Celebs Call Out Rise In Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Amid Pandemic

Actors Daniel Dae Kim , Daniel Wu, Gemma Chan, Chris Pang and more are calling out the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes amid the pandemic and demanding that law enforcement, the media and the American public not ignore them.

Speaking in an interview on MSNBC on Sunday, Wu pointed to an increase in racist, verbal and physical assaults reported by Asian Americans nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic began, saying, Were not going to take this anymore.

Dae Kim noted that Asian elders have been particularly hard-hit, as older people with health conditions are at higher risk of severe cases of coronavirus and, with the spate of anti-Asian attacks, older Asian Americans are even more scared to go out.

It just makes our community fearful, Dae Kim told MSNBC, and it actually silences the community.

What does 'doing better' look like?
\"It starts with empathy for the situation and understanding that we are a community that's under attack.... We are crying out for help and we are crying out for people to lend a hand to help us with out plight.\"@danielwuyanzu pic.twitter.com/qXIFEdcggf

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What does 'doing better' look like?
"It starts with empathy for the situation and understanding that we are a community that's under attack.... We are crying out for help and we are crying out for people to lend a hand to help us with out plight."@danielwuyanzu pic.twitter.com/qXIFEdcggf
American Voices with Alicia Menendez (@AliciaOnMSNBC) February 8, 2021

Last week, Dae Kim and Wu offered a $25,000 reward to anyone who had information on the case of a 91-year-old man who was violently shoved to the ground in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Oakland, California, in late January.

The Oakland Police Department said Saturday that they had a person of interest in custody. The Alameda County district attorneys office told HuffPost on Monday that charges of felony assault had been filed against the suspect, who attacked two other Asian people in the area that day.

Australian actor Chris Pang is currently based in Las Vegas, and told his Twitter and Instagram followers he would accompany any elderly Asians that feel unsafe during their commute or while running errands.