On Friday November 5, NSC members visited with seniors at Wilshire Towers in Koreatown, Los Angeles to distribute safety supplies, including pepper spray, whistles. Educational material about how to report hate crimes and other personal supplies were also handed out.
Many of the mostly Asian seniors living in this senior home stated that they have suffered racist attacks but none had ever reported it (e.g. they told of us of a recent an attack on Normandie and 5th). NSC shared with them what we have been doing during the weekly safety walks, and demonstrated the proper use and precautions to take with the pepper spray.
“I was attacked while crossing the street at BDC Korean BBQ on Wilshire, but a African American man saved me by challenging and diverting the attacker until I can get away,” stated one of the seniors.
NSC members made the point that, racist stereotypes that provoke desperate people to attack Asians such as, “old Asians will never fight back and that they carry money” are not exclusive to Black folks, white folks or even Asians. White supremacist ideas can infect any race of people who are uninformed.
NSC has started to contact other senior housing facilities and hopes to be able to interact directly with more seniors going forward. Please join NSC to help in these community self-defense and safety efforts!
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