It's a sunny May afternoon in Manhattan.

People are all gathered at Columbus Park in Chinatown for the 2022 Asian-American and

Pacific Islander Care Fair.

There are lunch boxes with Filipino desserts, cute dogs on skateboards, and a henna tattoo

station.

Meanwhile, over at the basketball court, a group of about 50 people, mostly Asian-American

women, are taking part in a self-defense class, led by Moitai Fighter Jess Ang.

I never planned to teach these classes, but really, ever since the pandemic, it's been just

heartbreaking just to see the videos over and over daily.

She's talking about videos of attacks against Asian Americans, on the subway, in the streets,

even at their own homes.

These attacks have really taken a toll on this community, something Jess has seen first

hand at herself defense classes.

It was heartbreaking seeing grandmother show up on a Sunday at the event, signing themselves

up, coming, can barely do a jumping jack.

Like on a Sunday morning, they should be grocery shopping, or at the park with their friends,

or seeing like their grandchildren, not signing up to take a damn self-defense class because

they know they can get mugged if they step out to just buy groceries or buy milk.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say there have been more than 10,000

reported incidents of anti-Asian hate.

And it's affected the mental and physical health of Asian Americans across the country.

That's the reason why Jess and hundreds of others are here at the Care Fair today.

...