Two Chinese living in Perth have been recognized by the Western Australia Police Force for their efforts in cleaning up racist graffitis in their community.
Boxi Bao said he was first alerted to the graffiti at several locations through social media.
"I actually saw it on WeChat because we have a lot of groups in our Chinese community. This is something that made me uncomfortable. It was only three words but it said, 'China must pay.' I feel uncomfortable and I'm not a fan of those words. People are using 'Wuhan virus' or 'Chinese virus,' it just doesn't make sense. All viruses have a specific name but are not related to a specific location or group of people," said Bao.
Racist grafitti is spray-painted in a Perth suburb, Australia. Boxi Bao/ CGTN
They informed their local council and got to cleaning up several sites. Despite not expecting any form of reward for what they have done, the Western Australia Police Force issued two certificates to recognize their contribution to the community.
Boxi Bao and Boyong He were recognized for their efforts by the Western Australia Police Force in Perth, Australia. Boxi Bao/ CGTN
"I'm quite happy with the results because they recognized me and my friend for what we have done. I think this was just a small thing for me but the result was good," said Bao.
A growing number of Asian Australians are saying they've noticed a rise in racism lately.
Australia's Human Rights Commission said about one out of every four people who filed racial discrimination complaints over the last few months said they were targeted because of the global pandemic.
Bao says he plans to continue cleaning up racist graffiti in his community, Perth, Australia. Boxi Bao/ CGTN
"The virus is already here so we have to protect ourselves, we have to protect our families, we have to protect our friends. Also, we have to take responsibility for other people by not having those wars to point out where the virus came from," said Bao.