In Response To Anti-Asian Hate Incidents, Groups Step Up Trainings For Bystanders

In Response To Anti-Asian Hate Incidents, Groups Step Up Trainings For Bystanders Enlarge this image toggle caption Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images What should you do if you witness harassment, or worse, an assault? Sponsor Message "We don't know the full story from the bystanders who were present," says Dax Valdes, a senior trainer with the group Hollaback! Enlarge this image toggle caption Dax Valdes Dax Valdes "We have been operating in this environment where the Asian-American community has been experiencing heightened anxiety and fear over the last-- more than the last year," says Marita Etcubañez, senior director of strategic initiatives at Asian Americans Advancing Justice/AAJC. "If the situation does escalate into physical violence, or medical attention is needed, then yes, we recommend that people call the proper authorities to help deal with that situation," he says. The initiative has garnered support from the likes of Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who took to Twitter to praise the "real strategies" the training offers, and from Chelsea Clinton, who tweeted about the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and the responsibility people have to reverse the trend and protect lives.