Asian American Attacks: 'It's In My Eyes, On My Lips;' Two Victims Spit On While In Traffic In Oakland and San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Two different Asian American victims say they were spit on while sitting in traffic in Oakland and San Francisco this past week, and the disturbing moments were caught on dash cam videos.
The victims say these were unprovoked attacks, and in both cases, they did not know their attackers. They told KPIX 5's Betty Yu, they believe the separate incidents are racially motivated.
A woman named Tina, who did not want to publicly share her last name, said a man walked up to her car on 14th Street as it approached Broadway in Downtown Oakland Friday morning. He then spit on her face and yelled an expletive.
She was sitting in the passenger seat and could be heard on video telling her husband not to get out of the car.
"The car window wouldn't go as fast as we expected so by the time he got close to me, he had already spat in the car, and on my face, and taunting us to get out the car to fight him," she said. "It's in my eyes, on my lips, it wasn't a pretty sight."
Tina is a healthcare worker and seven months pregnant. She says she rigorously washed her face immediately and took a COVID test. She also plans to take a blood test, and more COVID tests to be sure she is healthy.
When asked if she believed the attack was racially motivated:
"Definitely. If you look at the video, I think he had already targeted our car, because he was walking straight towards our car. Our windows (were) down, there were other people on the streets, he didn't provoke anyone," Tina said.
This past Wednesday May 12, an Asian driver was pulling up to the intersection of San Bruno and Silver Avenues in San Francisco when a man approached his car and yelled "(expletive) Chinese," before spitting on the windshield. He told KPIX 5 that the man then walked to the driver's side, where the window was halfway down, and spit on his face. He declined to share his name publicly.
"If you feel like something is off, just automatically, just go with your gut," he said. "Don't drive with your windows down - windows up. Always be aware of your surroundings, just protecting yourself, just be more vigilant, and if possible, have pepper spray."
Both victims reported the crime to police in their respective cities, and also plan to report the incidents to the group Stop AAPI Hate, which has been tracking harassment and violence against Asian Americans since the pandemic began.