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• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
March 26-April 1, 2021
Flushing BID launches calls for unity
amid rise of anti-Asian hate crimes
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
In response to the staggering
rise in anti-Asian hate crimes
across the United States, the
Flushing Business Improvement
District announced the
launch of a new campaign titled
“Respect, Unity, Courage” in
Flushing on March 18.
The campaign was introduced
two days after eight
people, including six Asian
American women, were shot
and killed by a 21-year-old white
gunman in Atlanta, Georgia. It
calls on all Americans to stand
in solidarity with the Asian
American community, have the
courage to denounce the wave
of anti-Asian violence and show
mutual respect.
Flushing BID members were
joined by Councilman Peter
Koo, local business owners and
community-based organizations
outside the Queens Public
Library on Main Street, demanding
an end to the senseless
racially motivated violence that
has skyrocketed since the start
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stop AAPI Hate reports that
it has received almost 3,800
reports of hate incidents from
March 19, 2020, to February 28,
2021, and an analysis by the Center
for the Study of Hate Extremism
The Flushing BID gathered to call for unity in wake of an increase in hate crimes against Asian
Americans in the U.S. on March 18, 2021. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
shows that anti-Asian hate
crimes surged by 149 percent in
major cities across the United
States, while overall hate crimes
dropped by 7 percent. New York
City alone saw an increase of
reported attacks on the Asian
American community, which
went from three in 2019 to 28 in
2020, an increase of 833 percent.
Flushing BID co-chair Tina
Lee recalled the time when
she was told to “go back to her
country.”
“I was dumbfounded.
What do you mean? This is
my country,” Lee said.
She encouraged her community
to take action and report
any form of bias and violence so
they won’t go unpunished. She
also called on Americans to act
when they witness racism.
“For those who are bystanders
of a hate crime, be it against
an Asian or anyone else, don’t be
silent. Because by being silent,
it creates even greater harm
and trauma to the victim. If you
want to help, there are many
ways. But today, we say, please
respect everyone and let’s come
together in unity,” Lee said.
Koo said that the Atlanta
shooting victims were killed for
no reason and that the perpetrator
committed the crime because
of hate. He also addressed
the negative stigma surrounding
massage parlors and emphasized
that most of them are safe
and provide health services.
MinWen Yang, who represented
state Senator Toby
Stavisky’s office, expressed how
hurtful and demotivating the
attacks are for the Asian American
community. She shared that
she also was told to “go back to
China” last summer.
Bianca NG with Flushing
BID and president of the Flushing
Central Lions Club pointed
out that many of the victims are
elderly and said it was heartbreaking
since they are the
most vulnerable members of
society.
“Finally, now they wait for
the first vaccine to roll out and
think that it is safe to go outside.
And now, they have to worry
about going outside because
they’re going to be attacked. So,
this is unacceptable,” NG said.
Flushing resident Kei
Downey worries about the safety
of her two children and elderly
parents and fears they might get
attacked. She called on Americans
to work together instead of
attacking each other since the
coronavirus doesn’t discriminate
and poses a danger to all,
regardless of skin color.
“I truly believe, only if we
work together, we have a better
chance for everyone. Not just
for Black, white, whatever color
we are. So, I hope people just be
nicer to everyone and protect
each other and we will be better
off that way,” Downey said.
Vol. 87 No. 13 32 total pages
2021
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