And, sadly, some Asian Americans have been the victims of more than just harsh words. Elderly men and women were physically assaulted in California and Arizona; a father and his two young children were stabbed in a Texas parking lot; and, most recently, six Asian American women were murdered in brutal attacks on several Georgia spas. All of these incidents reinforce the concern and vulnerability that many Asians in America feel as this hatred seems to rise, unabated.

While reports of hate crimes declined last year in 16 of America’s largest cities, reports of those against Asian Americans surged nearly 150 percent. A Pew Research survey conducted in June, just a few months into the pandemic, found that an astonishing 31 percent of Asian Americans said they had experienced some form of discrimination since it began.

But these statistics simply quantify what we already know. Asian American communities throughout the country are facing challenges that they have not seen in many years—perhaps decades. Too often, these attacks don’t receive the attention that they should. As a result, the victims are less likely to tell their stories, because they’re not sure it will make a difference.