As an Asian American woman living in NYC in 2021 I honestly just think “what in the actual F*ck”. I honestly cannot believe everything that is happening right now and in major cities no less. Well, actually I can, because I never believed racism was dead. When I used to come back during the past few years for my NYC visits, there was something different in the air—it did not feel like the same NYC I had lived in for most of my adult life. I felt more fear and apprehension than I had ever before, and this was pre-covid.

I returned to the US last winter when the paranoia of covid was taking over everything we have known to be true and real in life. I was personally scared to go on the subway or be in neighborhoods that did not have a high asian community . But that was last year. Fast forward to over a year later and now I am on edge every time I leave my apartment building and am out by myself. I carry a stun gun with me at all times and am always looking over my shoulder and careful about my surroundings. I haven’t taken the subway and won’t be doing so anytime soon. I don’t walk by myself after sundown anymore and only leave the apartment when I need to. Thankfully I have a good support system here so I can ask people to run errands for me if I don’t feel safe doing so myself, or walk with me if I don’t feel like walking alone. For those of you that don’t, here are some resources that may give you some peace of mind if you live in the NYC area.

Cafe Maddy Cab

I stumbled upon this on Saturday evening while scrolling on instagram. An Asian American woman, Maddy Park, came up with this initiative when she was riding the subway home one night. She, like many Asian Americans, felt terrified being on public transportation and thought to herself even though she could afford to take a cab to feel safe, a lot of people couldn’t, so she started Cafe Maddy Cab. The premise is simple, you don’t feel safe, take an uber or lyft to your destination—all you need to do is fill out this form where you submit the necessary information including a screenshot of your uber/lyft receipt so they can determine that the ride took place in the NYC area, plus a selfie to verify that you are Asian. Since this initiative started, Maddy has raised over $100K in donations. Donations are now open and she is working to expand this to cities outside of NYC. If you would like to find out more about how to help, you can email her at cafemaddyCAB@gmail.com or if you would like to donate to the cause, you can send a donation to @cafemaddyCAB on paypal.

Safe Walks

Another organization that emerged in NYC at the rise of all the AAPI hate crimes is Safe Walks. Volunteers in select NYC areas are offering accompaniment to individuals on walks if they feel unsafe. All you need to do is request a safewalk on their site. They are currently looking for volunteers in all five boroughs, so if you are able to volunteer your time or services, you can sign up here. I love seeing the impact they have had on their instagram. You can see all ways you can help them on their linktree.

Hollaback!

Hollaback! is an organization that has partnered with the Asian Americans Advancing Justice to offer their free bystander intervention training and de-escalation training. They are a nonprofit working to end harassment and believe that everyone deserves the resources to respond to, prevent, and intervene in instances of harassment. They provide both customized and free anti-harassment training experiences. The bystander training is one hour long but spaces are limited so make sure to register here. They also offer corporate programs to train staff and a 2.0 Version of their original training if you’re looking to go deeper into how to directly intervene and de-escalate conflict.

Protect Chinatown

Protect Chinatown is another community based organization that was born out of the crimes happening against Asian Americans. They offer chaperone services to people in need so they are not put into dangerous situations. Their vision is to provide a sense of security through community-led collaboration, cooperation, and kinship. Protect Chinatown remains committed to spreading awareness on major issues, collaborating with like-minded individuals and organizations, and restoring our community’s safety and confidence. If you are in need of a chaperone you can call 646. 543.4055 or fill out this form. You can also volunteer by filling out this form or support them via donation on venmo @protectchinatown. They started in Chinatown but are looking to expand their efforts based on volunteer availability.

CHINESE AMERICAN PLANNING COUNCIL

Another way New Yorkers have been combatting the anti-Asian sentiment is by rallies. The CPC’s mission is to promote the social and economic empowerment of Asian Americans, immigrant, and low-income communities. They have been very active since hate crimes have started and have been offering counseling for those in need because of the atrocity currently happening in the community. You can find out more about their organization here.

Needless to say I am inspired and touched by the outpouring of support for the Asian community by the community and am grateful to live in a city that mobilized so quickly to protect their members. I will be updating this post as situations emerge and new organizations form so everyone can stay safe and help. $10 Million dollars was just approved in state funding for community groups to combat anti-AAPI violence so there will hopefully be more support to come. It is sad that we are where we are in today’s day and age, but I have hope and faith that we will come out stronger and make it through this together.