February 13, 2021 Attacks on older Asians
stoke fear as Lunar New Year begins
By Daisy Nguyen
The Associated Press
To file a report to Stop AAPI Hate, visit <
www.stopaapihate.org>.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Police are stepping up their patrols
and volunteers are increasing their street presence after
several violent attacks on older Asians stoked fear in San
Francisco Bay Area Chinatowns and subdued the celebratory mood
leading up to the start of the Lunar New Year on February 12.
City officials also have visited Chinatowns in San Francisco
and Oakland to address residents’ safety concerns and condemn
the violence. They vowed to combat a problem that has been
simmering since the start of the coronavirus pandemic but
sparked new outrage after two unprovoked attacks were caught on
video within a span of days and spread widely online.
In one, a young man shoved Vicha Ratanapakdee to the ground
on January 28 as he was taking his morning walk in San
Francisco’s Anza Vista neighborhood. The 84-year-old Thai man’s
head struck the pavement, and he died two days later in a
hospital. Prosecutors charged a 19-year-old with murder and
elder abuse.
On January 31, a security camera caught a man in a hooded
sweatshirt barrelling into a 91-year-old Asian man in Oakland’s
Chinatown, causing him to fall face-first into the pavement,
narrowly missing a bike rack. Police arrested the suspect and
said he had assaulted a couple on the same block later that day
and another on February 1.
In just the last two weeks, authorities recorded 18 crimes
against Asian Americans around Oakland’s Chinatown, said Nancy
O’Malley, district attorney for Alameda County.
Community advocates said the attacks left many older Asians
fearful about going out to shop prior to the start of the Lunar
New Year, the most important holiday in several East Asian
countries that marks the beginning of the Chinese lunar
calendar. Shops and restaurants are typically bustling in
Chinatowns this time of year, but the pandemic and safety
concerns have dampened the festive atmosphere.
"There’s a huge amount of sadness and rage in the community,"
said Alvina Wong, director of the Asian Pacific Environmental
Network. "Folks are on edge and tense and don’t know when the
next thing is going to happen. They see what’s happening in
other cities, and it’s not stopping."
The recent attacks represent the latest spike in verbal and
physical attacks against Asian Americans since the coronavirus,
which emerged in China, reached the United States. Stop AAPI
Hate, launched by two advocacy groups to encourage Asian
Americans to report such incidents, has documented more than
3,000 attacks to date.
O’Malley said older Asians are targeted because of the
stereotype that they don’t report crimes due to language
barriers. Her office is investigating whether the attacks were
racially motivated and has launched a special response unit
focused on crimes against Asian Americans, especially older
Asians.
She said her team will focus on outreach and encourage
victims to report crimes.
"For many of the seniors, it’s not part of their nature or
culture to call the police. Some of them come from countries
where you do everything to avoid the police," the prosecutor
said. "So the more they meet with us and understand our culture,
the more people will open up to us about what’s been happening
to them."
Oakland’s new police chief, LeRonne Armstrong, visited
Chinatown twice in his first week to build trust with business
owners and residents and let them know about the increased
presence of police there.
"We want them to feel like they’re not alone," he said.
Meanwhile, the attacks have prompted volunteers to offer to
walk older residents to their cars or homes after shopping.
Jacob Azevedo said more than 200 people signed up after he
posted on social media the idea of an on-call buddy system to
chaperone residents who feel unsafe walking alone in Oakland’s
Chinatown. They also donated thousands of dollars to help him
buy a personal alarm device that will be distributed to older
Asians in the community.
"The only way that we can help people and stop this from
happening is if everyone steps in," he said.
Azevedo said he intends to keep the program going "as long as
old people don’t feel safe and people are taking advantage of a
vulnerable group like that."
To file a report to Stop AAPI Hate, visit <
www.stopaapihate.org>.
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