An Exploration of Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victimization Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice Sciences

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Violent and non-violent crime victimization targeting the Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has increased exponentially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the STOP AAPI Hate Reporting Center found that roughly 11% of AAPI reported experiencing physical assault, while the Pew Research Center found that approximately one-third of Asian-American adults reported experiencing racial slurs or racist jokes since the start of the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, media coverage around anti-Asian racism and violence increased following both the Trump administration’s employment of anti-Asian rhetoric and the mass shooting incident involving six Asian women in Atlanta, GA. Despite the history of anti-Asian racism and violence in the United States, most empirical research involving Asian persons were based on samples originating from Asia. The experiences of AAPI immigrant populations are inherently distinct from those who live in Asia given marked differences in social, cultural, and racial/ethnic composition. As a result, there is a dearth of knowledge around the victimization experiences of Asian Americans. This panel seeks to contribute to this body of work by exploring issues of criminal victimization and understanding the unique experiences encountered by the AAPI community using empirical data and analyses.

Sub Unit

• Area V. Victimization / 37. Causes and Correlates of Victimization

Individual Presentations

• Understanding Predictors of Violent and Non-Violent Crime Victimization Among Asian-American/Pacific Islanders - Jin Lee, George Mason University; Yongjae Nam, Michigan State University; Hannah H. Tessler, Yale University

• The Model Minority Myth: Navigating the Academic Terrain as Asian American Women in Criminology - Rita Shah, Eastern Michigan University; Sarah E. Daly, Saint Vincent College

• Anti-Asian Hate Crimes: Perceptions of Fear and Fear of Victimization - Austyn Carson, Saint Vincent College; Kristopher Kell, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Sarah E. Daly, Saint Vincent College

• Reporting Hate Crime to Police Among Asian Americans - Yoon Sik Kim, University of Delaware; Ronet Bachman, University of Delaware

Chair

• Jin Lee, George Mason University