Korea-US Criminal Justice Association "Strongly Condemns Racism and Hate Crimes"

At the site of a series of shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, local Korean residents held a protest on the 19th of last month (local time) in front of the spa business "Gold Spa," urging an end to hate crimes against Asians.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] As hate crimes against Asians continue in the United States due to COVID-19 and other factors, Korean-American criminal justice and crime-related academic societies have condemned these acts and decided to take measures to respond.

On the 12th, seven academic societies, including the Korean American Society of Criminology and the Korean Society of Criminology, issued a "Joint Statement on Anti-Asian Racism and Hate Crimes," strongly condemning "all incidents related to racial discrimination and hate crimes."

They stated, "On the 16th of last month (local time), a mass shooting occurred in the Atlanta area of Georgia, USA, resulting in eight victims, six of whom were Asian women," and explained, "This has raised a strong call to alarm about the seriousness of hate crimes targeting Asians and the need to actively protect their human rights by developing an international human rights movement."

They continued, "Since March 2020, COVID-19 has spread across the United States, ultimately leading to a nationwide lockdown. The anger and pain inherent among Americans, who have suffered over 550,000 deaths, have been expressed as extreme racial hatred crimes under the perception of the 'China/Chinese virus,'" adding, "It is an urgent task to establish practical measures against future hate crimes targeting Asians."

Furthermore, they noted, "The lack of empirical research and data for establishing related laws and educational policies has been clearly revealed through this incident," and added, "We deeply acknowledge these issues and aim to continuously investigate hate crimes against Asians as well as the crime victimization status of overseas Koreans, supporting domestic and international organizations in understanding the situation and formulating policies."

Finally, they expressed hope that "This statement will serve as an opportunity for scholars not only in Korea and the United States but also many scholars and experts worldwide to take a deeper interest in the difficulties and crime victimization issues faced by overseas Koreans and to conduct further research."