For Immediate Release

NaFFAA Calls on the Filipino American Community to Support Jose Serra, Filipino Elder Attacked near San Diego

(San Diego, California) November 12, 2021 - Jose Serra, a 71-year-old Filipino elder, was gruesomely attacked by a random man with a knife on November 3, 2021 in El Cajon near the city of San Diego. While Mr. Serra miraculously survived the attack, he is currently in critical condition and recovering from his injuries at a local hospital.

Mr. Serra was on his commute to work when he was attacked by a random bystander who followed him after he left a trolley station. After the attack, the suspect fled the scene, possibly with Mr. Serra’s backpack. Mr. Serra was found by another random bystander.

Andrew Amorao, Region Chair of the NaFFAA San Diego/Imperial Region, recently updated our community on Mr. Serra’s condition. “I just spoke with Todd Jones, Mr. Serra’s friend and organizer of a GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help Mr. Serra with medical expenses. He said that Manong Jose is in good spirits and is talking. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to him. Manong Jose lives in San Diego in a studio apartment at Father Joe's Village. We plan on meeting soon to go over Manong's road to recovery and what resources he may need.”

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) calls for law enforcement to find the attacker and for elected officials to take necessary actions to combat anti-Asian hate and violence. “The brutality and senseless assaults on our kababayans and fellow Asian Americans must stop now. We should not live in fear, particularly those we call manong and manang. Mr. Serra does not have family in San Diego and had been recovering from other health issues when he was attacked. NaFFAA will assist Mr. Serra in every way possible,” stated NaFFAA Chairman Brendan Flores.

“We call on our Filipino community to look after our elderly. We ask for help from those who are able to donate to Tatay Jose Serra's GoFundMe link. We pray for Tatay Jose's speedy recovery. NaFFAA asks for help from our elected leaders and local authorities in El Cajon to find the suspect, and we call for increased protection for our elderlies in the area,” he added.

The GoFundMe campaign set up for Mr. Serra can be found here and is open to anyone who would like to donate.

To learn more about what to do when encountering or witnessing a hate crime, please click here.

Additionally, NaFFAA is partnering with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and Hollaback to host a bystander intervention training in Tagalog on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 7 p.m. EST. Click here for more information about this training and to register.

 

 

About NaFFAA

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization. Established in 1997, NaFFAA promotes the welfare and well-being of the four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the United States. NaFFAA's vision is to serve as the voice of all Filipinos and Filipino Americans by uniting, engaging, and empowering diverse individuals and community organizations through leadership development, civic engagement, and national advocacy.