The Facts: Las Vegas Strip (Las Vegas Blvd.) - Attack of an Asian 6-year-old

Las Vegas, a city of Nevada. Despite a statistically low amount of hate incidents, the state has taken another viral report of an AAPI hate incident. On TikTok, a platform where many post videos put to music and creating a satisfying effect of coordination. Some uses for memes, some uses for dancing...but another use: for reporting.

A 6-year-old boy. Young, but vulnerable. 57-year-old Shelly Hill blames the family for causing the COVID-19 pandemic, to which something the 6 year-old boy may or may not have even understood. Ranting about China, ranting about COVID-19 and who should be blamed, but taking one step too far - hitting the 6-year-old child for being an Asian American. On surveillance and on a TikTok video, backhanding a 6-year-old after ranting about COVID-19.

In the current-day USA, Sonny Vinuya, president of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce, notes that he is "not surprised to hear [the] rhetoric." He notes that this type of crime does not happen very often in Nevada - but he also notes that "it can be jarring" when it does happen.

Unlike many other hate crimes, the Las Vegas MPD bounds themselves to handle the crime in a way with quicker judgment - a very quick justice by charging the lady immediately with battery and most importantly, hate crime. Regardless of many other officers in many other situations charging such suspects with battery or assault, this case provided a view on an instant hate crime charge. An optimistic and thoughtful response comes from the community for the efficiency of the incident's handling, as described by Vinuya. "Some on social media argue the alleged assault may be more of an issue with mental health," says KTNV Las Vegas. Vinuya responds "that [it] should be addressed - but there also must be accountability for her words and actions." {OPINION} An unfortunate incident, handled nicely, in a justified way. In a way, the AAPI hate is suppressed in the moment, but the importance to combat it on a deeper level is outrageously large as well. The audacity for someone to blame and hit a 6-year-old for a pandemic is uniquely large. This must be prevented and it can be at least mostly prevented.