Growing climate of fear

Like other immigrants, Chutikan Hoover remembered the thrill of stepping foot in the US — the land of opportunity — for the first time nearly two decades ago. She now lives with her husband in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, and runs a licensed spa business.

“I think America still has potential but the opportunities have changed. It is not the same as before but if you are creative, you can still make a fortune,” she said.

However, a climate of fear is taking hold among the Asian-American community. In late January, Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, was thrown to the ground in front of his home in San Francisco. A few days later, he died of a brain haemorrhage in the hospital. The police charged the main culprit with murder and his friend for accessory to murder. Since then, Chutikan refuses to take public transport and walk alone in big cities…