Introduction

In 2021, the Asian American Federation (AAF) launched the Hope Against Hate (HAH) Campaign to establish a coordinated safety network to combat anti-Asian hate violence and enhance the overall sense of security within New York’s Asian communities. This initiative began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Asian New Yorkers were grappling with racism and violence, and remains active today as communities continue to deal with ongoing discrimination and persistent trauma.

Despite media attention waning in recent years, incidents of bias continue to threaten the safety and sense of belonging of Asian Americans in New York. Asian New Yorkers still witness hate, endure attacks, and feel unsafe in public spaces. Therefore, the need to safeguard our community from such threats and fears remains ongoing and pressing.

Currently, the HAH Campaign, supported by over 30 Asian-led organizations across New York State, serves 22 ethnic communities in 30 languages. This community-based initiative provides not only immediate safety solutions by connecting victims with essential resources but also training and education on safety strategies for all community members impacted by anti-Asian violence. In 2023, the HAH Campaign had programs in the following areas (Box 1).

Box 1 – HAH Program Areas

Safety Trainings: With support from external training partners, AAF works with 17 community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide in-language safety trainings on situational awareness, conflict de-escalation, upstander intervention, and self-defense.¹ In 2023, across all CBOs, we conducted 307 safety training sessions, served 4,783 individuals, referred 94 individuals, and reached 195,456 people through outreach services. In addition, AAF also provides booklets outlining these safety strategies in English and 13 Asian languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Nepali, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Community Companion Program: As part of AAF’s Community Companion Program, trained volunteers and nonprofit staff offer protective presence by donning HAH gear while walking through high-foot-traffic areas, such as near main streets, subway stations, and small businesses. During these walks, they position themselves visibly and distribute safety resources and outreach materials to promote the program. HAH-trained volunteers and staff members also provide protective accompaniment, escorting community members safely to local destinations, such as their homes.

AAF partners with 6 CBOs for the Community Companion Program.² These Community Companion Program partners serve Flushing, Queens; Chinatown, Manhattan; and Bensonhurst and Sunset Park, Brooklyn. In 2023, our Community Companion Program partners trained 369 volunteers and organized 222 outreach events. These volunteers, working with CBO staff, distributed 11,022 safety resources, reached out to 593 local businesses and institutions, provided 223 protective presence services, and provided 148 protective accompaniment services to 371 people.

Victim Support Services: AAF’s victim support services (VSS) operate in partnership with seven CBOs to provide timely assistance to victims of anti-Asian violence. These services include reporting assistance, connection to pro bono legal service providers, mental health services, safety trainings hosted by HAH partners, protective presence and accompaniment services, and other resources to support the needs of victims of anti-Asian incidents. CBOs also provide case management as needed to ensure individuals are able to navigate and access available services. Across seven CBOs in 2023, HAH VSS partners served 2,310 individuals, provided 6,686 services, made 585 referrals, and reached 21,921 individuals through purposeful outreach activities, such as discussions with community members, tabling events, and large group announcements during programming.

Assessing Impact

This brief is a follow-up to the 2023 publication of Assessing Impact of AAF’s Hope Against Hate Campaign. The goal of these evaluations is to assess the effectiveness of our HAH Campaign and identify ways to enhance our services to better serve the pan-Asian community in New York City. The new brief, which focuses on the program period of January to December 2023, draws on feedback from program participants and Community Companion volunteers of our HAH Campaign, gathered between November 2023 to February 2024. AAF designed survey questions for safety training participants and for volunteers in the Community Companion Program, and collaborated with Pace University to create survey questions for community members who received victim support services. Pace University also conducted six in-depth interviews with these participants. Below are key findings from the surveys and interviews, with complete survey results included in the methodology section at the end of the brief.

Safety Trainings

AAF’s partner CBOs surveyed a total of 737 participants after they completed a HAH safety training in order for us to understand:

• How anti-Asian bias incidents affected their feelings of safety in New York City;⁴
• How they evaluated the overall safety strategies they were trained in; and
• Which of the various strategies were most effective. 

