Epidemic of Racism: Using Big Data to Investigate Ecological Predictors of Anti-Asian Discrimination and Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Hate crimes and other discriminatory behaviors targeting Asian Americans have surged since early 2020. Reports suggest that this trend is largely a result of COVID-19 related scapegoating. Criminologist and sociologist Christopher Seto will examine the societal factors underlying the recent rise in anti-Asian discrimination and violence. He will draw on a dataset of over 10,000 hate incidents targeting AAPI individuals, internet search data capturing animosity toward Asian Americans and AAPI scapegoating, and data on the resources of civil rights organizations to better understand predictors of anti-Asian discrimination and violence and inform policy aimed at reducing these incidents.