The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have released Raising Awareness of Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents During the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) Pandemic, a guide detailing hate crime incidents during the pandemic and how to prevent and respond to these incidents. The majority of hate crimes committed in the U.S. were based on race, ethnicity, or ancestry. Overall these crimes saw an increase of over 30% during the pandemic, with anti-Asian hate crimes seeing the most drastic increase.

Several organizations, including the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and  the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Equity Alliance, took note of the significant change and cultivated various responses to prevent such crimes. According to the report, recommended responses from the DOJ and HHS include:

1. Prioritizing Community Outreach
2. Prioritizing Community-Based Responses and Partnerships
3. Engaging Healthcare Providers, Clinics, and Health Systems in Efforts to Address Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents
4. Prioritizing Cultural Competence and Language Access
5. Promoting Allyship and Understand Intersectional Community Identities
6. Actively Speaking Out Against Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents
7. Creating Public Awareness Campaigns
8. Creating Alliances Against Hate
9. Promoting Greater Community, Cultural, and Historical Awareness
10. Promoting Law Enforcement Education and Training
11. Providing Resources for Individuals and Communities Experiencing Hate

Raising awareness of the growing issue is a key aspect in preventing and responding to hate crimes and hate incidents in the future.

For more resources related to this piece, check out HSDL’s In Focus on Pandemics and Epidemics and Domestic (U.S.) Terrorism or other resources related to Hate Crimes.