New survey highlights anti-Asian trends Western Washington

SEATTLE — A new survey shows the severity of anti-Asian violence and harassment in Western Washington.

The Asian American Foundation released findings from AANHPI Perspectives: Seattle Safety Study this week.

TAAF surveyed 1,000 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties about their public safety concerns and experiences.

The survey found that nearly 2 of every 5 AANHPIs reported being victims of some anti-Asian incident in the last 12 months.

Thirty percent surveyed said they experienced verbal insults or name-calling, 24% said they were harassed or threatened, and 20% reported they were physically attacked.

Other key findings include:

• 54% of AANHPIs in Seattle said that “public safety” was either a “major problem” or “somewhat of a problem” that needed to be addressed.
• Nearly 1 in 3 AANHPIs in Seattle said they feared being attacked.

Some of the places AANHPIs said they felt unsafe are public transit, local markets, their workplace, and in their own neighborhood.

The percentage of those worried about safety varied slightly by county:

• Snohomish County: 62% are concerned
• King County: 54% are concerned
• Pierce County: 48% are concerned

According to the survey, only 46% of the participants who experienced an anti-Asian incident said they reported it to anyone, and even fewer told police.

To read more about the survey, follow this link.

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