For AAPI Angelenos, new fears emerge following Atlanta shooting

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Flowers and a poster are left outside Gold Spa following the deadly shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 17, 2021. Photo by REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

In the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings of six Asian women, some AAPI Angelenos are fearing their parents’ safety.

Michelle Gonzales tells KCRW she has forbidden her mother from taking walks in their predominantly Filipino neighborhood in Carson. “That was just our way of protecting her from violence that could actually happen in our community, when before we would never have thought that something like that would ever be possible,” Gonzales says.

Others, like Van Nguyen, describe why they’re worried for their own safety. “I just want to run errands and go home. I don't need to be walking down the street in an area that's unfamiliar to me. I'm a small Asian woman. I'm super petite, 5’2.’’ Who knows what would happen?”