Our community speaks out against
HATE and racism in all ways
Systemic bias, discrimination and violence have no place in our community
Executive Director Rick
Cotton’s statement:
Members of the senior staff
met and condemned, in the
strongest possible terms, the
increase of discrimination
and violence against Asian
and Pacific Islanders in Atlanta.
“We collectively mourn
the loss of these women, “ Cotton
said.
He read excerpts from our
communication to the Port
Authority workforce -
We cannot remain silent in
the face of violence and injustice.
We emphasize the Port
Authority’s continuing stand
in denouncing hate in all its
forms and reaffirm our solidarity
with the Asian American
pacific islanders community,
our colleagues, and
their families. This is not an
abstract issue. It is very real.
It is happening here. And it is
happening to our colleagues.
We have heard multiple reports
of recently experienced
acts of racist intimidation
and violence including incidents
on their way to and
from work. We must all stand
with them in repudiation of
such hate.
In coordination with the
PANYNJ Asian American
Association, we are developing
an important responsive
agenda:
1. We are augmenting the
training provided to enhance
resources to the PAPD in response
to potential crime involving
all acts of hate and
bias.
2. We are developing employee
communications
events that stand in support
of the AAPI community and
provide appreciation of our
Authority’s rich cultural heritage.
We make it clear of our
intolerance for hate against
the Asian community.
3. We will develop external
messaging in Port facilities
and Path trains that support
a clear communication campaign
of anti-hate and antidiscrimination.
Port Board Chairman
O’Toole said, “The hate
against Black, Asian, LGBT
communities–it just has to
stop. You attack one, you attack
4 AIRPORT VOICE, APRIL 2021
all. We have to react
quickly if attacked against
our own employees. Perpetrators
must be tracked and held
accountable. “
In light of George Floyd
and BLM, Mike Massiah
stated that an initiative, titled
“Race Dynamic” has
now been released. “This is
the culmination of great effort
and this report on race
contains 25 initiatives.” (This
report is detailed in another
story in this issue).
Queens District Attorney
Melinda Katz said during a
call with leaders in Queens,
combatting the ongoing rise
in attacks against members
of the Asian community remains
a top priority for this
office.
In a panel with legal experts,
community leaders,
victim advocated and law enforcement
representatives, a
discussion was held on ways
to stop Asian American and
Pacific Islander violence.
Senator John Liu said, “
We need to stamp out inherent
racism. It has been exacerbated
since the leader of
the country made China and
Asians a scapegoat for the virus.
Racism and bigotry are
not yet a thing of the past.
Wwe need to stop dehumanizing
and preying on the elder
Asian Americans.”
Recommendations
by the panel to the
AAPI residents who
might encounter
or see hate crimes
include:
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Avoid walking alone in
unlit areas
- Avoid being alone in areas
with strangers who appear
to be suspicious
- When approaching home,
have keys ready to open your
door
- Look for a Safe Haven
store if you feel threatened
- If you see an incident call
911 immediately
- Make detailed notes if
you see an incident. Listen for
words used during a verbal
assault
- Don’t be afraid to contact
the police. They are looking
to prevent, and arrest any
perpetrator of hate crimes,
not to report an immigration
issue
Nassau County
rejects Hate
“Nassau County is standing
together against the rising
tide of Anti-Asian hate,”
County Executive Curran
said. “Although there have
been no reported hate crimes
targeting Asian-Americans
in Nassau, the attacks we’re
seeing in our State are alarming
and unacceptable. Now
and always there is no home
for hate in Nassau.”
Voices from our
community
We contacted many individuals
of the AAPI community
connected to our airports
and neighborhoods to
ask about their experiences
of acts of prejudice. Unfortunately,
most did not want to
talk about it. Was it fear of
reprisal at work, embarrassment
of any situation, fear of
inviting more attacks, lack
of confidence in law enforcement
to do anything, or just
wishing not to remember?
Since we are an airport
publication, most of our reporting
is based on to our
readership of airport and aviation
workers and adjacent
neighborhoods where many
workers live.
Asian American
woman’s story
A prominent Asian American
aviation executive said,
“This is the first time in
my life that I am concerned
about walking around. I am
aware of my surroundings
since something can happen
at any time.” Discrimination
against Asian Americans has
been around since the end of
the second world war. Many
Asian, Pan Islanders moved
to the U.S in the 1950’s, with
professionals settling in quiet
suburban communities, like
herself. She had experienced
name calling such as “dirty
jap” during her school years.
She said, “Most of the kids
thought we were Japanese
and called us names which
my father taught me to ignore.”
Now she says, decades
later, some Americans are
not only calling us Asians
names again but resorting to
hate crimes with violence. “It
is horrifying what has happened
over the past four years
in the previous administration.
This hate seems to have
been simmering and people
feel that they have license to
act this way, blaming the Chinese
or people they think are
Chinese, as responsible for
bringing the Corona Virus
to the U.S. There is a much
much more profound amount
of resentment and the hatred
has been fomenting against
“people of color” of which
I am, Yellow. In my professional
life there has been a
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