Olivia Munn, Awkwafina and More Celebrities Call for Action Amid Rise in Attacks Against Asian Americans Antonio Ferme, provided by FacebookTwitterEmail Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hate crimes against Asian Americans have been on the rise. According to the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate, there have been up to 2,800 incidents reported since last March. In New York City alone, there was an 867% increase in Asian hate crime victims in 2020. On Jan. 28, an 84-year-old man from Thailand was attacked during his morning walk and knocked to the ground, which was captured in a surveillance video. Vicha Ratanapakdee was sent to the hospital, where he died two days later. Days later, a 91-year-old Asian American man was shoved to the sidewalk in Oakland’s Chinatown. A 64-year-old Vietnamese American woman was assaulted and robbed in San Jose, Calif., and just last week, a 61-year-old Filipino American man received almost 100 stiches after being slashed in the face by another passenger on the New York City subway.