This guest blog post is authored by Emily Fung, Education Equity Policy Manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Jessica Kang, Research Manager at Stop AAPI Hate
More than five years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA/PI) people are still experiencing hate at alarming levels. Stop AAPI Hate found that in 2024, about half of AA/PI adults experienced a race-based hate act in California, with similar levels nationally. And yet, 72% of these hate acts were never formally reported in California—77% went unreported nationwide; one possible explanation for this widespread underreporting to government agencies is the heightened vulnerability felt by people who speak a language other than English.
Nationally, victims feared drawing unwanted attention to themselves or their families – a fear that was significantly more common among multilingual households (54%) than those that speak only English (34%). This disparity suggests that language barriers may compound the trauma of experiencing a hate act, making victims less likely to seek help or report the incident to authorities.
Based on the 2024 and 2025 reports submitted to the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center, anti-AA/PI hate acts targeting multilingual individuals are characterized by overt hostility, institutional discrimination, and even physical violence.
- In Texas, a border officer interrogated a Chinese woman traveling with a child with expletives like “bull—”, the agent scolded her, “If you can’t speak English, go back to China.”
- In Tennessee, a mother trying to protect her son from a reckless driver was met with obscenities and a chillingly racist remark: “Does your son even speak English?” followed by “I added that just for you, you little b—.”
- In California, a couple was assaulted in their parked car when an attacker began screaming anti-Asian slurs. “F— you Asians. You Asians don’t belong here. Oh, you don’t speak English?” The assailant proceeded to vandalize their car, leaving the victims with lasting financial and emotional damage.
These incidents all showcase how even the perceived assumption of linguistic differences becomes a weapon used to belittle, exclude, and dehumanize AA/PI communities. The message is clear: those who speak a language other than English are seen as less American, less deserving of respect, and more vulnerable to hate. Communities most at risk, including immigrants and non-English speakers, are also least likely to be counted in official data, limiting the urgency and scope of policy responses.
Amid a federal climate that increasingly ostracizes immigrants and deprioritizes multi-language access, it’s critical that California continues investing in equity-driven education initiatives. Doing so can stop the spread of hate before it starts—and that’s not all. Expanding bilingual education programs empowers students and families to navigate public systems more confidently while affirming the value of linguistic diversity. At the same time, teaching ethnic studies offers students the chance to analyze history, appreciate differences and similarities across racial and cultural lines, and to recognize and resist hate in all its forms.
In California, legislators have the chance to bring this kind of education into public school classrooms by funding AB101 – a 2021 bill that makes ethnic studies a graduation requirement. This is just one example of how state governments can center multilingual communities in education policy design and dismantle the barriers that keep so many AA/PI voices unheard. To learn more about Stop AAPI Hate’s research on anti-AA/PI hate and how we are combatting racism and discrimination against AA/PI communities, visit stopaapihate.org. To read more about the State of Anti-AA/PI Hate in California, visit https://stopaapihate.org/2025/07/17/state-of-hate-ca-july25/. If you experience or witness an act of anti-AA/PI hate, including attacks or discrimination based on language, please share it with us through our Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center where we collect stories in 18 languages to advocate for change.