Hundreds of people are volunteering to escort elderly Asian Americans to help keep them safe.

Hundreds of people are volunteering to escort elderly Asian Americans to help keep them safe.

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It was the second video of an unprovoked attack on an elderly Asian American that Azevedo, an Oakland resident, saw on social media outside the Bay Area in an hour, he told CNN.

Since the world learned of the new coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, harassment and violence against the Asian American and Pacific Island community has increased rapidly in the United States.

More than 2,808 first-hand reports of anti-Asian hatred in 47 states and the District of Columbia were reported between March 19 and December 31, 2020, with 7.3% of these incidents involving Asian Americans over 60, according to a report by Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition that documents anti-Asian hatred and discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exhausted by the violence, Azevedo volunteered on social media to walk with anyone in Oakland’s Chinatown neighborhood to help her feel safe.

“I did not intend to be some kind of vigilante,” Azevedo, 26, told CNN. “I just wanted to offer people some kind of comfort.”

His idea resonated quickly throughout the community and in a few days he had almost 300 volunteers joining him to protect the community in a project now called Compassion in Oakland.

Azevedo, who is of Hispanic descent, believes that this is a time for all minority groups to sympathize with the Asian-American community. He said that people of all racial backgrounds and ages came to him sharing the same desire to help support the community.

“This is important because this community only needs healing,” said Azevedo. “There are a lot of racial tensions going on because of the previous president’s rhetoric, but in general our communities need healing. This is a problem that has been going on for a while ”.

Stop APPI Hate co-founder Cynthia Choi told CNN that crime and violence are not new to the Asian community.

“This is a problem and issue that does not attract much attention, especially in low-income communities,” said Choi. “And, of course, the pandemic, I think it exacerbated conditions and exposed racial disparities.”

Choi said that in times of crisis, when vulnerable people are being attacked, it is exciting to see community members speak out and act.

“In Oakland, they are planning this action and it is really less to control and more to support the community and show up,” she said. “It is to show our elders that they are afraid, afraid to leave the house that we are here, we want to support them, we are holding you now.”

Azevedo hopes that the organization will be able to work with law enforcement authorities in the future to protect the community.

“We all need to come together if we are to make this community safer in the coming years,” said Azevedo.

The group planned a smooth launch of the project on Saturday, with some groups of volunteers on the streets. They hope to continue to raise awareness of the problem in the community.

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