Act To Change Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
Today, President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law, after bipartisan passage in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Act To Change applauds the swift passage of this bill, especially with the rise in hate incidents against Asian American communities.
Stop AAPI Hate has had more than 6,600 incident reports since March 2020. And we know this is an undercount. Stop AAPI Hate’s online reporting tool in multiple Asian languages begins to fill a large gap in reporting and tracking for AAPI hate; however, it is time for the federal government to take leadership and invest resources in our communities.
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a positive step forward in requiring state and local law enforcement agencies to establish online reporting, accessible in multiple AAPI languages, and to take affirmative steps to expand culturally competent and linguistically appropriate public education campaigns.
However, the work is far from over. We continue to remain committed to ending bullying among AAPI youth, through understanding and educating the public of the systems of white supremacy and oppression that stymy any progress in civil rights for all marginalized communities.
Commemorating the 2021 National Asian American and Pacific Islander Day Against Bullying and Hate
With rise in anti-Asian hate, 40+ cities and states, 250+ organizations, corporations, celebrities, and community leaders unite for national commemoration to honor legacy of Vincent Chin and promote action, healing, and solidarity
Today, May 18, 2021 marks the third annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) National Day Against Bullying and Hate, led by Act To Change. AAPIs have long faced violence, hate, and bullying, and now the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked rising and unprecedented numbers of anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination.
In recognition of the third annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, actor, author, and Act To Change co-founder Maulik Pancholy issued the following statement:
“It’s critical now more than ever that we protect and empower our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. As anti-Asian hate crimes, xenophobia, and racism are reported at unprecedented and rising numbers, we must remain united and fight against all forms of bullying and hate. Today, Act To Change urgently calls on all leaders and individuals across the country to stand with us on this annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, honor the legacy of Vincent Chin, and advocate for a world free of bullying and hate.”
National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate is observed during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and on May 18, the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime in 1982. This year would have been his 66th birthday.
Major companies are joining Act To Change to mark this day, including Netflix, TikTok, Sephora, Facebook, and Yahoo.
Today, Act To Change also released its first Asian American Bullying Report, in partnership with NextShark and Admerasia, to reveal new groundbreaking data on the bullying realities that Asian American youth are facing. Responses were collected from more than 300 Asian American youth, and found that 80 percent have experienced bullying. Seventy percent of Asian American youth saw a rise in cyberbullying during Covid-19.
Nearly 30 influencers and community leaders participated in the May 18 virtual event UNITED WE STAND
The more than 40 participating cities and states in the National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate include:
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Washington, DC
Baltimore, MD
Des Moines, IA
Dallas, TX
Philadelphia, PA
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
State of Arizona
State of California
State of Hawaii
State of Louisiana
The over 250 participating community organizations include:
Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment
Angry Asian Man
Arab American Institute
Asian American News
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment
Center for Disability Rights
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Define American
Girls Inc.
GLAAD
GLSEN
Gold House
Hollaback!
Human Rights Campaign
League of United Latin American Citizens
Micronesian Islander Community
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
NYC Anti-Violence Project
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
The Sikh Coalition
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
STOMP Out Bullying
Stop AAPI Hate
Teach For America
The Trevor Project
Tyler Clementi Foundation
According to Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 6,600 anti-Asian racist incidents were reported since May 2020, a significant increase from 3,795 to 6,603 during March 2021. The center noted that women reported 2.3 times more than men, youth reported 12.6% of incidents, and seniors reported 6.2% of the total incidents. Incident reports have come from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Introduced by Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Grace Meng, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill has passed both the Senate and the House, and is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden soon. The legislation would instruct the Department of Justice to expedite review of COVID-19 related hate crimes, expand public reporting efforts, and provide guidance to make reporting hate crimes more accessible at the local and state level, including ensuring reporting processes are available in multiple languages.
To join the conversation on social media, use #DayAgainstBullying and #ActToChange.
80% OF ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE EXPERIENCED BULLYING, NEW BULLYING SURVEY FINDS
Act To Change, NextShark, and Admerasia release bullying report revealing surge in bullying during COVID-19 pandemic
Today, national anti-bullying nonprofit Act To Change, in partnership with Asian American news outlet NextShark and advertising agency Admerasia, has released the 2021 Asian American Bullying Survey Report that measures the impact of bullying, awareness, and prevention measures in the Asian American community.
This report is released on the third annual National AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, led by Act To Change, bringing together more than 40 cities and states, 300 community organizations, and dozens of elected officials and influencers to stand against bullying and hate in the AAPI community.
Survey findings highlight a dramatic rise in bullying in 2020 among Asian American youth. For many Asian American youth, many are less likely to report bullying incidences or have access to resources. Key observations from the study include:
The bullying of Asian American youth is astonishingly normalized.80% of Asian Americans have experienced bullying, in-person, or online.
Cyberbullying affecting Asian Americans in 2020, exacerbated by COVID-19, surged. 70% of Asian American youth experienced or witnessed an increase in cyberbullying in 2020.
Asian Americans are significantly less likely to report bullying to an adult than their peers are, potentially due to cultural barriers and lack of trust in adults and schools. 38% of Asian Americans told an adult about the bullying, compared to 63% of non-Asian Americans.
Parents, caregivers, and educators of Asian American youth lack the necessary knowledge or tools to handle and fight the bullying.Only 50% of adults took action after learning someone was bullied.
The survey was based on responses by more than 300 Asian American youth.
To prevent and tackle bullying among youth, particularly with the rise of anti-Asian hate, Act To Change and partners recommend action in the following areas:
Spreading awareness and educating the public about the prevalence, severity, and impact of anti-Asian bullying on students, and call for change.
Developing easily shareable and accessible resources/toolkits and school curriculums for Asian American children/teens, their caregivers and parents.
Crafting programs that provide mental health and consultation services for bullied Asian American children who need help.
Continuing the much-needed work in data collection and data disaggregation for Asian Americans. Comprehensive data is critical to representing the vast diversity of experiences in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Act To Changeis a national nonprofit organization working to end bullying among AAPI youth. It envisions a world where all youth can grow up feeling proud of and supported in who they are.
Admerasia, founded in 1993, is an American advertising agency that has played a critical role in developing technologies to aid Asian American communities and businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
NextShark, founded in 2013, is a leading source of Asian American news and culture reaching 15 million people per week on social media. They have been on the forefront of reporting how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Asian communities and businesses around the globe, sharing community initiatives for recovery, and promoting minority community solidarity against racial injustice.
