Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, anti-Asian violence spiked in the United States.

Activists think that mention of the "Chinese virus" by former President Donald Trump and others during the early days of the outbreak spurred the hate crimes.

Many of the perpetrators have a history of mental illness, which has been compounded by a lack of social support during the pandemic, according to New York officials.

"Tragically, our office is currently prosecuting 33 hate crime cases driven by anti-Asian bias -- unfortunately, the most we have had since our hate crimes unit was established in 2010," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

In 2021, the Manhattan District Attorney's office "prosecuted roughly four times more anti-Asian hate crimes than the prior year," according to a statement.

Bragg made his remarks shortly after announcing that a 50-year-old man had been charged with second-degree murder in a hate crime. 

Jarrod Powell is accused of beating Yao Pan Ma, a 61-year-old Chinese immigrant, in April of last year in East Harlem, Manhattan.

Powell was charged with attempted murder and hate crimes at first, but the charges were upgraded after Ma died in December from his injuries.

"As alleged, Jarrod Powell selectively attacked Ma for no other reason than his race," said Bragg.

The indictment was announced as Seoul's foreign ministry reported that a South Korean diplomat had been hurt in Manhattan after being attacked by an "unidentified guy."

339% spike in US anti-Asian hate crimes: Report

According to the data, there has been a considerable spike in reported anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020, when they surged by 124% over the previous year. The number of anti-Asian hate crimes in New York City increased by 343%, from 30 to 133. In San Francisco, the number of offenses increased by 567%, from nine to 60. Similarly, the city of Los Angeles had a 173% increase.

Concern peaked in March, Yang said, after eight people were slain in shootings at Atlanta-area spas, six of whom were Asian women. Despite some advances, such as improved knowledge among elected officials, Yang says the problem is far from being solved.

“Reports of increased anti-Asian hate in 2021 are, sadly, not a surprise,” said Yang, who stressed the necessity of culturally appropriate and accessible community safety programs. “Again, our communities are still under attack, and we must continue our efforts to address anti-Asian hate.”