WHYY By Philadelphians gathered on 10th Street in Chinatown for a solidarity rally and march against violence directed at Asian Americans on March 25, 2021. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY) The fatal shooting of eight people in Atlanta area spas, including six women of Asian descent, has called attention to the rise in racist incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Georgia authorities hesitated to call the murders, committed by a white man, hate crimes, drawing anger from members of Asian and Pacific Islander communities, who argue such incidents targeting their demographic are already underreported. New Jersey saw a significant spike in bias incidents in 2020, particularly against Black, Asian, and Hispanic residents, though officials also cautioned their tally was likely an undercount.