The Police and the Asian Community

In recent years, the relationship between law enforcement and the Asian community within the UnitedStates has ended up a progressively visible part of discussions around race, equity, and public safety. In spite of the fact that Asian Americans are frequently seen through the lens of the “model minority” stereotype, this recognition covers a more complex and varied history of policing, discrimination, and advocacy.

Generally, Asian migrants have faced police surveillance and state violence dating back to the 19th century. For example, Chinese migrants within the late 1800s were regularly criminalized and portrayed as dangerous outsiders, coming full circle in discriminatory policies just like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. These policies were intensely upheld by police agencies, setting a precedent for racialized policing (Ngai, 2004).

Nowadays, the dynamic between Asian Americans and police is molded by both over-policing and under-protection. In a few urban areas, especially after the rise in anti-Asian hate amid the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals of the community have communicated disappointment over what they see as slow or inadequate police reactions to racially spurred violence (Jeung 2021). Agreeing to a report by Stop AAPI Hate, over 11,000 hate crimes against Asian Americans were reported between March 2020 and December 2021, numerous of which were not treated as genuine crimes by law enforcement (Stop AAPI Hate, 2022). 

At the same time, there's a developing mindfulness of how Asian communities—particularly Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander subgroups—have been targeted by aggressive policing and immigration enforcement. Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Hmong communities, numerous of whom arrived as outcasts, frequently live in lower-income neighborhoods with high rates of police contact. These communities are too excessivelyaffected by ICE strikes and deportation policies established in criminal records, many tied to over-policing in youth (Sampson & Yi, 2020).

Endeavors to build trust between police and Asian American communities have been uneven. A few cities have made Asian liaison units or enlisted more bilingual officers, but these initiatives do not continuouslyaddress the more profound roots of fear and doubt. Grassroots organizations, like the Asian PrisonerSupport Committee and Red Canary Song, contend that community-based solutions—not increasedpolicing—are more viable at keeping Asian communities secure, particularly those that are marginalized by language, immigration status, or poverty (Chen, 2022).

Understanding the relationship between police and the Asian community implies recognizing its diversity. Asian America includes over 20 ethnic groups with distinctive dialects, histories, and experiences with law enforcement. Whereas a few people may see the police as protectors, others see them as authorities of a framework that criminalizes poverty, immigration status, or protest.

To move forward, it's fundamental to center the voices of Asian Americans—especially those most affectedby violence and surveillance—and to invest in socially competent, community-led safety strategies that address the root causes of hurt without relying exclusively on police intervention. 

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Sources:

• Ngai, M. M. (2004). Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America.

• Jeung, R., Yellow Horse, A. J., Popovic, T., & Lim, R. (2021). Stop AAPI Hate National Report.

• Stop AAPI Hate. (2022). Two Years and Thousands of Voices.

• Sampson, R. & Yi, J. (2020). "Deportation in the Asian American Community." Asian American Policy Review.

• Chen, M. (2022). “What Safety Looks Like for Asian American Communities.” The Nation.

• https://static.wixstatic.com/media/eb6d62_fdd93c61e8cd4791b03105bda6318a39~mv2.webp