Democratic members of the Asian community in Westchester are taking action following a rise in violence against their community across the country.

Vietnamese-born Mount Vernon resident Lisa Hofflich and dozens of others formed the group Westchester Asian American Democrats. “We thought this is the perfect time to really bring our voices here to try to address several issues especially in Westchester,” Hofflich says.

The Asian population in Westchester is more than 60,000. Ex-chairman of the Westchester Democratic Committee Reginald Lafayette says the Asian voice is an important one.

“Anytime you form a group and you’re forming a group out of goodness, do something good,” Lafayette says. “You can be influential.”

The Westchester Asian American Democrats group has around 60 members so far.