Are Segregation and Hate Crimes No Longer (Pressing) Problems?

“Someone help this ch***!” These were the last words Michelle heard as the middle-aged man, who had just struck her across the cheek, began to walk away. What had once just been another frightening story on the news of an Asian woman’s account of harassment in New York City was now Michelle’s reality. She had become another victim of a racially-motivated hate crime.

This was no ordinary story to me, however. This was the story of my older sister’s brush with hate-fueled violence, and a persisting issue in New York City even as Mayor Eric Adams seems to shift his priorities elsewhere. Indeed, Mayor Adams has abandoned the previous administration’s plans to combat race-related issues. However, the high incidence of racially-motivated violence and high rates of segregation in schools suggest education against racial biases and more inclusive admissions policies continue to remain relevant and demonstrate large societal implications for New York City.

Mayor Eric Adams’ jettisoning of Bill de Blasio’s $202 million plan that sought to improve diversity and equality in New York City schools marked the New York City Department of Education’s (NYC DOE) pursuit of starkly different objectives. While de Blasio’s original plan envisioned a universal K-12 curriculum that reflects the extensive racial diversity of New York City, his administration also sought to fix discriminatory admissions policies at schools to ultimately address the high rates of segregation.

New York City public schools are among the most segregated schools in the nation, “with about seven in 10 [schools] having racial demographics out of balance with their surrounding areas.”

According to the New York City Council, about 75% of Black and Hispanic students attend schools in which white students make up less than 10% of the student population, while about 35% of white students attend schools where they comprise more than 50% of the student body. This indicates a significant problem as high rates of school segregation have negative impacts on students’ academic performance and mental wellbeing, with the most severe effects observed amongst students of minority backgrounds. Studies have shown that schools with a majority of Black and Latinx students had more teachers with lower qualifications, fewer opportunities for advanced-level education, and less social and resource workers, such as counselors and security guards.

As a result of such school segregation, students also lack the intergroup engagement necessary to minimize the influence of racial prejudices. As schools are critical instruments in mitigating individuals’ negative experiences with racism and discrimination from a young age, it is important for administrations to implement measures through education. Without school-level interventions, like those proposed by de Blasio’s administration, students are more likely to internalize different racial biases, especially as they have limited opportunities to engage with peers from diverse backgrounds at school.

Racial biases remain a strong motivator for the majority of hate crimes. Thus, without proper interventions and education, a city like NYC will continue to see a consistent increase in hate crimes. According to the New York Hate Crime database, while the city observed 265 hate crime cases in 2020 and 524 cases in 2021, over 610 cases were reported in 2022. While confounding factors such as improved reporting measures or greater awareness of hate crime-reporting services may have influenced this steady increase, the sheer increase in numbers demonstrates an alarming trend that must be addressed.

Additionally, since 2020, hate crimes, especially those committed against minority groups like the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community have increased significantly.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) the number of reported hate crime incidents from 2020 to 2021 increased by 11.6% , with hate crimes committed against the AAPI community increasing by 146%. While the government has demonstrated significant efforts to combat rising rates of racial violence, recent state-level initiatives, as seen in New York, have signaled a shift away from prioritizing such efforts.

Mayor Eric Adams’ and Chancellor David Banks’ newest educational campaign has further cemented the administration’s desire to pursue other priorities, such as improving literacy rates. By announcing the new campaign “as the core focus and overriding priority of New York City’s public schools,” the administration has left little room for efforts to improve racial diversity in schools, an issue that remains pressing and in need of attention. We must ask why this administration pursues policies that pits their priorities against other pressing issues, especially as segregation and hate crimes continue to remain significant problems for New York City?

With an astounding $30.7 billion budget, the NYC DOE and Adams’ administration can surely advance their new political agendas while still considering the issues and potential solutions proposed by the previous administration. As de Blasio’s previous campaign also allocated significant funding for special education and improvements in literacy, New York City’s DOE should strive to balance these different priorities, instead of neglecting old problems and shifting focus solely in favor of the department’s new agenda. Without race-related interventions, hate crimes, like those committed against Michelle, will only persist, especially as segregation remains prevalent and students’ positive experiences with race remain limited.