Volunteers patrol Chinatown streets in wake of violent attacks on Asians

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    OAKLAND, California (KPIX) — Attacks on Asians are putting many on the edge but some are turning fear into action.

Ever since these attacks started happening, police have tried to step up patrols but it hasn’t been enough.

Community volunteers have pitched in to help but many are feeling helpless.

From the unprovoked attack of a 76-year-old woman in San Francisco to a man in Oakland, these acts of violence are happening over and over again.

Ernest an Oakland resident says, “I’m tired of it, I’ve been tired of it. And to see it grow like this, something has to be done. We gotta do something.”

According to Stop AAPI hate, roughly 3,800 anti-Asian incidents occurred in the past year, 68 percent of those attacks have involved women.

“I’ve seen too many stories on media and it hit close to home this time and I didn’t want to be one of those people that sits around on their computers and and continually say I’m upset. I wanted to do more,” said Sandy, a volunteer with Asians With Attitude.

Asians With Attitude volunteers patrol the streets of Chinatown in Oakland to protect the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

“A lot of them here don’t have a voice, they don’t know how to voice and so I feel that we are the voice and we’ve had enough of this violence,” Sandy added.

That violence has taken an emotional toll on the Asian American community and experts say this is the time to speak up and set an example for the next generation.

“Stereotypes that Asians are more passive and they don’t speak out as much and so I think it’s so important as parents to be assertive and speaking up again at these things,” said Dr. Mari Kurahashi with Stanford Children’s Health.

According to Dr. Kurahashi, racist acts mocking accents and physical features have been largely ignored, even among many Asians. She says people must reflect on their individual views of racism and come together to fight it.

“People who are committing all these horrible acts towards Asians see us as all of the same and we are stronger together,” Dr. Kurahashi said.

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