Asian communities in New York still 'in fear of attacks': New York Times

NEW YORK - Anti-Asian violence in New York City keeps rising, and "Asian New Yorkers still live in fear of attacks", according to a recent report of the New York Times.

Data from the New York City Police Department showed that as of June 27, reported hate crimes against Asian New Yorkers had increased by 400 percent compared with the same time frame in 2020, from 21 to 105, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

Anti-Asian attacks have also shaken cities around the United States, said the report. "In Los Angeles, hate crimes against Asian Americans more than doubled in the last year, and in Boston, Asian American elders are learning how to defend themselves with canes."

However, stopping such racist violence is found difficult through either law enforcement or justice institutions, according to the newspaper.

"Many of the attacks are unpredictable and carried out by people in the throes of mental health episodes, seemingly at random," the report said, noting, "Officials say they doubt many of the hate crime charges related to the attacks will stick in court, and those arrested are often released quickly".

For the city's police, preventing these attacks is "particularly difficult -- even when the person accused has dozens of prior arrests", it noted. "And even when arrests are made, the defendants are often released pending trial, correction records show."

Meanwhile, law enforcement officials and experts believe it's hard to prosecute cases as hate crimes, as such conviction requires proving the defendants intent was built on the victim's race or ethnicity, said the newspaper.