflicts.

The root cause of the rise in crimes against Asian Americans in the United States in recent years is racism.

　　On how to solve this problem, UNESCO pointed out that education may be one of the antidote to racism, and education systems and educational institutions play an important role in eradicating racism.

Some Asian American parents also believe that schools should teach students about the history and culture of Asians from an early age, so that they can understand racial discrimination.

　　However, Mae Ngai, an American historian and professor of history at Columbia University, has a different view.

She believes that racism is not a natural reaction of human beings to different people, but a product that accompanies politics.

If the discrimination and hatred faced by Asian Americans are ultimately caused by political reasons, then the solution to this problem must also be done from a political perspective.

At present, the United States still has a long way to go to achieve racial equality.

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