The number of racially motivated crimes targeting Asian victims more than doubled last year on average in major American cities, including New York and Los Angeles,’ according to a study published by a Californian university.

Several investigations are being conducted over hate crimes against Asians linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

This trend has prompted Asian communities to come together, and in some cases, even protect their neighbors from the attackers. Our Correspondent Ediz Tiyansan reports from Los Angeles.

County officials, also present at the ceremony, acknowledge these incidents have reached unprecedented levels.

“So far, we’ve already seen a ten-fold increase from 2019 to 2020 in the number of hate incidents targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander community here in Orange County. The vast majority of those are related to COVID. Most are verbal harassment. People are hearing things like ‘go home’ or ‘this is your fault’," said Alison Edwards, President of Orange County Human Relations.

One Asian family in Orange County was facing repeated harassment including repeatedly ringing the doorbell, banging on the door, and calling them racial slurs.

This has prompted the neighborhood to form a watch group at night to protect them against abuse.

Experts say many victims often shy away from reporting these incidents and it’s often the solidarity groups that not only provide much needed healing for the victims, but also prevent more assaults in a time when people of Asian ancestry have been scapegoated for the pandemic.

Check out The China Report, our new weekly newsletter. Subscribe here!