Earlier this month, a 63-year-old Chinese American woman died due to a fatal shoving in San Francisco. The following day, an 83-year man was pushed to the ground and suffered broken bones. Today, the SF Standard reported on two Asian seniors who were reportedly attacked as well. These incidents occurred only days apart, and served to further highlight the ongoing issue of violence against elderly individuals, especially those from the AAPI community in the city.

In the most recent string of attacks, an 86-year-old woman was pushed to the ground in the Tenderloin district on July 10, suffering a broken hip and was forced to hastily go through hospitalization. The Standard reported that, the suspect, a white man around 30 years old, still continues to be at large. A separate incident occurred on the morning of July 21 when an 88-year-old Chinese woman was kicked and thrown to the ground in Union Square, sustaining "massive internal bleeding," according to Wind Newspaper, a free Chinese-English weekly in SF. She too was forced to receive hospitalization for her injuries.

These attacks follow the tragic death of Yanfang Wu, a 63-year-old woman who died after being shoved and hitting her head on the ground in a case that was initially ruled an accident. ABC 7 added that a bystander, Braulio Reyes, tried to save Wu, but unfortunately, her injuries were far too severe.

Reporting from the Standard emphasized the disparity in San Francisco crime data. SFPD reveals that while AAPI individuals constitute 11% of assault victims citywide, they dangerously make up 25% of elder abuse victims, the highest percentage among all racial groups. The recent attacks on these elderly women risk to further highlight the worrying trend of violence against AAPI seniors in the city, as well as memories of past incidents involving victims such as the 84-year-old Thai American man known as "Grandpa Vicha" and the 84-year-old Chinese elder, Rong Xin Liao.

Many AAPI seniors residing in senior housing facilities in the Tenderloin area, as a result, have expressed fear and worry regarding the seemingly senseless and unprovoked attacks on their peers. Mei Chen, an immigrant and resident of a Tenderloin senior housing apartment, shared such concerns with Wind Newspaper about the violence being faced by the Asian seniors and the city's ongoing struggle to possibly curb similar incidents.

Community leaders and advocates are also demanding some answers and are raising their voices against the increase in violence against AAPI seniors. Marlene Tran, a crime victim advocate and community leader in Visitacion Valley, expressed her distress to Wind over these attacks.

Top Image Source: Getty Images / Alexi Rosenfeld