In Midtown Manhattan Monday, a 65-year-old Filipino American woman on her way to church was kicked and stomped on the head not once, but three times while the perpetrator reportedly made anti-Asian statements telling her“you don’t belong here.” The video shows a building staff member closing the front door after the attacker fled. The video shows a building staff member closing the front door after the attacker fled.
"Seeing that security guard not even step in to help and instead close the door on her," said Lakhi Siap, Board member, Filipino American Young Leaders Program. "I feel like that's how the rest of Asian-Americans feel that ... voices don't matter, our lives don't matter."
The building ownersuspended the staff involved pending an investigation… and the woman was hospitalized with serious injuries. The NYPD has opened a hate crime investigation. And the suspect, who appears to be a person of color, hasn’t yet been found. There are reportshe is a homeless man often seen wandering the neighborhood.
"Racism can happen from white supremacy and racism can actually manifest in people of color. And that is something that I feel like people disregard, especially from a darker skinned person. I think that is a status quo that people need to unlearn," said Tony DelaRosa, CoFounder of NYC Men Teach Asian American Teacher Empowerment Networking Development initiative.
This comes amid a year of anti-Asian incidents — nearly 3,800 reported since the start of the pandemic.
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