Hate and bias crimes targeting Asians continue to rise in New Jersey, with about 11 cases reported each month.
According to an analysis of hate and bias incident statistics from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, 136 hate and bias incidents targeting Asians were reported to law enforcement in 2023 alone.
This is about a 24% increase from the 110 cases reported in 2022. This figure is especially higher than the 129 cases reported in 2021, when the COVID-19 situation was at its peak. Asian racial discrimination incidents continue this year.
According to preliminary statistics from the State Attorney’s Office, a total of 90 Asian hate and bias incidents were reported to law enforcement agencies from January to August this year. That’s about 11 incidents per month. This is the same as the monthly average of about 11 incidents in 2023, suggesting that hate and bias incidents targeting Asians are continuing without a decrease in New Jersey. Meanwhile, according to the State Attorney’s Office’s hate and bias incident statistics for 2024, about 35% of all reported incidents were targeting blacks (1,101 incidents). Hate and bias incidents targeting Jews were the second most, accounting for 22% of the total, with 708 incidents. Hate and bias incidents targeting Asians accounted for about 4.2% of the total.
In addition, among the towns in Bergen County with the largest Korean population in New Jersey last year, Fort Lee recorded the highest number of incidents, with 55 incidents. In the case of Port Lee, it is a 48% increase from 37 cases in 2022.
It was followed by Teaneck with 52 cases, Hackensack with 36 cases, and Ridgewood with 23 cases.
Schools were cited as the most common location for hate and bias incidents. Last year, 603 hate and bias incidents were reported at New Jersey elementary, middle, and high schools, accounting for 22.3% of the total.