Stop the Hate fundraiser in Houston

HOUSTON — Cooks and vendors were hard at work in east Houston on Sunday to raise money for Asian-American advocacy organizations. Organizers said they created the Stop the Hate event in response to recent racist incidents targeting Asian-Americans.

Fifty vendors brought out their specialties for the fundraiser.

The idea for the event came about after some difficult conversations among business owners who watched the concerning events play out on video.

“We just started having conversations that personally I never had,” organizer Gabby Nguyen said. “It just hits close to home.”

Organizers said some of the money raised will go to the nonprofit organization Stop AAPI Hate.

The organization released its national report in March on incidents of hate against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders since the start of the pandemic.

It found that there were nearly 4,000 reported incidents during the one-year period, 11% of them involved violence.  Last month, an attack was caught by a surveillance camera inside of a north Houston beauty supply store.

RELATED: Video: Attack at Asian-owned north Houston beauty store caught on camera

The store owners say the attackers told them they shouldn’t be selling wigs because they are Asian.

The woman who was bloodied during the attack says she was called Asian and Chinese by the woman who was hitting her. Two women were arrested and charged with assault.

A grand jury decided Keaundra Young, 24, should be charged with assault with a hate crime enhancement.

RELATED: Attack of Asian store owner in Houston was hate crime, Harris County grand jury says

Participants at the event on Sunday said they hope the fundraiser will help to end some of the violence.

“We can’t wait to see what we can donate at the end of this,” Nguyen said.