At the time of the survey, 49% of our survey participants felt at risk of experiencing anti-Asian bias, indicating a significant level of concern within the community. Approximately 46% of respondents also perceived an increase in anti-Asian bias in New York City. These sentiments were similar to those expressed by safety training participants in 2022, of whom nearly 50% felt anti-Asian bias was on the rise.⁵ Additionally, although 12% of participants felt anti-Asian bias remained unchanged in 2022, that number rose to 20% in 2023.⁶ These survey findings reflect the persistent concerns about public safety among Asian New Yorkers, even years after the surge in anti-Asian violence that started during COVID-19.⁷

Over one in five participants had recently experienced an anti-Asian bias incident firsthand in the neighborhoods that they lived or worked in, with the vast majority of these experiences involving verbal harassment and physical altercations. These kinds of incidents can have lasting mental health impacts, not only on those directly affected but also on loved ones of the victims, neighbors, colleagues, nonprofit staff, and the broader community—amplifying the vicarious emotional toll of anti-Asian bias.

Despite the frequency of these incidents, 35% of respondents did not report them. When asked why, 44% cited doubts about police effectiveness and reluctance to engage with law enforcement.

As a community-centered solution, the HAH safety trainings are designed to promote community resiliency, foster connections among Asian communities, and equip individuals with the tools they need to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. These ideals empower the Asian community to care for themselves and one another as an alternative to involving law enforcement. To that end, more than 75% of respondents confirmed that safety trainings could assist them in coping with anti-Asian bias incidents. 

Of the safety strategies they were taught, 59% of survey participants found situational awareness skills useful, and 56% felt physical self-defense techniques were helpful. Additionally, 41% felt that verbal de-escalation and bystander intervention strategies would help them deal with bias incidents.

In addition to teaching these strategies, the trainings facilitated conversations among participants and encouraged them to reflect on ways to foster a sense of safety, unity, and support within their communities. Participants across all age groups, particularly elderly individuals and women, expressed a sense of empowerment, preparedness, and safety after the trainings.

In fact, participants often expressed a desire for more frequent trainings and longer sessions. Many wanted continued opportunities to practice safety strategies, learn new ones, and have a place to talk about distressing experiences, especially with others who spoke their language. As anti-Asian bias remains a prevalent issue for our communities, the HAH safety training sessions provide not only immediate response strategies but also a safe space for people to share their fears and needs in community with one another.

Community Companion Program

AAF’s partners surveyed 99 volunteers in the Community Companion Program to increase our understanding of:

• How anti-Asian bias incidents affected their feelings of safety within their neighborhoods; and
• How AAF’s program addressed their concerns about community safety.

Nearly half of the volunteers surveyed (47%) expressed fears of experiencing anti-Asian bias incidents at least some of the time. Additionally, 40% of those respondents changed their typical routes when leaving home due to these concerns. Overall, survey participants did not feel safe in New York City. They felt the least safe in subway stations and safest in their own neighborhoods.

Hate crimes were the second most prevalent concern among volunteers when it came to their community, with 37% identifying it as one of the top issues. In finding effective ways to address hate crimes, volunteers emphasized that the protective accompaniment and protective presence services directly and immediately promoted feelings of safety within the community and helped prevent incidents from occurring. As the program was implemented, community members began to recognize and seek out volunteers for resources. This highlights the program’s visibility and its effectiveness in addressing the needs of those whose lives have been disrupted by anti-Asian hate.

As all volunteers in the Community Companion Program are required to complete at least one HAH safety training prior to starting their roles, and also required to complete ongoing trainings throughout the year, the survey was designed to assess whether these trainings adequately prepared them for their responsibilities as volunteers, including responding to bias incidents. Approximately 89% of respondents stated that the trainings helped them fulfill their volunteer roles, either somewhat or to a great extent. Ongoing training topics included situational awareness, conflict de-escalation, physical self-defense, as well as mental health first aid and gender-based violence awareness.

