Stand against hate crimes.

Nandita Godbole
Written By Nicole Cardoza

Happy Sunday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. Today, Nandita joins us to emphasize the importance of recognizing crimes as hate crimes when they happen, particularly against the South Asian community. The lack of correlation between crimes and their potential racial motivations contributes to the bias that allows this violence to persist.

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By Nandita Godbole (she/her)

We were victims of a home burglary in 2018. By the attending officers’ own admission, we were singled out, “…targeted since you are from India.” Burglars had watched our house, learned our routines, and identified when we wouldn't be home. Officers admitted that our region, metro Atlanta was plagued with ethnically profiled burglaries for more than a decade, as was America. Their apathy and lack of urgency horrified us.


The Jury Expert explains a hate crime as one where a perpetrator may “choose” a victim based on recognizable characteristics (such as race or ethnicity) (The Jury Expert). Additionally, crimes, including burglaries, targeting ethnic minorities are considered hate crimes, a federal offense (Uniform Crime Reporting Program, FBI). Hate crimes carry a minimum sentence of ten years to life and a large fine. Instead, a burglary sentence is one to five years in a county jail or state prison, and a fine (criminaldefenselawyer.com.)
 

Local investigating authorities bear the sole onus of qualifying a hate crime, reporting to the FBI based on “criminal activity” and “indication of hatred” - eg. graffiti or destruction of religious spaces. Though the victims’ ethnicity likely motivated criminal intent, overlooking it reduces the burden of reporting. Incorrectly classified racially targeted burglaries mean burglars only face a short jail stint if convicted. This emboldens criminals, makes South Asian communities more vulnerable, discounts their trauma, and denies justice.
 

Home burglaries targeting people from South Asia are often meticulously planned, and not crimes of convenience. As one of two South Asians in our neighborhood, we were profiled and targeted. The other family was burgled some years prior in Florida. In addition to being burgled, our two prayer altars were rifled, prayer books thrown and trampled upon, religious artifacts stolen or destroyed. Yet, the burglary was never investigated as a hate crime.
 

In 2017, more cities saw more burglaries targeting Asians and South Asians. In 2018, Cobb County, Georgia, (Metro Atlanta) reported 47.6% of burglaries targeted Asians (Cobb County Courier) and are widespread across the U.S. (NBC News). Despite FBI laws, underreporting is often caused by cultural unfamiliarity, lack of sensitivity training, and unconscious bias (community event coverage). Victims are frequently shamed for their lifestyles, though local public records offer unhindered public access to information including homeowner identities  (Freedom of Information Act). At a South Asian community event in Metro Atlanta in 2018, a Fulton County District Attorney (Georgia) publicly dismissed community concerns (Khabar Magazine), calling victims needlessly hysterical (Video of ‘Just Chai & Chat’ Event). Although he amended his statement later, this characterizes racial gaslighting and rampant complacency towards South Asian victims.
 

Underreporting Perpetuates The Problem
 

Until April 2020, Georgia and four other states in the US had no laws to protect victims of ethnically targeted crimes (Anti-Defamation League). Furthermore, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) quoted ProPublica’s report, that in 2017, 120 federal agencies had not complied with FBI mandates to submit hate crime data. In 2017, crime data missed crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, nearly 10% of America’s population (Urban Institute). Elsewhere, UI noted a 34% increase in crimes targeting South Asians, informing that local laws offer disproportionate victim support, reluctance in reporting, and lack of community support (Urban Institute). Despite the surge in hate crimes, in 2019, federal agents processed fewer cases than before (Voice of America). 
 

In 2017, according to the FBI, burglary related losses exceeded 3.14 billion dollars, with 62% residential burglaries or 2 billion dollars of individual financial losses. That same year, London taxpayers lost upwards of 67 million dollars (BBC) in similar burglaries. Our own property damages exceeded $30,000, and property loss exceeded $25,000 in stolen family heirlooms and religious artifacts.
 

Victims experience financial losses, property damages, increased homeowners insurance, health insurance, and more security measures. But a South Asians’ trauma is compounded by the loss of irreplaceable family heirlooms, emotional trauma from victimization, gaslighting, and being denied justice. Since 2018, our family works every day to chip away at the racial trauma of a burglary motivated solely by our ethnicity. Victims like us carry long-lasting scars; ordinary events trigger ailments (SAALT) like anxiety, sleep or eating disorders, depression, PTSD, sometimes escalating into serious concerns. Psychological suffering significantly exacerbates mental health issues in teens and young adults. Their day-to-day struggles are a traumatizing reminder of being culturally different and excluded. More than 40% of crime victims experience depression, feel unsafe, lose confidence in community resources and law enforcement, and their family relationships suffer (Research Gate). One in eight victims never recovers from the trauma (CABA). Although resources may be available via the FBI and through the National Center for Victims of Crime – underreporting skews data and access to recovery.
 

The “whitewashing” of crimes targeting ethnic minorities and people of color perpetuate trauma. It also discounts racially targeted home burglaries as mere burglaries and not hate crimes. Communities must demand action. Hate crimes against people of color are more than the burden of the two words. Victims did not get to choose. Neither should authorities. And until we reckon with this harm, our work towards a more equitable future is not complete. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Hate crimes are calculated crimes, yet are frequently under-reported and inadequately investigated. 

  • Understand the nuances of a hate-crime: when an individual is profiled for their ethnicity, and their person or property is willfully harmed to victimize them, it is a hate crime. It must be investigated and prosecuted as such.

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