A Rise in Hate by Darcie Rickert

 “The fear that someone would physically hurt me was very real.” Linda Nguyen of Graden Grove like many Southern California is feeling the stress and fear of violent hate crimes against the Asian-American community. 

Over the past year, the rise in hate crimes across the United States has increased exponentially. Cal State San Bernardino’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism reported that within the 16 largest cities in the US rose 149% in 2020. Consequently, this occurred around the same time Former President Trump began to refer to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan Virus” and the “China Virus” when the pandemic began. 

The dangerous rhetoric has created a fear culture that has now turned into hate and violence against the Asian-American community. In October 2020 the United Nations reported, “We are further concerned by the documented increase in hate and misogynist speech, including incitement to hatred and racial discrimination in public places and online. The UN continued, “the contribution of the President of the United States in seemingly legitimizing these violations." 

Some argue hate crimes and racial-based violence is part of our national fabric. Historically and presently that is true. Consider Jim Crow, Japanese internment camps, trans-rights, and police violence against people of color.  However, the rate of hate crimes began decreasing in the 2000s until Trump took office. In 2016 the number began to rise steadily year after year. In 2016 6,121 hate crimes were reported which rose to 7,314 in 2019, a 19 percent increase. Compare that to the dramatic and tragic jump of 2020. 
  
Can we blame our leadership or our historical patterns? That is where the problems lie, an “other” situation that creates a divide. Ironically the "us or them" approach is what put us in this place regarding who is American. 

Yes, leadership should be held responsible. Trump lit the match. However, the American people let the fire spread. Maybe compassion and American unity could have blown the match out? 

It matters who we elect, it matters if we let mob mentality take over, it all matters. We have to decide if what and who do we stand for. Most importantly, it matters that American’s like, Linda Nguyen feels safe in her country. Her safety is up to all of us. 

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