Surveyed volunteers found situational awareness and physical self-defense strategies from the HAH training to be particularly valuable for their role as Community Companion volunteers. When asked for suggestions to improve the safety trainings, many expressed a desire for more trainings, longer sessions, and expanding reach to youth and older adult participants. This demonstrates a continued need for our programs to ensure that all community members can effectively practice and apply the skills they acquire across multiple training sessions.

Approximately one-third (30%) of volunteers directly experienced an anti-Asian bias incident, which they primarily reported to 911. However, over half of the respondents expressed doubt or uncertainty about their local police department’s responsiveness and effectiveness in addressing the community’s safety concerns—data that spotlights law enforcement agencies’ inability to meet the community’s safety needs. Additionally, our partner organizations frequently hear from community members who, despite the language barrier and skepticism about police effectiveness, still resort to calling 911 because they do not know who else to call or are unaware of other community resources that may be available to them. This underscores the importance of our community-based HAH Campaign as a viable alternative to policing.

Victim Support Services

AAF’s partner CBOs surveyed 101 community members who visited the victims support services centers at CBOs to help us understand the following:

• The effectiveness of the centers in connecting people with the services they needed; and
• The impact of these centers and their staff on the people who visited them.

The vast majority of survey respondents were connected with in-language services tailored to their needs and expressed their intention to return to the center if they felt the need to do so. Nearly two-thirds of respondents followed through by attending the services they were referred to through the center.

Respondents reported leaving the center feeling better and supported by the staff. When asked how they felt about the services provided to them, many respondents expressed a deep appreciation for having a space where they could converse in their native language. One participant, in particular, shared that they were “sincerely grateful to be able to come to this institution and speak about all the problems… in Bengali” in the hopes that they “will never be afraid and never feel lonely”, and they felt “blessed to have at least a place to talk.” This is especially important, as our recent mental health report revealed that language barriers are a primary reason that Asian New Yorkers hesitate to seek help despite experiencing heightened feelings of isolation and anxiety due to the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes.

“As you are a Bengali-speaking person, and I am also from Bangladesh, I decided to share my experience with you. I would not be comfortable to share my feeling[s] with someone who will not understand my language. During my hospital visits, many times I have to use interpretation services and wait for these services… It is very difficult to communicate with doctors via an interpreter. But here I can speak with you directly, as we can communicate with the same language. I feel at peace when I talk with you.”

– Interviewee from South Asian Council for Social Services

Additionally, respondents said that they valued the assistance they received in accessing vital resources like food, healthcare, and mental health resources. The warm sense of community they experienced and the kindness shown by staff and fellow visitors left them feeling welcomed and at home.

In order to gain insights into the below areas, our partner organizations⁸ also conducted six in-depth interviews with individuals who utilized their service centers as part of this program:

• The challenges that led people to seek assistance at the service centers; and
• What role these centers played in their experiences with seeking help.

Interviewees shared their personal experiences facing discrimination and enduring incidents of anti-Asian hate. They expressed gratitude for service providers who spoke their language and understood their cultural background, particularly in light of the challenges they encountered with inadequate interpretation services.

“I always had English-speaking counselors, but I never had a Japanese counselor or an Asian counselor, actually. I don’t think it matters if she was Japanese or another Asian ethnically, but having an Asian counselor gave me such a [sense of] validation. I felt like she understood whatever I said regarding this topic, so it was great. I was very well-supported and saw the benefit of talking to an Asian counselor, another Asian person.”

– Interviewee from Japanese American Association of New York

Many also found solace and a sense of community after the COVID-19 pandemic by participating in wellness classes and events. Racially-motivated attacks left participants with deep-seated feelings of anxiety and mental distress. The service centers provided them with safe spaces to ensure they could access the support they deserved whenever necessary.

