According to NBC News, hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise, with Asian-American hate crimes increasing by 339 percent since 2021. However, despite this hatred and rampant xenophobia, Anti-Asian hatred is one of the least talked-about issues plaguing this nation.

Anti-Asian hatred is at the forefront of society because of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular. The coronavirus disease originated from Wuhan, China, in December of 2019, quickly becoming a worldwide epidemic within months. American society places minimal emphasis on the cultural differences between Asian-Americans, and those that were not even from China promptly became targets of harassment and ridicule. Even Chinese people that had nothing to do with the spread of the pandemic to the United States quickly became targets, being harassed, beaten, and in some circumstances, even killed. It was also not unheard of for Chinese people to lose their jobs and become victims of workplace violence.

The study conducted by NBC News mentioned above is frightening. With a recent upward trend in hate crimes, most likely related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such hatred will probably not end until the pandemic does, and perhaps beyond. The role of the university professor is to ensure that their students feel safe in the classroom.

If you are a student, consider standing up for or empowering your peers to resist anti-Asian hatred themselves, and if you see overt harassment occurring, do not be afraid to use the Five Ds discussed in the Hollaback section or find a faculty member to assist. If you are a faculty member, I encourage you to make your class a hatred-free zone. Write an anti-discrimination policy in your syllabi and require students to sign it. If hateful behavior occurs in the classroom, impose strict penalties such as referrals to the conduct board. If your university does not have policies for students exposed to hate crimes or discrimination, advocate for them. And, if a student comes to you making an outcry of discrimination, take them seriously and stop the behavior. Send the message that this behavior is not tolerated, and set an example. Others will follow.