Rise in Online Anti-Asian Hate
A recent report relesed by Stop AAPI Hate has revealed a significant surge in online hate against the Asian community with South Asians being the largest targets since November 2024. The findings were based on data analyzed from monitoring Domestic Violent Extremist (DVE) spaces in the U.S. between January 2023 and January 2025 amidst a climate of intensifying anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric.
Many Roots, One Home
To combat anti-Asian hate, Stop AAPI Hate also launched its advocacy campaign, Many Roots, One Home, on February 19, 2025. The campaign aims to equip Asian Americans and other migrant communities to fight against the current administration’s anti-immigrant agenda that threatens to disrupt the safety, political power, and rights of AAPI communities for generations to come.
A direct correlation
The report revealed that anti-South Asian hate spiked significantly in December 2024 when Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy sparked a public debate about the H-1B visa program. The data also highlights a direct correlation between a spike in online hate and instances when immigrants or their countries of origin are unfairly portrayed as economic, public health, or national security threats by public figures.
An analysis of online hate and instances of real-life hate crimes also reveals a corresponding correlation, showing that what happens in the online spaces serves as an important early warning system for real-time hate crimes against ethnic communities.
“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. “Trump and his loyalists have stoked the flames of anti-Asian scapegoating and bigotry for years. And today, they continue to embolden racists to commit acts of hate. Their goal is to build a climate of fear in our communities, but we will not be silenced.”
Key findings
Here are some key findings from the Stop AAPI Hate report:
- Since the election, anti-Asian slurs have dramatically increased by 66%; South Asians have been the most targeted group, with 75% of slurs – equivalent to about 884 threats of violence online – directed at them in December 2024 and January 2025.
- Online threats of violence towards Asian communities peaked in December 2024 and remained high in January 2025, which may be attributed to the H-1B debate in the country with some groups pushing for more extreme anti-immigrant policies.
The trends in calls received at Stop AAPI Hate’s reporting center support their findings – that the anti-immigrant policies of the present administration have also emboldened bad actors and increased attacks on Asian people offline. This surge in hate raises serious concerns about the safety and well-being of AAPI communities during the remainder of President Trump’s term.
A call to action
“As the only racial group that is majority foreign-born – and accounting for 1 out of every 7 undocumented immigrants – AAPI communities are experiencing devastating harms as a result of Trump’s xenophobic agenda,” said Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. She further affirmed that “Stop AAPI Hate is ready to fight back by activating AAPI communities to stand strong and united against Trump’s anti-immigrant, racist crusade.”
