Beaten Asian grandma to donate nearly $1M she received to AAPI community [Video]

• A GoFundMe campaign was raised for Xiao Zhen Xie, a 76-year-old Asian woman who was violently attacked.
• Nearly $1 million funds were raised for her, which were initially intended for her medical bills.
• Instead of using the money, Xie and her family decided to donate it to help combat anti-Asian racism.

She was badly hurt, but she still chose to help.

Xiao Zhen Xie, the 76-year-old Asian woman who fought back against her violent attacker, received almost $1 million in donations. Now, she is giving all of it to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, saying the “issue is bigger than her.”

The $1 million was raised through GoFundMe, which was initially intended for her medical bills. But the family, including Xie, had a change of heart and thought of donating the funds to AAPI to support the “stop Asian hate” drive.

“Hate crimes towards Asians is nothing new. It has happened since the first Asian immigrants arrived in America. But during the pandemic, hate crimes towards the AAPI community have accelerated in an alarming rate,” Xie’s family said.

“All the hatred that is happening towards the AAPI community has deeply angered and saddened our family. The AAPI community is bleeding from this violence and hatred. We as a community cannot stay silent nor be silenced anymore,” the statement continued. “That is why our family plans to donate ALL funds generated in this GoFundMe to help the AAPI community recover, and combat racism.”

According to her grandson John Chen, Xie’s overall mental and physical health had improved, and her eye was no longer swollen. “She is now starting to feel optimistic again and is in better spirits.”

“She said we must not submit to racism and we must fight to the death if necessary,” John wrote on GoFundMe to update donors. “She also stated multiple times to donate all the funds generated in this GoFundMe back to the Asian American community to combat racism. She insists on making this decision saying this issue is bigger than Her.”

“This is my grandma, grandpa, and our family’s decision,” he added. “We hope everyone can understand our decision.”

The GoFundMe has raised over $912,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

On March 17, Xie was attacked by a man who suddenly came up to her and punched her while she was at an intersection on Market Street in San Francisco. Xie then picked up a wooden board and fought back.

The San Francisco Police Department identified the assailant as Stephen Jenkins, 39, who was reportedly involved in a physical fight with an 83-year-old man only 30 minutes before the attack on Xie.

In a previous interview, SFPD spokesperson Matt Dorsey told PEOPLE that Stephen “was badly beaten” in that previous assault.

It was unclear if Stephen has an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Nonetheless, the whole point of this story is this: that love should abound despite the hatred all around.

Source: PEOPLE.com