What’s fueling attacks on elderly Asian Americans in NorCal?

Elderly Asian Americans in Oakland’s Chinatown, plus other parts of the Bay Area, have been attacked in recent weeks. Oakland’s Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said on Monday, “Some in our community come specifically to Chinatown to target people. … We know that they target our elderly. We also know that they come because they believe that our community won’t report it to police.”

Elderly Asian Americans in Oakland’s Chinatown, plus other parts of the Bay Area, have been attacked in recent weeks. Oakland’s Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said on Monday, “Some in our community come specifically to Chinatown to target people. … We know that they target our elderly. We also know that they come because they believe that our community won’t report it to police.” Photo by Allie Caulfield (CC BY 2.0).

Elderly Asian Americans in the Bay Area have been targets of violence in the past few weeks. In one video, a suspect runs up to an 84-year-old San Francisco resident — who was originally from Thailand — and violently shoves him to the ground. That man died of his injuries. In Oakland’s Chinatown, a 91-year-old man was approached from behind and sent flying to the pavement.

From this Episode:

Credits

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Angie Perrin, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Rosalie Atkinson, Brian Hardzinski, Bennett Purser