Asian mother says 'racist' white woman punched her son, 6, while hurling racist slurs at upmarket Las Vegas mall, amid ongoing anti-Asian hate crime spike across US
- TikToker @uhmmajo filmed a woman at Las Vegas's Aria Mall who she says hurled anti-Asian racist slurs at her and her 6-year-old son
- The TikToker states that the woman also punched the Asian mother's son amidst the racist attack
- 'This woman attacked my son. She punched my 6-year-old while yelling racist, anti-Asian things,' she wrote of the incident
- 'I hope the cops picked her up. Mall security just let her go. Yes, we are pressing charges #crystalsmall #arialasvegas #fyp #assault' the video caption read
- Hate crimes against Asians are up a whopping 164 percent in 16 of the country's biggest cities since this same time last year
- A recent study analyzed data taken by the nation's largest police jurisdictions, finding 95 anti-Asian assaults had been reported in the first quarter of 2021
- The same time last year, there were only 36 incidents reported to authorities
A TikToker captured a disturbing scene at an upscale Las Vegas mall, which she says saw a woman hurl anti-Asian slurs at her and her 6-year-old son before punching the young boy.
'This woman attacked my son. She punched my 6-year-old while yelling racist, anti-Asian things,' TikToker @uhmmajo wrote of the incident, which occurred at the tony Shops at Crystals, located in the CityCenter complex.
The unidentified woman, who could be heard yelling the word 'China' during her racist rant, ultimately turns around and leaves after the argument, before the video ends with her being escorted away by a mall security guard, who the boy's mother says eventually released her without further reprimand.
She was not caught on camera punching the boy, or using any explicitly racist language, and it is unclear what she was saying the word 'China' in reference to.
'I hope the cops picked her up. Mall security just let her go. Yes, we are pressing charges #crystalsmall #arialasvegas #fyp #assault' the video caption read.
TikToker @uhmmajo captured a disturbing scene at an upscale Las Vegas mall, where a woman hurled anti-Asian racist slurs at her and her 6-year-old son
The TikToker states that she punched the Asian mother's son amidst the racist attack
'This woman attacked my son. She punched my 6-year-old while yelling racist, anti-Asian things,' she wrote of the incident, which occurred at the tony Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas
'Stay safe, it's not safe anywhere.'
The jarring incident, video of which was posted Wednesday, comes amid a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes to occur this year, as racist attacks towards Asians continue to skyrocket nationwide.
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According to a recent study by the Center for Study of Hate and Extremism, hate crimes reported against Asians are up a whopping 164 percent in 16 of the country's biggest cities since this same time last year.
Researchers with the study analyzed data taken by the nation's largest police jurisdictions, and found 95 anti-Asian assaults or incidents had been reported in the first quarter of 2021.
The same time last year, there were only 36 incidents reported to authorities.
Over 300,000 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans reside in Nevada, making up around 10 percent of the state's total population, according to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Speak out and Strategize organization.
Hate crimes against Asians are up a whopping 164 percent in 16 of the country's biggest cities since this same time last year
95 anti-Asian assaults or incidents had been reported in the first quarter of 2021, compared to just 36 reports the same time last year
The Las Vegas metropolitan area has the third-largest population of Asian Americans outside of California out of all major West Coast cities, according to an Asian American Advancing Justice report.
Asian-Americans are one of the fastest-growing groups in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area, with the total Asian population in the city increasing 130 percent between 2000 and 2010.
The group held an event in Las Vegas back in April, where the goal was to 'speak out against hate, meet organizers in support of the AAPI community and help us build an AAPI movement here in Las Vegas,' according to event organizers.
According to one of AAPI's event organizers, who goes by the name Wangdawg, the fight against hate crimes was sparked nationwide after the March 16 mass shooting in Atlanta, with six of the eight victims killed in the attack being of Asian descent.
'A lot of people woke up after the Atlanta shooting,' Wangdawg told Fox5 Vegas. 'We want everyone to know that we won't stand for Asian American hate in our community.'
'The Asian American Pacific Islander community is many cultures,' said Wangdawg. 'A lot of people in our community don't want to raise trouble, ya know? We want to belong in the community, some of us -- want to assimilate.'
'If you are Asian, [seeing] this, and you are hurting, and you want to build together -- then get in touch. Get in touch with me, or One APIA, or any of the other organizations we're building with,' Wangdawg added.
Eunchong Kim, 26, holds a sign during a vigil at a makeshift memorial outside the Gold Spa following the deadly shootings in Atlanta
Meanwhile, New York City, which has become the epicenter of anti-Asian hate crimes, saw a 223 percent increase in reported incidents in early 2021, with 42 reports compared to just 13 the same time last year.
Elsewhere in major US cities, San Francisco had a 140 percent increase, with reports on anti-Asian hate crimes spiking from 5 to 12, while Los Angeles had an 80 percent increase, with 5 reported incidents last year compared to 9 reported hate crimes during the same time period in 2021.
