An Asian-American family in San Francisco was targeted with racist letters this summer for posting a “Black Lives Matter” sign in the window of their home. Because of the threats and racial slur used, the harassing letters are being investigated by the police as hate crimes.
But the letters have only strengthened the family’s resolve to stand up against hate, according to Debbie Lee, who spoke to KRON 4 about the incidents at her home this summer.
The first note, which Lee and her family received in the mail in July, contained a threat.
“BLUE LIVES MATTER! Get rid of your sign, or WE will,” the anonymous letter read.
The sign had been up since 2015. Lee and her family were undeterred, however, and kept the sign up. A month later, they received another letter.
“It’s time to replace your BLM sign. How about CHINK LIVES MATTER,” read the second note. It was at that point that Lee decided to call the police.
While no suspects have been found, Lee and her daughter have decided to double down on spreading their anti-hate message. Not only have they kept the sign up, but at a community meeting this past Monday, they printed more signs for their neighbors to post.
The new posters declare, “I stand with my neighbors against hate and racism.”
“If anything, we have to keep the sign up,” said Lee’s daughter, who wasn’t named in the news video. “Because then that would mean these people are getting exactly what they want.”
“The first thought was definitely to get more signs up around the neighborhood,” she added.
The number of hate crimes rose across the U.S. in 2016—a phenomenon that researchers believe is tied to the presidential campaign and subsequent election of Donald Trump. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports tracking 900 bias-related incidents just 10 days after Trump’s victory, according to PBS. Certain cities, like Los Angeles, are reporting that the hate crime surge has continued into 2017.
Read more at KRON 4.