Help an Elderly Woman Recover from a Burglary

On February 7, 2023, my 66-year-old mother became a victim of a house burglary while she was at work. It was only after this incident that I learned there have been an increasing number of burglaries all throughout the country targeting Asian families, especially those who work in the restaurant industry due to long work hours.

My mother lives alone one hour away from her workplace, and she works 12-hour days, 6 days a week. After a long day of work and a long drive home, she arrived home tired and ready to enjoy her one day off for the week. When she opened the door, she found her house completely ransacked, with nothing left unturned. Prior to becoming part-owner of this restaurant, my mother was working two jobs seven days a week when our family was going through financial hardships. She became the manager of her restaurant because the couple who opened it was generous enough to lend her money to help her get back on her feet, and offered a well-paying job, which allowed her to finally become financially stable. She sacrificed so much throughout my life to ensure that I could have as great of a life as possible, and is one of the most selfless, hardworking, and resilient people I know.

My mother's only valuable possessions are bits of gold, silver, and jewelry that have been passed down her family over generations. Sadly, the burglars found these heirlooms and took off with them. More devastating than the theft of very dear personal belongings is the deprivation of her sense of safety and the immense feeling of violation.

Although nothing can be done to get back the items which are worth more to us in sentimental value than monetary value, I decided to start this fundraiser to help soften the blow, as well as provide funds for her to beef up her security, and, should she choose to do so, seek counseling to recover from this devastation. I also want to let her know that despite there being some very terrible people out there, there is still a lot of good in this world, and people out there who care about her.

I would be back by her side in this moment of difficulty, but I am unable to leave Taiwan until the completion of my one-year alternative civilian service (substitute for the compulsory one-year military service due to my age). I feel very helpless right now, and the only thing I can do to help her is to humbly ask my friends and supporters to please consider helping her in this time of need if you have the means.

If you are unable to contribute, you can still help by spreading word of these sorts of burglaries, especially to Asian friends and families, particularly immigrants, who work at or own an Asian restaurant. I do not wish for more people to find out about these burglaries the hard way like my mother and I did. It will also mean a lot to me if you could help share this GoFundMe on social media.

Thank you very much, and please stay safe.

To learn more about this string of burglaries, please refer to some of the links below:

Asian American business owners in Westchester were targets of burglary ring

3 sentenced in burglaries targeting Asian American business owners in Colorado, Wyoming

Asian Homeowners Were Targeted in Burglary Ring

FBI Newark Warns Asian Business Owners to be Aware

FBI warns Asian business owners of burglars target