>>> ON SATURDAY, THERE WERE
DEMONSTRATIONS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY BRINGING ATTENTION TO
THE DISTURBING SPIKE IN VIOLENCE
AGAINST ASIAN-AMERICANS OVER THE
LAST YEAR.
AS DOCUMENTED BY POLICE
DEPARTMENTS FROM NEW YORK TO LOS
ANGELES.
POLICE HAVE NOT DRAWN A LINK
BETWEEN THAT TREND AND THE SPA
SHOOTINGS IN GEORGIA THIS WEEK,
BUT THE TERRIBLE EVENTS IN AND
AROUND ATLANTA HAVE SHINED A NEW
LIGHT ON AN OLD PROBLEM IN
AMERICA.
NBC'S JO LINK KENT TAKES A
CLOSER LOOK IN OUR SUNDAY FOCUS.
>> Reporter: OF THE EIGHT
VICTIMS KILLED IN THE ATLANTA
MASS SHOOTING, SIX WERE WOMEN OF
ASIAN DESCENT.
ENTREPRENEURS, MOTHERS AND SO
MUCH MORE.
WHILE INVESTIGATORS SAY IT'S TOO
EARLY TO DETERMINE THE SUSPECT'S
MOTIVE, THE TRAGEDY IS
INTENSIFYING AN ALREADY PAINFUL
RISE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST
ASIAN-AMERICANS OVER THE LAST
YEAR.
PROMPTING MANY MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY TO SPEAK OUT.
>> TODAY I FEEL GRIEF AND RAGE.
>> THIS IS TERRORISM AND IT'S A
HATE CRIME.
STOP KILLING US.
>> Reporter: THE DEADLY VIOLENCE
IN ATLANTA UNFOLDING AS
ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIME ROSE
NEARLY 150% IN AMERICA'S BIGGEST
CITIES LAST YEAR.
THE SPIKE PLAYING OUT IN
DISTURBING VIDEOS.
>> GO BACK TO WHATEVER [ BLEEP ]
ASIAN COUNTRY YOU BELONG IN.
>> Reporter: HORRIFYING VIOLENCE
AGAINST ASIAN-AMERICANS LIKE
THIS 84-YEAR-OLD, PUSHED TO HIS
DEATH WHILE ON A WALK LAST MONTH
IN CALIFORNIA.
EXPERTS WHO TESTIFIED BEFORE
CONGRESS THIS WEEK --
>> WE'RE ALL AMERICANS.
>> Reporter: ATTRIBUTE THE
INCREASE IN PART TO FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S RHETORIC.
>> KUNG FLU, CHINA PLAGUE.
>> Reporter: AS PRESIDENT BIDEN
TRIED TO TURN THE TIDE ON
ANTI-ASIAN HATE IN ATLANTA
FRIDAY.
>> WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE PRESIDENT
BIDEN IS ABLE TO REVERSE THAT?
>> IT'S GOING TO BE HARD,
BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP DID IT
FOR A WHOLE YEAR.
>> Reporter: NO MOTIVE HAS BEEN
DETERMINED IN THE ATLANTA
SHOOTINGS.
IN THE EYES OF THIS
REPRESENTATIVE, CHAIR OF THE
CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS, THE
TRAGEDY IS LINKED TO GROWING
ANTI-ASIAN HATE NATIONWIDE.
>> TO ME, THIS IS A HATE CRIME.
I'M REALLY CONCERNED THAT IF
THIS IS NOT DEEMED A HATE CRIME,
THIS WILL BE SWEPT UNDER THE
RUG.
I THINK IT'S ALSO A SIGN OF
MISOGYNY.
>> Reporter: THEY ARE URGING
INVESTIGATES TO RESIST
OVERSIMPLIFYING THE INTENT.
>> WE DON'T LIVE IN A WORLD
WHERE WE LIVE IN A RACE BOX AND
THEN WE LIVE IN A WORLD WITH THE
GENDER BOX.
ONE OF THE POWERFUL WAYS IN
WHICH THEY OVERLAP IS THE WAY IN
WHICH ASIAN AND ASIAN-AMERICAN
WOMEN HAVE BEEN STEREOTYPED,
FETISHIZED AND EXOTICIZED AS
OBJECTS OF SEXUAL DESIRE.
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS PROPERLY EQUIPPED
TO LOOK AT THIS IN A WAY THAT IS
MULTI-LAYERS, THAT'S
INTERSECTIONAL?
>> THERE COULD BE IMPROVEMENT IN
THE EDUCATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
BUT ALSO THE EDUCATION OF THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC MORE BROADLY.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO CENTER AND
TO LISTEN TO ASIAN-AMERICAN
WOMEN'S VOICES AND EXPERIENCES.
BECAUSE IF WE DID THAT, THERE IS
NO DIVORCING RACE AND RACISM
FROM THESE ACTS OF MAISOGYNY AN
THE MURDER OF WOMEN.
>> JO JOINS ME LIVE.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
ASIAN-AMERICAN LEADERS AND
ACTIVISTS ARGUE RACE CANNOT BE
SEPARATED FROM INCIDENTS LIKE
THE SHOOTINGS IN ATLANTA THIS
WEEK.
IS THAT A SUGGESTION HATE CRIME
LAWS NEED TO BE CHANGED OR
UPDATED?
>> GOOD MORNING.
NEW ACTION ON HATE CRIMES IS
SOMETHING PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYS
HE BROUGHT UP DURING HIS MEETING
WITH ASIAN-AMERICAN LEADERS IN
ATLANTA FRIDAY.
SO FAR, HE URGED CONGRESS TO
IMPROVE THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO
HATE CRIMES BY PASSING THE C
COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT.
THAT COULD HELP.
AT THE STATE LEVEL, A HATE CRIME
LAW VARIES WIDELY.
SOME DO COVER ETHNICITY AND
GENDER IDENTITY.
SOME DO NOT.
THE KILLING OF SIX ASIAN WOMEN
IN ATLANTA, THE TRAGEDY THERE
PUTTING NEW PRESSURE ON
LAWMAKERS TO CHANGE THAT AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE.