Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in hate incidents against Asians across the United States, with New York registering one of the biggest numbers of hate crimes directed at Asian Americans according to reports. Aside from legal options, other initiatives include a pilot program that would teach students about hate crimes. Naveed echoed this, explaining that education is a major pillar to the “comprehensive approach” in preventing hate crimes through community-based programs. There is no question that anti-Asian hate crimes continue to be a concern, but authorities are “exhausting every possible avenue” to address them. We’re also cooperating not only with Filipino-American groups but other Asian associations as well to get a more accurate picture of the reported incidents and see if these are really hate crimes or just random attacks by mentally unhinged individuals.
