Group finds anti-Asian hate surging following Trump election

Yahoo

20-02-2025

Anti-Asian hate surged online following President Trump's November victory, with South Asian communities targeted the most, according to new data from Stop AAPI Hate.
In a report released Thursday, the organization found that January 2025 marked the highest number of anti-Asian American incidents since the organization began monitoring anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander posts in August 2022.
Anti-South Asian slurs increased 75 percent from November 2024 to January 2025, rising from 36,136 to 63,258. Anti-East Asian slurs jumped by 51 percent during the same period, rising from 15,476 to 23,287.
'We are extremely alarmed by the latest spikes of hate that Asian communities are facing today, both in online spaces and in-person — which Trump is fueling with xenophobic rhetoric and policies,' said Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance.
Threats against the AAPI community also increased immediately following the election.
Between November 2024 and January 2025, threats against members of the APPI community jumped by 50 percent, with South Asians bearing the brunt of such threats.
Stop AAPI Hate's report found that the surge in anti-Asian hate was in part due to the debate around H-1B visas. The temporary visa, which Trump voiced support for, are primarily by the tech industry. Trump's support divided Republicans on the topic of immigration.
The report also found that some of the anti-AAPI hate was directed at Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, who is of Indian descent. Vivek Ramaswamy was also the target of the hate.
The report identified some of the hateful rhetoric included users falsely claiming that people of Chinese descent in the U.S., including Asian American elected officials, are spies.
The organization also argued that Trump's own rhetoric and policy has spurred the increase in online posts and in-person interactions.
According to the report, individuals reported that some of the hateful rhetoric they encountered included Trump supporters referring to the president's immigration plans.
One Taiwanese man in California reported that while out at a restaurant, another man rolls him to 'enjoy your last meal. You are getting deported.' In another instance, a Chinese man from the South reported that he was told Trump was 'going to have me arrested and thrown in jail.'
'Trump and his loyalists have stoked the flames of anti-Asian scapegoating and bigotry for years,' said Kulkarni. 'And today, they continue to embolden racists to commit acts of hate. Their goal is to build a climate of fear in our communities, but we will not be silenced.'
In response to the report, the White House said Trump was elected in part because of his efforts to make the nation a safer country for all Americans.
'President Trump received resounding support from more than 77 million Americans, including a historic number of Asian Americans, due in part to his commitment to Make America Safe Again. His dedication to empowering the police, deporting criminal illegal aliens, and standing for law and order will protect every American—a change from the previous administration,' White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields said in the statement.
This story was updated at 9:58 a.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.