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 Lunar New Year.
A string of attacks on Asian Americans, particularly targeting seniors, has communities on edge going into this weekend’s Lunar New Year celebrations. For some, the recent assaults and robberies feel like the inevitable escalation of anti-Asian sentiments that have surged in some corners over the last year, with Asians being blamed for the spread of coronavirus.
Seeing video of a 91-year-old man being thrown to the ground by an assailant in Oakland’s Chinatown on January 31 brought the problem into focus for many. This week, a man was arrested in connection with that and two other attacks targeting Asian seniors. Around 20 robberies and assaults have been reported in the neighborhood since the beginning of the year.
Police in the San Francisco Bay Area are stepping up patrols and volunteers are increasing their street presence after several violent attacks on older Asians have stoked fear and subdued the celebratory mood leading up to Lunar New Year.