University of California, Los Angeles: COVID-related hate incidents targeting Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders continued to rise

Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has seen an alarming rise in hate incidents targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, prompting the passing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which was signed by President Joe Biden in May 2021.

Preliminary data released today by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research’s California Health Interview Survey found that more than 1 in 12, or 8%, of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults in California experienced a hate incident due to COVID-19. Of those who experienced a hate incident, 84% said they sustained verbal abuse or insults.

The center also released June 2022 findings from a series of COVID-19 questions on Californians’ experiences with long COVID, views on vaccines and boosters, personal and financial impacts of the pandemic, and risk reduction behaviors.