SAN DIEGO (KGTV)- Across the country, there have been reports of racial discrimination against the Asian Pacific Islander community (API), including here in San Diego County.
Erin Chew said she was wrapping up her grocery shopping trip in San Marcos when a man made eye contact with her and began speaking loudly about Asians.
"He just looked at me and started talking extremely loud to his partner or wife Looking at me saying Chinese people eat all this dirty stuff, eating bats and everything," Chew explained. She said the man also said, "I blame all the Chinese people for bringing this virus into this country."
The incidents are not just happening out in public.
"My organization, SDS U'S Filipinx and Filipinx-American organization Andres Bonifacio Samahan was recently Zoombombed by a group of unknown individuals slandering us," said SDSU student Cristal Ami.
Video from the Zoom meeting shows a group of unknown people yelling things like, "All you Asians have coronavirus!"
In San Leandro, hate-filled notes were left on several homes, one read, "You have until May 23, Saturday at 10:30 AM to leave this country. No Asians allowed."
An online reporting center called Stop AAPI Hate has been documenting the number of reported incidents against Asian Pacific Islanders across the country.
As of April 29, it has received 1,711 reports, including 28 across San Diego County.
The incidents range from verbal harassment and shunning, to physical assault.
The San Diego Asian Pacific Islander (SD API) Coalition is working with San Diego Council President Georgette Gomez and Councilmember Monica Montgomery to put a resolution in front of the entire city council that will address the racial discrimination locally.
The resolution proposes that the city should document and report hate crimes through Stop AAPI Hate and work with SD API to use the reported information to create targeted education and provide resources to those affected personally.
SD API also said the city council would encourage the city's Human Relations Commission to address and investigate reported incidents.
The city council will vote to adopt the resolution on June 2.
