Recently, Asian hate crimes have skyrocketed in the United States. The White House and Congress are also aware of its seriousness and are rapidly addressing this issue across the country, including the enactment of the Asian Hate Crime Prevention Act and the establishment of a dedicated organization. On April 25, the Korean American Bar Association of Georgia(KABAGA) held a YouTube live seminar about ‘STOP ASIAN HATE’, inviting the Fulton County Attorney General of Georgia, Fani Willis, and the Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Senior Executive JC Hacker, as lecturers. At the seminar, Attorney General, Willis, and FBI Senior Executive, Hacker emphasized the importance of reporting racial hate crimes and said they would do their best to help the Asian minority, who are trembling in fear.

Maintain a Close Relationship with the Police in Your Area, and Actively Report!
“Many Korean people own small businesses, and you should be aware of what crimes are taking place in the surrounding area and what risks are being posed,” Attorney General Fani Willis said, and also advised that “Having a good relationship with the police will make it easier to acquire relevant information and respond to crime.” Furthermore, she said, “It is important to report and show recorded videos even if it is a small or obscure incident, and even if the reported incident is not confirmed as a hate crime, it can remain as an investigative record and later be of help (tracking potential offenders etc).”

The Most Important Clue to Racial Hate Crime is – Just ‘One Word’
“The most important clue to establishing a hate crime is ‘a single word of prejudice’, and even if there were no racist remarks at the scene of the crime, one can examine the records of words that they usually spoke to friends and family around them on the phone or on SNS to determine the motive for the crime,” Willis said. FBI Senior Executive Hacker explained, “Hate crime is a very serious crime that harms not only individuals, but also society and the country as a whole, and one can receive 2 to 20 years of zero tolerance aggravated punishment.” In addition, he said, “Not only direct acts of violence, but even a single threat is possible to be established as a hate crime.”

Physical, Mental Treatment and Economic Support is Provided!
“It’s important to report,” Hacker said again, “even if it’s unclear if it is a hate crime, once you report it to the local FBI, you are providing the most verbal, economic, and mental support to the legal process.” In response, the prosecution emphasized that it “guides the victim to everything they need after reporting, while also providing general support to avoid hardships in receiving physical and mental treatment, insurance, and migration issues.”

Don’t be Afraid to Report Due to Immigration Status or Language!
In response to the remark that there were some people reluctant to report due to their immigration status, Willis and Hacker replied, “Your identity does not matter at all, so don’t worry and report.” In addition, they said, “If you can’t do it alone, you are welcome to consult with Korean community leaders, and if you can’t speak English, don’t worry because Korean language is available when reporting.”
“Hate crimes are crimes that cause mental, physical, and economic harm based on race, nationality, and gender biases,” Willis and Hacker said, “and we are trying to strongly punish those who commit these crimes by applying federal and state laws.” They also added, “We want to work with the Korean community and use all resources possible to solve these problems, as there are many businesses run by Korean people, and we will do our best to help them.”

“Reports of racial hate crimes can be reported 24/7 to the local police department or 1-800-CALL-FBI(225-5324), or online at fbi.gov/tips,” said Hacker.