Hundreds at Bay Area Rallies March to Support Asian Americans
SAN MATEO (KPIX) -- Another series of rallies against anti-Asian violence and hate are being held around the Bay Area this weekend. At one of them, the conversation was focused specifically on the future.
"We have to protect our brothers and sisters no matter what color -- what size -- they are, where they come from," said former San Mateo mayor Claire Mack. "It's on us."
Saturday's rally and march in San Mateo included many similar themes seen over the past several weeks. It was youth-driven, organized by high school students and it included a diverse set of attendees. But while this event was inspired by recent instances of hate, there were a lot of questions about the future of the movement.
"We need to do more than just stand in solidarity," said Grace Xia, founder of Asian Uplift. "We need to change. Change is a process. Not an event. So what can we do beyond coming out here today?"
"What comes next," asked San Mateo city councilmember Amourence Lee. "What comes next?"
On one hand, many of the attendees would like to see greater security measures, more prosecutions and an emphasis on safety.
"So I think there's a lot that can be done," said Leanna Louie of United Peace Collaborative. "Number one, the watch groups need to expand. We have actually gotten a lot of requests from people in San Francisco to expand in Visitacion Valley, to expand in Portola and Sunset. Richmond. We actually just had a training session this morning."
There is also a lot of discussion about political action in various forms, especially from the younger voices who are organizing these events.
"Run for office," Xia told the crowd. "Call your senator to expand voter rights, demand easier registration, transparency into the actions of officials ... Enforce universal background checks and gun laws."
