Replication Data for: Anti-Asian Hate Crimes and American Reputation

Racial hate crimes against Asian Americans in the United States have recently risen. While many examined the domestic consequences of hate crimes, little is known about their impact on foreign public perception of the country. This study fills this gap by investigating how hate crimes in the US influence attitudes toward the US. Conducting a survey experiment in nine Asian countries, we find that exposure to information about hate crime incidents in the US resulted in a significant increase in unfavorable views of the US (-10.1 pp), decreased confidence in the US (-6.3 pp), and increasingly negative perceptions of American democracy (-6.5 pp), American ideas and customs (-11.0 pp), and American people (-11.8 pp). We also find that legislative actions can mitigate the negative effects of hate crime information. These findings underscore the global significance of addressing hate crimes in the US for the country’s reputation and soft power.