After we contacted Xie Xiaozhen and planned to interview her, Mr. Chen, Xie’s son-in-law, told us that the old man’s injuries had recurred today and he was no longer in a fit state to be interviewed. For this reason, we spoke to the elderly’s Family about her story and the follow-up.
Xie Xiaozhen’s family took a recent photo of her on March 20
Reporter: How is the elderly’s current health condition?
Mr. Chen: After the attack, the old man’s situation is not very good, although yesterday (19) the situation has improved, but in today’s, the old man’s mental state some trance, speech is not particularly clear, the trauma suffered in the attack also appeared hematoma and septic, than before looked more serious.
Reporter: After this incident, are there any further actions by the local authorities for this case?
Mr. Chen: As this case has received wide public attention in the past two days, the local police and judiciary have paid considerable attention to it, but the old man is not yet able to present his case to the police because of his poor health condition. In addition, official figures such as the assistant of California Congressman and San Francisco City Supervisor have come to express their condolences to the elderly.
In addition to the official figures, there are also many local Chinese who have managed to contact Xie Xiaozhen’s relatives to pay tribute and express their concern to the old man.
California Assemblyman Ding Yu-Li’s assistant Wu Yu-Zhen (above) and San Francisco Supervisor Yang Chi-Ma came to visit Xie Xiaozhen at his Home.
Reporter: As residents who have lived in the area for many years, how do you feel about the discrimination against Asians in the United States?
Mr. Chen: The atmosphere of discrimination against Asians has been a long Time ago, and we Chinese have felt this before. But in the last two or three months, especially since March, we found that this discrimination has begun to escalate into violent attacks, and this week alone there have been several vicious incidents of attacks on Asian seniors.
In the face of racial discrimination, Xie Xiaozhen has been particularly outspoken in the past. Some years ago, a local man bullied another Asian senior citizen on a bus, and many other Chinese people present were afraid to speak up, but Xie Xiaozhen bravely stopped the man and scared him off the bus.
My mother-in-law was separated from her husband by her job when she was young and had to raise several children alone for several years, which may have also been an important factor in shaping her strong personality.
Reporter: For the attack, the elderly and family members hope that the matter can be resolved in what way? Are you worried about retaliation from other thugs after public opinion expands?
Mr. Chen: Let’s talk about “retaliation” first. Recently, many people have reminded us to be careful when we go out, and our family has also discussed this matter, but Xie Xiaozhen and we both believe that in the face of the current hatred of some people of Asian descent in the United States, “fear” is not helpful. It is better to rise to the occasion and speak out.
With this in mind, we hope to raise awareness of racial discrimination among Chinese and Asian Americans through this case, rather than getting a high compensation. Therefore, we will actively take legal measures to protect our rights and interests, and will continue to call on more Chinese and Asians to speak out against discrimination.
Reporter: From the current situation, do the local Chinese groups have any response to this matter?
Mr. Chen: After the incident, I am concerned that many local Chinese have such a voice: everyone is reflecting on why in the past 100 years or so, many Chinese often choose to hold back when they encounter bullying and injustice, and dare not resist? This time, when people saw a 76-year-old woman who dared to fight back against a strong young man, many people realized: Why do we Chinese have to be the “scapegoat”? Why do we Chinese and Asians always have to be the target of bullying?
During the interview, Mr. Chen also showed us a chat in a local Chinese WeChat group, where a Chinese netizen said that if everyone had Xie Xiaozhen’s courage, there would be fewer incidents of Chinese people being bullied.
In addition, many other local Chinese are contacting people in various ways to initiate protests, including an open letter circulating among the Chinese community calling for people to protest outside the local justice department offices, speaking out in connection with the recent attacks on Xie Xiaozhen’s elderly and the killings of several Asians by white gunmen in Georgia.
Mr. Chen also revealed that a Chinese netizen also initiated the idea of naming a local subway station after Elder Xiaozhen Xie as a tribute to this brave old man.
At the end of the interview, we at the Global Times conveyed greetings to Xie Xiaozhen on behalf of the concerned netizens in China, and Xie’s family also expressed their gratitude for everyone’s concern.
Mr. Chen said that as the incident continues to attract widespread attention from all walks of Life, Elder Xie Xiaozhen and her family realize that this is no longer a matter for their family, but a new starting point for the entire Chinese and Asian community to fight for equal respect, so they think they should continue their efforts to unite more people to join this action.
When asked by reporters what he would like to say to his Chinese compatriots at home and abroad, Mr. Chen said, “I hope millions of Chinese will not be afraid of things and will not hold back in the face of discrimination. We Chinese were bullied for more than 100 years before, but now our motherland is so strong, what do we have to fear?”
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