US Marines veteran beaten at South Loop Jewel Osco believes attack was, in part, racially motivated

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chinese American Service League is helping support a beating victim who is also a U.S. Marines veteran, and the organization has a message for others who feel they've been targeted because of their race.

One week after he says eight or more people suddenly attacked him at a South Loop Jewel Osco, Kevin Qin has been seeking counseling.

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"With some of the trauma I've been experiencing and some of the flashbacks," Qin said.

Qin says police told him they've reviewed store surveillance video and interviewed a witness. But police told ABC7 no one is in custody.

Qin, who is Chinese American, still thinks the beating was, in part, racially motivated.

"Maybe they had this notion that we could be messed with easily, in a sense," Qin said.

"Unfortunately, it's still a common stereotype that Asian Americans are more passive-aggressive, more docile, that don't speak up, and that they will not call out an act of hate," said Abbey Eusebio with the CASL Anti-Hate Action Center.

CPD has not classified Qin's battery as a hate crime, but CASL has received a growing number of hate incident complaints to its Anti-Hate Action Center from 19 in 2022, to 36 last year and already 21 this year.

"There's this cultural stigma that, you know, asking for help is a sign of weakness, and we really are trying to empower the community that we need to make sure that we change the culture around that," Eusebio said.

Community groups say that corner of Roosevelt and Wabash, steps from the Roosevelt CTA stop, has long had problems with crime. The Near South Planning Board has been working for a solution.

"It's a concerted effort of everybody, the Chicago Police Department, CTA," said Near South Planning Board member Ernie Wong. "All of the businesses within the neighborhood can start to get together in a cohesive manner to try to start to address some of these issues."

CASL says it offers legal services and help filling out police reports and encourages all victims of crime to report it.