Indian-Americans, who are “known for owning high-quality gold of 20 and 22 karats” have become targets in a number of thefts in Northern California, New York Times partner The Bay Citizen reported on Thursday.
There has been “a rash of robberies throughout Silicon Valley’s Indian-American communities in recent months,” columnist Scott James writes. Indian-Americans are one of the fastest-growing populations in the Bay Area, and their numbers have nearly doubled to 111,000 in Santa Clara County alone in the past decade.
The exact number of gold thefts is difficult to determine because the crimes have happened in several jurisdictions and victims’ ethnicity is not always made public. But interviews with the police, government and civic leaders, and representatives of the region’s Indian-American community confirmed the trend and growing alarm.
“It increased significantly nine months ago,” said Anu Natarajian, a Fremont city councilwoman. “It’s not a random thing that’s happening. People are afraid. People are nervous about it.”
Read the full article here.