Filipino, 3rd nationality to experience most hate crimes in US—PH envoy to NY

Philippine Consulate in New York Consul Elmer Cato. (FILE) Photo courtesy of the Philippine Embassy

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos are third in the list of nationalities that experience the most number of hate incidents in the United States (US), an envoy said Tuesday.

“Hindi naman tina-target ‘yung Filipinos dahil Filipino tayo. Napagkakamalan lang tayong mga Chinese. And Chinese, based on statistics, accounted for the most number of hate incidents US-wide, susunod diyan mga Koreans, and then number three ‘yung mga Pilipino,” Consul General Elmer Cato, of the Philippine Consulate in New York, said in an interview with DZMM.

(They are not targeting Filipinos because we are Filipinos. They mistook us as Chinese. And Chinese, based on statistics, accounted for the most number of hate incidents US-wide, followed by Koreans and Filipinos.)

Based on a recent report of the Stop Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Hate, Chinese reported 43.5 percent of the overall hate incidents from March 2020 to June 2021, Koreans reported 16.8 percent, while Filipinos at 9.1 percent.

The AAPI Hate national report also showed that it received 9,081 incidents in the same period.

Cato also bared that the consulate received 18 incidents in New York alone.

Cato, citing other statistics, said that most attackers of hate incidents involve homeless individuals with some of them experiencing mental health issues.

“May statistics kasi rito, karamihan ng mga involved sa mga insidente na ganito na mga hate crimes are mostly homeless individuals and 40 percent of homeless individuals in New York have mental health issues,” Cato explained.

(There is a statistic here, most of those involved in these hate incidents are mostly homeless individuals and 40 percent of homeless individuals in New York have mental health issues.)

To help Filipinos in this kind of incident, the consulate has conducted self-defense workshops.

Further, Cato noted that the incidents involving Asians are decreasing compared to prior months.

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