There was a nationwide increase in Asian hate incidents following the pandemic and the spread of COVID-19. Boston did not escape this terror.
Recently, a group of teenagers boarded a train on the red line threatening violence to passengers and looking to rob them of their belongings. Eventually, they turned their attention to Vivian Dang, a woman of Asian descent. The teenagers hurled racial slurs against her and asked her derogatory questions, such as if she made egg rolls for a living. As Dang recorded the incident, another passenger tried to step in and tell the teenagers that their actions were incredibly harmful, but their only response was to mock her accent and insult her. These individuals refused to allow Dang to exit the train, going as far as to push the wheels of their bike into her face, blocking her from going anywhere. Dang expressed her fear that the teenagers would follow her after she got off her stop in order to harm her further. Instead, they broke one of its windows and shortly ran away.
From 2019-2020, FBI data reported a 77% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, but the number of reporting agencies across the U.S. also decreased by 452 leading many to conclude that the spike in hate crimes was and continues to be underreported. . Stop AAPI Hate has tracked over 11,000 hate incidents against the Asian and Pacific Islander community between March 2020 and March 2022 and Massachusetts ranked 6th highest for reports across the country, coming in at a startling 340.. Harvard’s implicit association test data for the Boston metro area showed that residents explicitly believe that white Americans are 21% more American than Asians. The state average fell closely at 20.6%.
However, Asian hate may be on the decline as another FBI data shows that incidents of targeted crimes against Asians dropped by 33% between 2021 and 2022. This marks the first-ever drop since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and may be cause for hope for the future. Less COVID-related scapegoating, less inflammatory rhetoric from political leaders, and reporting fatigue among Asian-American communities have all contributed to this decrease, according to experts. Unfortunately, this change has only occurred in certain sectors of the Asian-American community. Muslim and Sikh populations either saw increases or no change in levels of hate towards them in 2022. This reduction may only be brief as the key drivers behind Asian prejudice could be exacerbated in the near future. More specifically, inflammatory political rhetoric during the upcoming 2024 election cycle could contribute to another rise in Asian prejudice, as well as economic conditions and foreign policy decisions.
To get more information on the efforts put forward to help end this targeted hate against Asians in Boston, I met with City Council President Ed Flynn. When asked about the perception that there was a disconnect between MBTA and Boston police and the general public about putting an end to targeted Asian hate in Boston, Flynn stressed the importance of bringing together public safety organizations, city and state officials, and the Asian community in Boston to ensure the safety of Asians in both the city and greater Boston. In order to create the narrative necessary to end Asian hate, it is paramount that both authorities and the community work together towards this common goal. Without both sides learning from each other and recognizing that there is a significant anti-Asian racism problem in Boston, it is impossible to move forward to a more positive future. Flynn has been working on trying to eliminate Asian hate in Boston for over six years, and even called for the first public meeting in 2019 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to discuss how the spread of the virus had affected the community in terms of the backlash they received simply because they came from the country from which it originated. He stated that this event inspired him to work even harder to support his constituents and fight to end the anti-Asian racism that was spreading widely across the country at that time. As part of his solution, he met with Boston Police to encourage them to conduct more investigations into attacks and hate crimes against immigrant communities. He also worked with the Boston Human Rights Commission to document each instance of hate against the Asian and immigrant communities. He strongly believes and has promoted language and community access to city services and city government for Cantonese Chinese speakers in order to create accessibility and transparency.
Within public transportation, Councilman Flynn wants to put forward initiatives to make sure that the MBTA reaches out to residents in more languages, especially those originating from Asia. He also wants to employ more individuals in the MBTA that are familiar with the language and culture of the Asian community to ensure that every person taking the T is treated with respect.
Anti-Asian sentiment still exists in Boston. Attacks just like the one against Vivian Dang are dangerous for Boston. Violence and prejudice against Asians in Boston are exacerbated because of anti-Asian attitudes. With initiatives to create more language and culture inclusivity, such as the ones being pushed by City Council President Flynn, it is possible to see an end to this national problem in Boston. However, seeing that end will take tremendous efforts from the Asian communities and all communities in Boston working together with law and government to identify and challenge racist and xenophobic attitudes and behaviors in Boston and throughout the country. A 100 yr old Boston community activist said to this reporter, “Change is painfully slow but nothing changes without pain.”
Steve Lee Dominguez pled guilty to federal charges of interfering with federally protected activities based on the victim’s race just last week. In March 2021, he drove through a crosswalk filled with Stop Asian Hate protests in Diamond Bar, CA while yelling racial slurs at the crowd. Dominguez narrowly missed hitting multiple demonstrators, including a nine-year-old child. Dominguez faces federal prison and is pending sentencing in May 2024.
