According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University of San Bernardino, there was a 164 percent increase of anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 2020.
The rise in racism and hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States has been gaining media attention and the subject of protests. With May being AAPI Heritage Month, NBC Boston's Susan Tran sat down with Patrick Chung to share his experiences and his take.
Chung, who announced his retirement from the NFL in March, is both Chinese and Jamaican, having lived in Jamaica before moving to California. With so many attacks coming against older Asian people at random, it's been particularly difficult for Chung to see such violence and hatred targeted at people who could be his father.
Chung's dad, who he said "looks like Mr. Miyagi and talks like Bob Marley," didn't experience this kind of hatred in Jamaica. It wasn't until the family moved to the United States that Chung said he came face to face with racism for the first time.
"In a nutshell, it sucks. It's very disheartening to see," Chung said. "We all need to grow up, you know. That's just my opinion on it. I've never experienced something like this. In Jamaica, it wasn't like that. I got to the States, I started hearing the N word, and I'm like what?"
You can watch the full interview here. For more information or resources, visit StopAAPIHate.org.
