Zhihua Tian traveled thousands of miles from his native China earlier this year to profit from the treasures of the American education system.
Unfortunately, he landed at South Philadelphia High School, where the number of violent incidents often overshadow student achievements.
Tian, 19, of South Philly, and five other students who are recent immigrants are staying home today because they were among 26 Asian students who were attacked by a gang of other students throughout the day yesterday, said Xu Lin, of the Chinatown Development Corporation, who works with victimized students.
The ordeal began Wednesday, Lin said, when a Vietnamese student was jumped by 14 students across the street from the school.
Yesterday, the attackers were roaming the halls “searching for victims class by class during school,” he said.
Violent incidents against Asian students often go unreported because the victims often have a language barrier or choose to suffer in silence rather than risk retaliation, said Tram Nguyen, a community organizer with Victim Services in South Philly.