“Through KCS, knowing there is help for me and [that I] will continue to receive help, I felt safe.”

– Interviewee from Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York

Conclusion

AAF launched the Hope Against Hate Campaign in 2021 as an immediate response to the surge in violence against Asians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Years later, anti-Asian hate may no longer dominate the media, but the fight to protect our community continues. The survey findings presented in this brief illustrate how the Campaign addresses the community’s need for spaces where individuals feel secure, valued, and heard.

The programs under the HAH Campaign not only offered effective support to those directly affected by anti-Asian sentiment but also provided platforms for community members to collectively address their fears and needs. Those who accessed victim support services centers found the services essential for obtaining assistance during vulnerable times. Feedback from safety training participants demonstrated their satisfaction with their experience and their desire for more frequent sessions and opportunities for dialogue and sharing.

Volunteers of our Community Companion Program, many of whom experienced anti-Asian bias incidents themselves, expressed the importance of community-based efforts in addressing safety concerns. The program’s protective presence and accompaniment services have proven to be vital resources, with volunteers recognizing their role in enhancing safety and preventing hate crimes. Their advocacy for continued programming shows there is a collective desire for a community-based solution to address and allay fears over public safety.

Many people believe that anti-Asian hate has subsided, which has led elected officials to shift their focus away from the issue despite a rise in violence against the Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian communities since October 7, 2023. This surge in violence is prevalent across the pan-Asian community, with increased anti-China sentiment continuing to rear its ugly head, whether through laws to restrict Chinese nationals from purchasing property or land, or the scapegoating of Asians as “Chinese spies” in the name of national security.

With Trump’s return to the presidential office, his history of anti-immigrant rhetoric that contributed to the rise in anti-Asian violence starting in 2020, along with policies like the China Initiative, creates a volatile environment that could fuel further violence against the pan-Asian community. Elected leaders must take proactive steps to address this issue and prevent another wave of violence targeting Asian communities.

Three years into the HAH Campaign, we call on decision-makers at every level to confront anti-Asian hate as a persistent and urgent issue that demands unwavering, systematic action to ensure safety and justice for our most vulnerable communities.

While AAF has continued to advocate for resources to address the need for greater public safety, elected leaders’ turning away from the issue of Asian hate has made it challenging to maintain HAH funding, which has impacted the capacity of our coordinated network of partners poised to respond to this neverending crisis. At a minimum, it is imperative to maintain funding for community-based initiatives like the HAH Campaign in order to invest in the capacity of Asian-led, Asian-serving CBOs as they integrate safety programming into existing services and deliver essential, culturally-sensitive safety services in the face of continued violence. Our resource requests include: 

1. Renewed New York State funding for the HAH Campaign at $3.5 million in FY 2026 to ensure organizations across the state battling anti-Asian violence have the support to continue providing safety services and integrating them into their current programming;
2. Continued New York City support for the HAH Campaign through the $400,000 Partners Against the Hate (PATH) grant to continue implementing community-centered safety solutions; and
3. Support for the Investing in Mental Health Programs to Advance Cultural Treatment (IMPACT) Coalition, which asks for the inclusion of $10 million in the New York State budget to address the existing gaps in mental health awareness, linguistically and culturally appropriate services, and the dearth of providers from immigrant communities and communities of color. 

It cannot be overstated that safety for Asian communities leads to increased safety for the larger New York community. We invite elected officials, funders, and the general public to continue to join us in this fight against hate.

Methodology

This brief uses survey findings to evaluate various program areas within AAF’s Hope Against Hate Campaign, including the safety trainings, Community Companion Program, and victim support services. Survey respondents were recruited through AAF’s member and partner organizations using convenience sampling. Some respondents provided answers to questions that did not apply to them based on their previous responses, which may reflect opinions rather than actual experiences. Additionally, some respondents selected the “Not sure” option for questions where it was available, even if the question was not relevant to them. Consequently, there may be discrepancies in the number of responses for related questions.