JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In the wake of recent attacks on Asian Americans across the U.S., the Jacksonville Chinese Association had a discussion with local government and law enforcement officials on how to prevent these hate crimes from happening locally.
In a meeting, panelists mentioned creating more events or festivals to educate the public on Asian American culture and for them to be more aware of what’s happening to Asian Americans right now.
A member of the Jacksonville Chinese Association said these crimes have picked up across the country because of the pandemic. There is verbal harassment, shunning, physical assaults and harassment, even killings, like what happened in Atlanta.
The Jacksonville Chinese Association spoke with local government, education officials and law enforcement Saturday about how to eliminate Asian American hate crimes in the community.
Some spoke about informing the public more about the oppression toward Asian Americans. Also about being sensitive toward and respecting Asian American culture.
Many mentioned having more festivals or events to celebrate Asian American culture.
“We need to find out how we can access more information to help Asian Americans, how to report hate crimes,” said Aurora Hansen, member of the Asian Coalition of Tallahassee and India Association of Tallahassee. “We’re all in this together. We need to engage our communities on how we can help each other.”
In a Pew Research study published last July, 58% of Asian-Americans polled felt anti-Asian racism had worsened since the beginning of the pandemic, and 26% feared that someone might threaten or physically attack them.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies also talked about how to remain aware of your surroundings and defend yourself when necessary.
“If you encounter a situation where someone is being aggressive toward you, you have every right to defend yourself,” said Derrick Lewis, of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Experts say this escalation of hate crimes could take a toll on their mental health.
“I’m scared that in this pandemic, with this rise of anti-Asian hate, this surge, I’m afraid we may start missing patients that may be really suffering,” said Dr. James Lee, a psychiatry resident at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies also talked about getting more involved in Asian American communities and events, so more are comfortable with reporting hate crimes. Also mentioned was that if any hate crimes were to happen locally, the Sheriff’s Office is ready to respond.