To understand trends in coronavirus-related, anti-Asian racism, the Virulent Hate Project at the University of Michigan reviewed 4,337 news articles published between January 1 and December 31, 2020. We identified 1,023 incidents of anti-Asian racism, which included 679 incidents of anti-Asian harassment and vandalism and 344 incidents of stigmatizing and discriminatory statements, images, policies, and proposals. Asian and Asian American people of all ages, ethnicities, and genders experienced racist harassment, but women and people of Chinese descent experienced most of the attacks.

Anti-Asian incidents peaked in March and April 2020, and harassment occurred across the United States, with incidents happening most frequently in businesses, on public transit, and on streets. In the incidents for which there were reported details about the individuals who were the source of anti-Asian harassment, discrimination, and stigmatization, the majority of the offenders were identified as male, white, and, in the case of politicians, affiliated with the Republican Party.

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