FLUSHING, NY – Before sunset Monday, several dozen Asian-Americans, dressed in neon vests and coats, combed the streets of this New York City neighborhood.
They weren’t police officers. They were college students, store workers, and retirees equipped with little more than a cell phone in case they encountered someone harassed or attacked. Their mission: to prevent potential attackers from hurting other Asians, be it by calling the police for help or by intervening themselves.
“It made me feel sick,” said volunteer Wan Chen, 37, of the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes across the country. So this is the time we need to speak and do our best to help. When someone tries to do something, they might think twice. “
Volunteer groups like this one originated in the US and patrol the streets of Asian communities from New York City to Oakland, California. They have multiple goals: guide people concerned about their safety where they need to go, check in on community members, and if necessary, intervene if they see someone being harassed.
In cities across the country, hate crimes against Asians have increased since the start of the pandemic. An analysis conducted by researchers at California State University, San Bernardino found that hate crimes targeting Asians in 16 of the largest U.S. cities rose 149% between 2019 and 2020. Over the same time period, overall hate crime reports fell by 7%, the researchers found.