US Marine veteran Kevin Qin believes the attack on the South Loop Jewel Osco at the intersection of Wabash and Roosevelt was partly racially motivated

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chinese American Service League is supporting a battering victim who is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and has a message for anyone else who feels they have been attacked because of their race.

A week after he says he was suddenly attacked by eight or more people at a Jewel Osco in South Loop, Kevin Qin is seeking mental health counseling.

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“With some of the trauma I experienced and some of the flashbacks,” Qin said.

Qin said police told him they reviewed surveillance video from the store and interviewed a witness, but police told ABC7 that no one was in custody.

Qin, who is of Chinese descent, still believes the beatings were partly racially motivated.

“Perhaps they had the idea that we could be easily tricked in some way,” Qin said.

“Unfortunately, it is still a widespread stereotype that Asian Americans are more likely to be passive-aggressive and docile, that they don’t speak out and don’t denounce hate crimes,” said Abbey Eusebio of the CASL Anti-Hate Action Center.

The CPD has not classified Qin’s assault as a hate crime, but the number of hate incident complaints received by its Anti-Hate Action Center has increased from 19 in 2022 to 36 last year and already 21 this year.

“There is this cultural stigma that asking for help is a sign of weakness, and we are really trying to empower the community to make sure we change the culture around this,” Eusebio said.

Community groups say the corner of Roosevelt and Wabash, just steps from the Roosevelt CTA station, has long had crime problems, and the Near South Planning Board is working on a solution.

“It’s a concerted effort by everyone involved, the Chicago Police Department and the CTA,” said Ernie Wong, a member of the Near South Planning Board. “All of the businesses in the area can start to come together and work together to try to address some of these issues.”

CASL says it offers legal advice and assistance in completing police reports and encourages all victims of crime to report them.