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A recent FBI report warns against a possible surge in hate crimes in Asian communities in the U.S. due to the spread of COVID-19.
“The FBI makes this assessment based on the assumption that a portion of the US public will associate COVID-19 with China and Asian American populations,” the report stated.
The results of this association have rippled throughout Chinese and Asian American communities across the country. Some incidents have led to arrests, including two made by the New York Police Department for attacks against Asian-Americans earlier this month. On top of that, local Asian businesses report seeing significant losses over coronavirus fears.
“I think we’ve been very clear right since the beginning of this event that viruses know no borders and they don’t care [about] your ethnicity, the color of your skin, how much money you have in the bank,” said Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organization’s health emergency programs, told the South China Morning Post.
Now, the Center for Public Integrity is investigating instances of hate related to coronavirus. If you or someone you know has experienced a hate-related incident, please let us know by filling out this form. Your answers will help our nonprofit investigative newsroom identify trends and solutions that will lead to more robust reporting. The more detail you give us, the better.
We won’t publish your information or share it outside of our newsroom without your consent. A reporter may want to follow up to interview you for a story, if you’re willing. Have questions? Reach out to our Audience Engagement Editor Kristine Villanueva at kvillanueva@publicintegrity.org.