An Asian student at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon was attacked and called a racial slur as she was walking this past Sunday. The student was walking to a local Safeway when she was suddenly pushed and kicked by two men who then proceeded to yell racial slurs at her, as reported by KATU.

According to KATU, the perpetrators are two white men in their 30s, with one man appearing to be about 5’6” with long, curly blond hair, wearing a grey V-neck shirt, black snow hat, and something tied around the waist and the other man appearing to be about 5’11” with a thin build, long and thin brown hair, and wearing a button-down shirt and snow hat.

In response to the attack, Willamette University’s Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students sent an email to students saying, “Today we were horrified to learn about a racially-motivated hate crime involving physical violence and harassment, targeted at a Willamette student. It’s important to acknowledge these crimes and for all members of our community to resist ill-informed, biased perspectives about Asian people and to denounce this violence.” The university has not identified the student involved in the incident.

This attack comes in the midst of a surging number of hate crimes against Asian Americans across the nation. Allie Yee, a member of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon said, “We really want to see people show support and show up and talk about this and condemn the root racism, the anti-Asian discrimination that’s causing violence and harm in our community.”

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to contact the Salem Police Department at 503-588-6123.

Please visit this link for ways that you can help stop Anti-Asian racism.