California neighbors have rallied together to guard the home of an Asian-American family following a series of "deeply upsetting" racist attacks.
Haijun Si and his family - as well as some of their neighbors - recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about a series of racially motivated incidents the family endured.
The Si family moved to America from China four years ago and relocated to a new home in Ladera Ranch, Orange County, in September.
However, soon after the move, Si, his wife, and their two young children were targeted by a group of around 20 teenagers in the area.
Learn more about the story in the report below:The teens persistently pranked the family by ringing their doorbell and running away, throwing rocks at their house, and hurling racial slurs at their new neighbors.
"My kids are scared. I'm very annoyed," Si, 48, told the Times. "At night, my wife and I could not sleep for more than three or four hours. Please, parents, tell your kids don't do that again."
Si took action by putting in place a new fence and cameras around his home, and he also got in touch with the authorities to launch an investigation.
His neighbors also took it upon themselves to help prevent the attacks by standing guard in the driveway and from their cars.
"I did not understand the extent of the harassment and how often it was occurring, at first. I was immediately outraged and wanted to help," neighbor Layla Parks told the Times.
Parks even shared a video of one of the attacks to a local Facebook group, which prompted people in the community to help guard the family's home.
"This harassment started almost immediately upon them moving here, and the fact that it was so clearly tied to their race is deeply upsetting," neighbor Olivia Fu told KABC.
Parks admitted to the Times that the harassment faced by the Si family made her "physically ill," and that it made her realize racism is "alive and well" in Ladera Ranch.
"It's definitely made me sad for this community because this is just a wonderful place full of friends and neighbors that love and care about each other," she told the Times.
Over the last year, particularly as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the LA Times reports that there has been a rise in violent attacks against Asian people in many parts of the US.