Caught in the hate-demic

Rising hate: The 2020-2021 National Report by the coalition Stop AAPI Hate recorded 3,795 hate incidents from March 19,2020, to Feb 28,2021, in the US. But they only represent a fraction of what is happening as most cases go unreported. — Photos: Reuters/AFP

WITH reports of anti-Asian hate crime rising in staggering numbers across the world, particularly in the West, Malaysians living abroad have also found themselves at the receiving end of racist abuse targeting the Asian community.

The reasons behind this behaviour are multifaceted; it is primarily driven by ignorance and stigma linking the Covid-19 pandemic to China and Asia, xenophobia, and anti-migrant attitudes.