Stop Asian Hate


Stop Asian Hate was a slogan and name of a series of demonstrations, protests, and rallies against violence targeting Asians, Asian Americans, and others of Asian descent during the COVID-19 pandemic. It began in the United States in 2021 in response to racial discrimination against Asian Americans relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many rallies occurred in the wake of a series of shootings that occurred at three Atlanta spas in which eight people were killed, six of whom were women of Asian descent. However, the movement first began to gain traction after the killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee nearly two months earlier.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic, which was first reported in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, has led to a perceived increase in racism against Asians and Asian Americans. According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, and Stop AAPI Hate, there has been an increase in crimes against Asians since 2019. For instance, the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism reported that hate crimes against Asians increased by 150% in 2020, and Stop AAPI Hate received 3,795 discriminatory incident reports in the first year of the pandemic. Research from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism further found that anti-Asian hate crimes rose by 339% in 2021, when compared to 2020, while police in San Francisco reported a 567% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes that year.
A Pew Research study found that 58% of Asian Americans believed that racist views had increased towards them during the pandemic. Along with this, 45% of Asian American adults say they have experienced at least one of five specific offensive incidents since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A study by the New York University College of Arts & Science found that there was no overall increase of Anti-Asian sentiment among the American population; instead, it suggested that "already prejudiced persons" had felt authorized by the pandemic to act openly on their prejudices.
On March 16, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at three spas in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Although the shooter has not been charged with a hate crime, a significant number of commentators have characterized it as such, as of the eight people killed, six were women of Asian descent, and the shootings also took place at businesses with a high percentage of staff members of Asian descent. According to police, the shooter said he committed those murders because of a conflict between his sex addiction and religious beliefs.

List of rallies

United States

Alabama

  • Athens: Dozens gathered at Lincoln Bridgeforth Park for a rally on March 28, 2021.
  • Birmingham: Over a hundred people attended a candlelight vigil at Linn Park on March 21, 2021.

Arizona

  • Chandler: More than 200 people gathered for a vigil on March 21, 2021, in Chandler.
  • Mesa: A large group held a march against violence on March 27, 2021.

Arkansas

  • Bentonville: Several dozen attended a vigil on March 27, 2021.

California

Colorado

  • Denver: On March 20, 2021, more than a hundred people gathered in Little Saigon for a rally.

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Florida

  • Gainesville: About 200 protesters gathered at Bo Diddley Park on March 27, 2021.
  • Miami: A 5 kilometer run at South Beach in honor of the Atlanta shooting victims was held on March 26, 2021.
  • Tallahassee: About 100 people held a rally at the Florida State Capitol.

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

  • Detroit: Hundreds gathered at two rallies in Detroit on March 27, 2021.

Minnesota

Missouri

  • Kansas City: A vigil with 100 people gathered at Mulberry Street on March 28, 2021.
  • St. Louis: About 100 people gathered for a vigil on March 20, 2021.

Nebraska

  • Omaha: A rally was held at Lakeside Hills Park on March 27, 2021.

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

  • Atlantic City: About 100 protesters rallied on March 26, 2021.
  • Fort Lee: Around 700 protesters gathered on March 27, 2021.
  • Leonia: Over 400 people gathered for a rally and vigil on March 26, 2021.
  • Millburn: About 100 people gathered for a vigil on March 21, 2021.
  • Princeton: More than 500 people gathered at Hinds Plaza in Princeton on March 27, 2021.
  • Summit: On March 21, 2021, more than 400 people, including the mayor and the police chief, rallied in Summit.
  • Tenafly: About 800 protesters rallied on March 21, 2021.

New Mexico

  • Albuquerque: About 100 people rallied in Civic Plaza on March 28, 2021.

New York

North Carolina

  • Charlotte: About 100 gathered in Marshall Park on March 21, 2021, for a rally.
  • Cornelius: About 60 people rallied on March 26, 2021.

North Dakota

  • Fargo: Around 80 protesters marched on March 26, 2021.

Ohio

  • Cincinnati: A rally was held on March 19, 2021.
  • Cleveland: On March 28, 2021, a march was held to honor victims on anti-Asian violence.
  • Columbus: Rallies were held in front of the Ohio State Capitol on March 20, 2021, and March 27, 2021.
  • Dublin: A rally was held at Bridge Park in Dublin on March 27, 2021.
  • Yellow Springs: A small group held a protest on March 27, 2021.

Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma City: A vigil was held for the Atlanta shooting victims.
  • Tulsa: A rally was held on March 26, 2021.

Oregon

  • Portland: About 1000 people gathered for a rally on March 26, 2021.

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

  • Knoxville and Memphis: A small vigil was held on March 19, 2021.
  • Nashville: About 100 protested in rally on March 19, 2021, at Public Square.

Texas

  • Dallas: Hundreds attended a rally on March 27, 2021.
  • Houston: Hundreds gathered for a vigil at Discovery Green on March 20, 2021.
  • Plano: Hundreds attended a rally on March 27, 2021.
  • San Antonio: A small vigil was held on March 19, 2021.

Utah

Vermont

  • Burlington: 30 people rallied against anti-Asian violence on March 20, 2021.

Virginia

  • Newport News: A rally was held on March 27, 2021.
  • Richmond: A rally held in the Short Pump area on March 23, 2021.
  • Staunton: A march was held in downtown on March 27, 2021.

Washington

  • Seattle: A rally was held at the Seattle Center on March 27, 2021.
  • Sequim: Around 30 people gathered in downtown Sequim to support Asian Americans on March 31, 2021.
  • Spokane: About 150 people attended a rally on March 20, 2021.

Wisconsin

Internationally

Canada

Netherlands

  • Amsterdam: About 500 people gathered at Museumplein in Amsterdam to protest on April 10, 2021.

Taiwan