With the rise of violent crimes against Asians across the nation, a fourth-generation Chinese American counselor answered the call to do what she could to protect the Asian elders in her Oakland Community. Since March, 2020 there have been 2,800 attacks on Asian Americans, close to half of those attacks have happened in Calif.
Jessica Owyoung, a DSPS (Disabled Student Programs and Services) adjunct counselor at Laney College, helped establish Compassion in Oakland, a grassroots organization that Owyoung co-founded with Jacob Azevedo. This movement was born out of a need to protect the Asian senior community after a 91-year-old Asian man was attacked in Oakland’s Chinatown.
Owyoung told WBUR, “At their age, these Asian-American seniors should be resting and feeling safe in their community.” The team recruited hundreds of volunteers to accompany seniors as they walk through the neighborhood.
