Denny Kim, pic (left) from yesterday, wks after 2 men broke his nose & beat him in LA Koreatown. "They called me chink, said 'You have the Chinese virus' and 'Go back to China.'" Kim didn't report initially bc he was afraid. Encouraged by others, he's got something to say (more) 
Kim, like many AAPI's, has heard all these racial slurs before but ignored them. He now says "silence leads to violence" and Asian-Americans need to speak out and defend one another by being visible. #StopAAPIHate
Denny Kim shared this pic with me. He says he served in the US Air Force, serving his full service time for his country. Even in the military, Kim says he was called horrific racial slurs. He said nothing then, just focusing on doing his duty
Denny asks, why is he always trying to show he belongs? Why do Asian Americans, regardless of how American we are, have to constantly prove we belong?
Being silent about this isn't helping, he says.
Being silent about this isn't helping, he says.
Denny then touches on a tough subject. His assailants were both Latino. Other assailants of #AAPIs seen in social media have been Black or other POC. He says Asian Americans have to funnel rage not at other racial groups but work in unity to find peace and seek solutions.
We spoke in LA's Koreatown, that burned to the ground, in part, because of lack of racial unity and understanding. "Taking it out on each other is not the solution," he says, and history has shown us why #AAPIs need allies. "But those allies need to see what's happening to us"
Among the heartbreaking parts of our conversation is that Denny, a Korean-American born & raised in LA, is now afraid to go to K-town, one of the most vibrant parts of his youth and culture. Sending Denny good thoughts, prayers and strength as he and other #AAPIs fight for change
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