Birmingham, AL, USA: A new report by Stop AAPI Hate has revealed that derogatory language aimed at Asian communities continues to be a serious issue in the United States. The study, released in September 2025, highlights a sharp increase in the use of such slurs across both online platforms and in everyday interactions.
According to the group’s findings, anti-Asian insults have become more visible, spreading far beyond fringe groups. The analysis drew on data collected by Moonshot, an organization that monitors extremist activity online. Between January 2023 and July 2025, the use of anti-Asian slurs rose by 40%, with just five common terms making up 90% of recorded cases. Notably, the top three alone accounted for 84% of all usage.
Stop AAPI Hate paired this statistical analysis with personal reports submitted to its center. One parent described how his son was mocked with racial epithets during a high school baseball game. In another case, a woman reported being verbally harassed by teenagers who used anti-Asian terms to demean her.
The study also traced the origins of these insults. Some date back to the 1800s, during periods of hostility toward Chinese laborers working on railroads and in mining camps. Others gained traction during colonial wars, immigration controversies in the U.K. during the 1960s, and more recently, within online communities such as 4chan. The report emphasizes that terms once confined to extremist spaces have now seeped into mainstream conversations.
“What matters is not only the words themselves but the social climate that allows them to re-emerge,” the report explained. It pointed out that spikes in slur usage often coincide with moments of widespread xenophobia—such as the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the backlash against Muslim and South Asian communities after 9/11, and the surge of racist language during the COVID-19 pandemic, when phrases like “China virus” were circulated by public figures.
Stop AAPI Hate concluded that the persistence of these slurs demonstrates how deeply racism is woven into American society. The organization stressed that these words are more than casual insults—they carry historical baggage tied to discrimination, violence, and exclusion. “Calling them out is only the beginning,” the report stated. “The real challenge is refusing to normalize them and ensuring they do not erase our place in America’s story.
