College Students Fear Rise in Crime Rates
Vassar College and SUNY New Paltz students fear the rise in crime rates against Asian American women throughout the state of New York. Since the pandemic, hate crimes against Asian Americans have become prevalent–especially against Asian American women. In New York City a woman was pushed in front of a subway train and an elderly individual was punched in the face. These are just two of the many crimes targeted toward Asian Americans.
Between March 2020 and March 2021, 68 percent of incidents reported globally were against Asian Americans and Asian American women, reported NPR. In New York City specifically, the NYPD reported that anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 361 percent. Students attending school in the Hudson Valley possess a high level of concern as to how fast this crime rate is increasing.
One Vassar College senior stated, “Much of this rise in crime has to do with racism that came from the pandemic. That is when I began hearing about these cases in the news.”
Russel Jeung, the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, a forum that allows those to report on hate crime incidents, states that much of this rise in violence is due to the current political climate. He further explains much of the polarizing political climate comes from the rhetoric used in political speeches. He stated to The Hill, “The anti-China rhetoric, the white supremacy–that does influence all sectors of society and that Asians are portrayed as outsiders either to the country or to a neighborhood.”
Former SUNY New Paltz student, Dustin O’Connell, worries that this polarizing climate could trickle down to the Hudson Valley. “I have had female friends who have expressed their general fear in situations that they have been in that I would not have thought twice about.” He adds that ever since the pandemic began, he saw a rapid increase in social media posts and news stories about Asian American women becoming victims of hate crimes in New York State.
Jeung states that the biggest step to begin preventing Asian American hate is through education and awareness. He believes that “promoting ethnic studies K through 12 will better serve low-income communities, who have to go to public schools, where their kids are being bullied more.”
Vassar College and SUNY New Paltz both have Asian Student Alliances to provide information to their college communities. The Vassar College’s Asian Students’ Alliance offers a number of activities and events for those to get more involved in preventing Asian American hate, even at just the student body level. Vassar ASA hosts a number of events such as cultural movie nights, food markets, and even mixers for freshman students where they can receive free boba tea and meet others interested in the ASA.
Most recently, Vassar ASA announced its next event that will honor AAPI Heritage Month. This event is in collaboration with Liberty in North Korea, an international nonprofit working to give North Koreans their freedom.
This event will take place on April 23, and it will include a concert and a flea market, with the main goal at the end of the day to honor those who have been affected by hate crimes in the past few years.
