Microsoft, nonprofit launch resource hub to combat anti-Asian hate

The Asian Resource Hub aims to show the surge of hatred through data and provide a searchable national directory of resources and services in Asian languages. Photo from Asian Resource Hub

LOS ANGELES –  Microsoft and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), a nonprofit civil rights organization, have launched a digital resource to help combat anti-Asian hate and raise awareness of the challenges faced by the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

The Asian Resource Hub, designed to be a one-stop resource, provides data on anti-Asian hate, helpful information for victims and tips on how to intervene when witnessing hate incidents. It aims to show the surge of hatred through data and provide a searchable national directory of resources and services in Asian languages.

The website, now available in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, will include additional languages – including Tagalog – in the near future.

A protester holds up a placard as she participates in a Stop Asian Hate rally in New York City. FILE PHOTO/ REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

Developed in collaboration with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), the resource hub “is a direct response to the ongoing discrimination against our community during, and because of, the COVID-19 pandemic,” said AJSOCAL CEO Connie Chung Joe.

A community survey in California showed that over 50 percent of Asian Americans felt a lack of support as they faced growing anti-Asian hate during the peak of the pandemic.

“There is a crucial need for AAPIs to find vetted, language accessible and culturally competent resources when and where help is needed,” Joe said. “The impact of hatred and discrimination is too often devastating and complex.”

More support for the AAPI community

On Feb. 21, the man who viciously and repeatedly attacked 65-year-old Filipino American Vilma Kari was sentenced to 15 years in prison for hate crime.

Kari was grateful that justice has finally been served and that more awareness of anti-Asian hate has developed since the incident.

“But there needs to be more support and education about what the AAPI community is facing at this moment, especially since there are cases that have not been reported and classified as hate crimes,” she wrote.

Vilma Kari bravely confronted her attacker for the first time since the 2021 assault as she delivered her impact statement. She recounted the harrowing events of the attack, the subsequent challenges and pain she endured, the profound impact on her identity and community, and her arduous journey towards healing. CONTRIBUTED

The Asian Resource Hub aims to provide this type of support, providing  public data to illustrate the widespread anti-Asian hate.

Storytelling narratives and Microsoft-powered PowerBI data visualizations draw information from sources such as StopAAPIHate.org, the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI reports and local law enforcement.

The directory includes over 60 listed organizations across 21 states, offering easy access to resources. The services offered include legal assistance, social services and civic engagement opportunities.

“By understanding and analyzing data we can provide insights for community members to better understand what is happening in the neighborhoods where they live, work and play,” said Merisa Heu-Weller, general manager of Technology for Fundamental Rights at Microsoft.

“[We] are providing communities with that clarity through a data-dashboard, supportive collateral and a national directory to help fight against Asian incidents.”

To learn more about the Asian Resource Hub, click here.