Direct and Indirect Experiences of Hate Crime Against Asian People Before and After the Covid-19 Pandemic: Their Effects on Attitudes Toward the Police

• In Event: Hate Crime Against Asian-Americans and Policing (Organized by Korean Society of Criminology in America (KoSCA) & Sponsored by the Division of Cybercrime (DC))

Abstract

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. All aspects of society have been impacted due to the pandemic. In particular, crimes against Asian people have increased since the start and throughout the pandemic. Recent statistics have revealed that the reported number of hate crimes against Asians in the 16 largest U. S. cities increased by 145% compared to 2019 while overall hate crime has decreased by 6% in 2020. Studies have also been reporting that hate crime experiences affect one’s attitude toward the police. Thus, this study attempts to examine the effect of Asian people’s direct and indirect hate incident/crime experiences before and after the Covid-19 pandemic on their attitude toward the local police using the data collected from an online survey of 117 members of Korean communities in the United States. This study employs a multiple regression model to analyze the effect. Based on the results, policy relevant information is discussed.

Author

• Jae-Seung Lee, Northern Kentucky University