Community Advocates Argue For Better Tracking of Asian-American Hate Crimes

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Harrison Patiño / Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published February 23, 2021 at 1:54 PM PST

A trolley at the Convention Center Station in Downtown San Diego. Nov. 3, 2020.

The recent attack of an 83-year-old Filipino women in San Diego last week is being seen as part of a string of attacks nationwide against Asian Americans, and advocates say that until we have a better accounting of hate crimes in the country we won’t know the true extent of the problem.

The suspect in an attack against an elderly Filipino woman in San Diego has his first court appearance today.

The 35-year-old man is facing charges of assault and elder abuse, but not a hate crime. The attack is being seen as part of a string of attacks nationwide against Asian Americans that includes the death of an 84-year-old man in Northern California last month.

Manjusha Kulkarni is the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council in Los Angeles and a Lecturer in the Asian American Studies Department of UCLA. She is also the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate.

She joined Midday Edition on Tuesday to discuss how authorities can better keep track of hate crimes in the United States.

KPBS Midday Edition

Maureen Cavanaugh

Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Harrison Patiño

Harrison Patiño is a producer for "KPBS Midday Edition". His primary roles include story development, and is involved in the audio production and coordination of interview subjects. Prior to joining KPBS, Harrison held various positions at Hawaii Public Radio within its news and music departments. While pursuing a double major in journalism and classics at The University of Hawaii at Manoa, Harrison worked at the school's student-run radio station, KTUH. After graduating, Harrison served as a community advisor for the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Student Media Board.

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