One of the most disturbing trends during the pandemic was the rise in violent hate crimes directed at Asians and Pacific Islanders, and one incident is drawing a lot of scrutiny.
AAPI leaders in San Francisco said it seems obvious they’re being targeted, but there is one case in particular that has some in the community wondering just how seriously the justice system is taking it.
“I was born and raised here. My family still has shops on Grant Street and Broadway Street,” said SF native Hudson Liao, as he strolled through Portsmouth Square, a popular gathering place for Asian elders.Â
The stocky, amateur MMA fighter and founder of a group called “Asians Are Strong” teaches self-defense lessons to seniors. But he said he still feels a little guilty that he hasn’t done enough to help them feel safe in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
“Oh, that’s Aunt Lily. Say hi to Aunt Lily,” said Liao as he hurried across a crosswalk.
In Chinatown, seniors are often referred to as “Aunt” or “Uncle” as an acknowledgment of their position in the community.
“That’s why we don’t call people by their first name, usually,” he said. “Because it is that built-in natural respect. And that’s why protecting elders, protecting seniors, is so important to us.”
And that’s also why images from across the country of Asian seniors being attacked have so enraged the AAPI community. Last summer, 63-year-old Yanfang Wu died after being knocked to the ground near a bus stop in San Francisco’s Bayview District.
A month later, SFPD announced that after reviewing surveillance video the incident was ruled to be an accident and the case was closed.Â
But earlier this month, the same person who shoved Ms. Wu, a 43-year-old woman named Thea Hopkins, was arrested for allegedly attacking a 71-year-old Asian woman on Gilman Street, just five blocks away.
Now, Liao and other Asian leaders are demanding that the Wu case be reopened and pursued as a hate crime.
“How many Asian elders do you have to attack…
Read the full article here
