State-level Racially Motivated Hate Crimes Contrast Public Opinion on the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate Movement

TL;DR

This study analyzes Twitter data from 30 US states to understand public opinion on the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate movement, revealing demographic differences and regional variations in attitudes towards anti-Asian hate crimes.

Contribution

It is the first large-scale social media analysis examining public opinion on the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate movement across multiple states.

Findings

Majority support the movement among Twitter users.

Negative attitudes are less prevalent in states with more hate crimes.

Support varies by user demographics and regional factors.

Abstract

#StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate are two of the most commonly used hashtags that represent the current movement to end hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We conduct a social media study of public opinion on the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate movement based on 46,058 Twitter users across 30 states in the United States ranging from March 18 to April 11, 2021. The movement attracts more participation from women, younger adults, Asian and Black communities. 51.56% of the Twitter users show direct support, 18.38% are news about anti-Asian hate crimes, while 5.43% show a negative attitude towards the movement. Public opinion varies across user characteristics. Furthermore, among the states with most racial bias motivated hate crimes, the negative attitude towards the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate movement is the weakest. To our best knowledge, this is the first large-scale social media-based study to understand public opinion on the #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate movement. We hope our study can provide insights and promote research on anti-Asian hate crimes, and ultimately help address such a serious societal issue for the common benefits of all communities.