Anti-Asian hate surged online following President Trump’s November victory, with South Asian communities targeted the most, according to data from Stop AAPI Hate.
In a report released Thursday, the organization found that January 2025 marked the highest number of anti-Asian American incidents since the organization began monitoring anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) posts in August 2022.
Anti-South Asian slurs increased 75 percent from November 2024 to January 2025, rising from 36,136 to 63,258. Anti-East Asian slurs jumped by 51 percent during the same period, rising from 15,476 to 23,287.
“We are extremely alarmed by the latest spikes of hate that Asian communities are facing today, both in online spaces and in-person — which Trump is fueling with xenophobic rhetoric and policies,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance.
Threats against the AAPI community also increased immediately following the election.
Between November 2024 and January 2025, threats against members of the APPI community jumped by 50 percent, with South Asians bearing the brunt of such threats.
Stop AAPI Hate’s report found the surge in anti-Asian hate was in part due to the debate around H-1B visas. The temporary visa, which Trump voiced support for, are primarily used by the tech industry. Trump’s support divided Republicans on the topic of immigration.
The report also found that some of the anti-AAPI hate was directed at Vice President Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, who is of Indian descent. Former 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy was also the target of the hate.
