Local officials and members of the Asian community are speaking out about the rise in anti-Asian attacks close to home.

Nancy Toh, 83, was spit on and punched in downtown White Plains this month and another Asian woman was kicked and stomped on three times in New York City Monday.

During a virtual town hall Tuesday, people said that while attacks on Asians have skyrocketed this year, these incidents go back hundreds of years.

"It wasn't until eight people were murdered right, that these concerns were really brought into the national spotlight. This violence that we've seen is predominantly aimed at women. Over 60% of the victims are women and are targeted elderly," says ​Diana Pan, Ph.D., of CUNY Brooklyn.

President Joe Biden announced steps his administration will be taking to tackle Anti-Asian incidents, including a task force to address coronavirus-fueled xenophobia and $50 million in grants to support Asian American survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who face language barriers.