SFNext: KPIX reporter shares perspective on Asian hate crimes
SAN FRANCISCO -- At the SFNext Conference that was recently held at the Exploratorium, there was a lot of discussion about the Asian-American community and a sense that many residents of Asian descent no longer feel safe in San Francisco.
KPIX reporter Betty Yu joined KPIX anchor Juliette Goodrich for a special debriefing on the topic.
Betty explained how, according to the latest census count, San Francisco is now home to 300,000 Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. That is about a third of San Francisco's population. Among that group, Chinese Americans make up the largest portion.
According to one police report, from 2020 to 2021 there was a 700% increase in hate crimes directed at the city's Asian-American community.
As to why, Betty explained that racism directed against Asian-Americans have always been present since the mid 1800s. But there is evidence to suggest that the recent spike in crime against this community is due to the pandemic and some talk at that time from the Trump White House which may have led to the scapegoating of Asian Americans.
Betty has reported on a lot of these recent hate crimes and she told Juliette how the community is experiencing a lot of traumas in light of these attacks.
She mentioned a story that she produce about a cafe in Chinatown where the owner is helping his employees by serving up self-defense skills.