Anti-Asian hate surged online after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Our research suggests this is no coincidence.
In an analysis of anti-Asian slurs and threats of violence in domestic violent extremist (DVE) channels — like Reddit, X, and 4chan — we discovered that the re-election of President Trump coincided with an alarming rise of racism and xenophobia against our communities.
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Anti-Asian hate in extremist online spaces spiked between November 2024 and January 2025, after Donald Trump won the election.
Trump has spent years spewing anti-immigrant rhetoric, on the campaign trail and from the White House — with no regard for the devastating impact it has had on our communities. Our report, A New Extreme, suggests that after his re-election, Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric and policies are fueling a surge in anti-Asian hate — both online and offline.
By analyzing the use of anti-Asian slurs and threats of violence in extremist online spaces (e.g., 4chan and Reddit), we found a significant surge in anti-Asian hate in the months following Trump’s 2024 election win. Plus, hate act reports submitted to Stop AAPI Hate during this time illustrate that Trump’s xenophobia is also fueling hate offline.
Our findings reinforce existing research that shows online hate is reflective of hate happening offline. Amid a dramatic rise in anti-Asian online hate under the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, this raises serious concerns about the potential for rising racism, discrimination, and violence against Asian communities in the U.S. during the remainder of Trump’s presidency. Here are some of our key findings:
Key findings
Anti-Asian hate surged online after the election.
Following Trump’s 2024 election win, there has been a significant swell in online hate against Asians in the U.S., including both threats of violence and slurs. Violent threats increased by a staggering 59% from November to December 2024. The number of anti-Asian slurs saw an even steeper rise (66%) after the elections — culminating in January 2025, when we saw the highest number of anti-Asian slurs since tracking began in January 2023.
South Asians were the most common targets of anti-Asian slurs and threats of violence. In December 2024 and January 2025, 73% of anti-Asian slurs and 75% of anti-Asian threats were directed at South Asians.
Anti-East Asian slurs were not as common but rose quickly — jumping 50% between November 2024 and January 2025.
Anti-immigrant sentiment is a driving factor of hate.
The recent surge in anti-Asian hate online takes place amid years-long anti-immigrant rhetoric from Trump and his allies, on the campaign trail and from the White House. Their relentless xenophobia has created a hostile environment where any spotlight on immigrants and/or their countries of origin can set off a wave of racism against Asian communities.
This research reflects the dangers of this hostile environment that Trump has created. We found that the largest spikes of online anti-Asian hate happened when public debates about immigrants and/or foreign countries were trending. For example, the December surge in hate occurred at the height of the public debate around H-1B visas — in which some Trump supporters opposed the program and others came to its defense.
▶️ Note: H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in certain occupations. The majority of H-1B visas (90%) in FY 2023 were awarded to Asian workers — most predominantly South Asian and East Asian immigrants.
In addition to the H-1B visa debate, breaking news regarding Chinese-owned companies like DeepSeek and TikTok also fueled anti-East Asian hate. This reflects the dangers of anti-Asian political scapegoating – which is when public figures like Trump recklessly portray immigrants and/or their countries of origin as economic, public health, or national security threats.
When it comes to anti-South Asian hate during this time period, there were also white nationalist themes — including elements of the “great replacement theory”, a far-right conspiracy theory that falsely claims immigrants and people of color are part of a plot to shrink the power and influence of white people in America.
▶️ What this looks like: Specifically, in online discussions of South Asian CEOs and political leaders, we saw repeated claims that Jewish communities are on a mission to replace white populations with Indian nationals.
Trump and his allies have also incited alarming levels of anti-Asian hate offline.
Stop AAPI Hate has received stories through our reporting center that show how Trump’s xenophobia is inspiring people to commit racist acts not just online, but also offline.
I was waiting in line at [a fast food restaurant] …. A … woman started screaming at me, got inches from my face twice, and said she can’t wait until Trump deports me like he promised. She physically shoved me, so I left the [restaurant].
Woman, Korean, California
While out to eat with a friend at a Thai restaurant, a random stranger approached us and then proceeded to accost me … He proceeded to work himself into an angry froth, calling me ‘f-gg-t’ (because I wear earrings) and ‘lesbian,’ and told me that Trump was President and I would have to ‘go home’ and ‘do bharatnatyam in my living room.’ He also threatened to kick my -ss and said he would wait for us outside the restaurant.
Man, Indian, Virginia
Was depositing mail into a mailbox and I was approached by middle age woman who accused me of stealing mail. She also told me to go back to China…
Woman, Multiethnic Asian, West
As we noted in our Fall 2024 report on the rise of anti-South Asian hate ahead of the presidential election, this is just the beginning. The ongoing surge of anti-Asian hate — online, offline, in the White House, and across U.S. communities — raises serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of AAPI communities during the remainder of Trump’s presidency. In just the last few weeks, Trump has attacked birthright citizenship, left Asian asylum seekers stranded in Panama, and shackled 100 Indian immigrants in a military airplane and sent them to India. Meanwhile, close allies Elon Musk and Vice President Vance supported the return of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee after he called to “normalize anti-Indian hate” and voiced support for “eugenic immigration policy.”
It’s clear that immigrants and communities of color face grave threats under Trump’s racist, xenophobic agenda. But the good news is: We’re ready to do something about it. Stop AAPI Hate launched an advocacy campaign called Many Roots, One Home to provide Asian Americans and allies with the information, direct actions, and support we need to fight against Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda together. To get involved, check out manyrootsonehome.org.
We are able to continue publishing research like this because of the generous support of people like you.
Your donation to Stop AAPI Hate helps us conduct research and analysis on South Asian and other AA/PI communities — and sustains our fight to build a fairer, more equitable future for all.
Learn More
South Asian Report
Learn about the impact of anti-South Asian hate and the growth of anti-South Asian hate in extremist online spaces.
Many Roots, One Home
Anti-immigrant hate is anti-AAPI hate. Join the generations-long fight to defend immigrant communities.
