An Asian grandmother who hospitalised her attacker has set up a nonprofit corporation to combat anti-Asian hate crimes.
In March, it was reported that 76-year-old Xiao Zhen Xie was punched in the face by 39-year-old white male Steven Jenkins on San Francisco’s Market Street while she waited to cross at a traffic light.
Xie fought back and witnesses said they saw her pummelling the man in retaliation. She picked up a wooden paddle she found on the side of the road and continued hitting him with it.
Video footage taken after the incident shows Xie holding an ice pack to her black eye whilst the handcuffed assailant is wheeled off on a stretcher.
The Asian grandmother suffered two black eyes, with one of them bleeding uncontrollably.
A GoFundMe page had been set up to support Xie and her family. At the time of writing, the page has raised over $999,000.
The family then revealed that Xie wishes to donate the money “back to the Asian American community to combat racism.”
Since, Xie’s granddaughter has updated the page to announce that the family has incorporated California nonprofit corporation Asian Community Assistance Association (ACCA).
“The goal of ACAA is to continue protecting the AAPI community, promoting safety, and preventing any further increase in Asian hate crimes,” the Go Fund Me page reads.
$120,000 of the donations will go to Xie’s personal expenses and family members will serve as a set of directors for ACAA.
“We’re eternally grateful for the overwhelming amount of support this community has shown our family. We are looking forward to taking action to improve our community together.”
In other news, legislators are pushing for young students to be taught about Asian American topics
