WASHINGTON: As the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged America, Esther Lim grew more worried by the day for her parents´ welfare and her own — not just for their health, but their safety in the face of rising attacks against Asian-Americans.
When her friend was hurt in a hit-and-run accident — in what she firmly believes was a hate attack — she decided to take action.
“I wanted to do something more proactive rather than wallow in fear,” Lim, who is Korean-American, told media.
So Lim, 32, bought her mother pepper spray, started learning judo from her father — and wrote “How to Report a Hate Crime,” an information booklet with advice on dealing with the police and phrases written in English to show to bystanders, to ask for help.
As of this year, Lim has begun printing the booklet in six languages — Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese — and has more on the way, including Tagalog and Khmer.
She distributes them to friends and Asian community centers in Los Angeles. She feels her work is more important than ever. Reports of attacks, primarily against Asian-American elders, have spiked in recent
