The wall of a building across the street from the Chinese American International School was painted with an anti-Asian racist slur on Tuesday, the latest in a series of racially-motivated that city officials and police authorities have been monitoring.
“It almost seems as if racism is coming back for some reason. I really think it send the bad kind of message to kids that this type of language is OK and it’s not,” San Francisco resident, Jeffrey, said. Racist violence targeting Asians, which have been caught on camera across the Bay Area, have been going viral.
Anti-Asian Violence
Activist Sarah Shen of San Francisco wants residents to educate supervisors on the history of Chinatown using books. “With a coordinated message that we demand justice and we demand the support of the elected officials in our community who are here to protect us,” she said.
City supervisors Gordon Mar and Connie Chan called the attention of city departments to hold a meeting to address the issues. “Families are outraged, and seniors are afraid of being out in public alone. We need to denounce the horrific violence and support victims while taking collective responsibility to keep each other safe rather than laying blame,” Mar said.
On Tuesday, Kenny Kim was going for a walk when the resident observed there were many police officers patrolling Chinatown. “Hopefully, this thing passes in a more peaceful and safe environment,” Kim said.
However, San Francisco is not the only region in the Bay Area experiencing a surge in anti-Asian violence. The Oakland police chief addressed the issue that his area of responsibility has also seen a rise in the racially-biased crimes.
“Today, we’re sending a message to those who commit crime in this city; we will pursue you and arrest you,” Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said. He confirmed that police had arrested the suspect, who they believe brutally attacked a 91-year-old man and two other residents in Oakland’s Chinatown, NBC Bay Area reported.
Two actors, Daniel Wu and Daniel Day Kim, put up a $25,000 reward for anyone who could provide information regarding the incidents. “So Asians across the board have been targeted by racial slurs being attacked, pushed around being spat on. This isn’t getting attention on the national level,” Wu said.
