A terrifying rise in Asian hate crimes across the country has shocked the conscious of America and left many of Asian descent feeling vulnerable. While riding on a train, a woman named Maddy Park came up with the idea of raising money to help scared Asian Americans get around town safely, and her plan took off.
Park said she read numerous reports of hate crimes against Asian New Yorkers, and decided to put up $2,000 of her own money to start @CafeMaddyCab on Instagram – which offers to pay for cab rides for Asian American senior citizens or Asian women who don’t feel safe and can’t afford them. Park acknowledges that she can afford a taxi but knows many people who cannot.
“Last week I took the train,” she said. “It was a 30-minute commute, and I realized every minute of that commute I was terrified. I was scared that any moment in time someone might say a racial slur or attack me. Worst of all, I thought that if something were to happen to me, nobody would stand up. [So], I just said look, I have $2,000, if you need a ride, just charge me on Venmo.”
Donations quickly started pouring in to help support her cause – more than $100,000 in just the first two days. People from across the nation, from all races and ethnicities sent her messages and money. “It really opened my eyes to how many people are actually supporting the Asian community in New York City,” she said.
Source: ABC7 New York
