The NYPD said "numerous tips from the community" played a key role in the arrest.

They're scared about, you know, fear of reprisal,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, the executive director of Asian American Federation.

And so people don't report things,” she said.

And this feeling of lack of safety is something Munn said she understands well?

“We're not safe in this country, you know, as minorities, we're not safe, our Asian community is not safe.” Munn said she thinks Asian immigrants often don’t report bias incidents “because we don't really feel like this is our country?

We don't feel like the police are there to support us, that the government is there to support us, that our fellow Americans are seeing us as fellow Americans.”?

So they're like, ‘Do we have to care about the Asian-American community?’” Munn said.

Growing up in Japan and Oklahoma, Munn said she always tried to embody her Vietnamese and Chinese heritage, and she wants to use her platform to stand up for her people

And right now, our Asian elders need us to fight for them.” Munn said

Sam Cheng says his mom’s attack has inspired him to fight for the Asian American community even more