Open streets, culture for all
COURIER LIFE, MARCH 19-25, 2021 25
EDITORIAL
Stop the hate, end anti-Asian crime
“Appalled.” “Furious.”
Cowardly.”
These words
have been printed in our media
as we try to bring attention
to the alarming increase
of anti-Asian hate crimes in
Queens and around New York
City
But words alone are not
enough. We hear residents
and politicians alike condemn
these crimes, but actions
speak louder than
words, and we need to take
action and work to put an end
to this bigotry.
In Brooklyn, there have
been protests against recent
anti-Asian setiment as early
as last summer, when hundreds
of New Yorkers took the
to the streets of Bensonhurst
to show their support for an
89-year-old Asian woman
who was attacked by strangers—
and to condemn the police’s
decision not to classify
the incident as a hate crime.
The incident — in which,
police say, the victim was approached
by two unknown
men on 77th Street and 16th
Avenue, slapped and set on
fi re — sparked outrage borough
wide, but it is just one of
countless crimes against the
Asian community that have
taken place both prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic, but especially
in its wake.
So, how can we help put an
end to these types of crimes?
By standing together, supporting
each other and condemning
these acts.
We have seen Brooklyn offi
cials host rallies around the
borough denouncing the hate
crimes. And those rallies are
necessary and important —
but they are not enough. We
need to see more action at the
community level, and that
starts with local community
boards.
Following the March 16
massacre of eight people in
Atlanta — six of whom were
Asian — Borough President
Eric Adams on March 17 announced
a plan to expand
Operation Safe Shopper, a
pioneering program that his
offi ce spearheaded to deploy
security cameras outside of
local businesses that help
the Police Department during
its investigations of local
crimes. The move, which
he hopes will protect at-risk
small businesses and individuals
in Asian-American
communitie, comes as anti-
Asian hate crimes remain on
the rise.
“We must be vigilant to
watch out for potential copycat
attacks against our Asian-
American communities in the
coming days, and we must do
more to defend ‘soft targets’
like massage parlors,” Adams.
said in a statement “The
massacre of innocent people
at massage parlors around
the Atlanta area — mostly
women of Asian descent —
strikes at a real fear so many
of us share: being targeted for
what you look like. Discrimination
is deadly, and we must
fi ght back.”
We applaud action, and
those other politicians have
taken, as a positive fi rst step
toward combating hate. But
we are calling on community
boards — and the communities
they serve — to do more.
Anyone who is the victim
of a hate crime should report
it to authorities. Far too often
these crimes are underreported,
and if victims don’t
go to the police, they should
feel comfortable bringing it
to the attention of their local
community boards or even
their neighbors, who can
join forces and help bring attention
to these incidents,
or even solve a case. After
all, who knows the people in
their neighborhoods better
than the person who lives in
your building, or who lives
next door?
Only by reporting these
crimes and making them public,
can we begin to weed out
the “bad eggs” and make a
difference. Saying change is
necessary doesn’t make it so;
acting on those words does.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
I am a born and bred
Bay Ridgite involved
with several grassroots organizations
that are involved
with sharing: culture, history,
arts (all forms) and preservation
of our built and natural
environment.
This past year has been
more than challenging, as so
many have lost so much, including
what has become a
benefi t of being a New Yorker,
the opportunity to enjoy arts
and cultural gifts at every corner
of our city.
With the hope of spring and
increase in vaccine distribution
many of us are looking for
ways to once again offer performances
and cultural events
in safe ways. However, we are
not out of the woods yet, as parades,
Summer Strolls/Street
Fairs, and other large gatherings
have to be canceled this
upcoming spring.
I have been trying to think
outside the box to fi nd ways to
offer arts and cultural activities
safely. Can we use outdoor
spaces, with limited seats to
hold a concert? What about
offering Walking Tours? For
example, I am working with
others to fi nd substitutes for
the Norwegian Day Parade
where we can still share and
celebrate our culture — what
about an outdoor lecture and
outdoor fi lm for children?
So, when the NYC Mayor
announced its “Open Culture”
program in February, I
was excited.
Upon further investigation,
I realized that the streets have
already been designated and
fi xed. In Brooklyn they are
mostly located in: the North,
Downtown, and Park Slope areas,
which have each received
multiple streets. Bay Ridge
has been totally skipped over,
which is a shame as we have
so much open parkland.
And we are not the only
community excluded from
this benefi t. Quelle surprise!
So, what to do — fuggetaboutit?
Never.
The city could still extend
their list to include a street
from each Brooklyn community.
However, this exclusion
is indicative of a larger and
more pervasive issue.
It is time that NYC, the
place known as the cultural
capital of the U.S., supports
the arts throughout ALL of
the city, to all of its constituents.
People make art and create
culture. This is not predicated
by your zip code. Let’s
distribute funding for the arts
fairly, which means to equal
funding and opportunities to
ALL communities in our city.
Victoria Hofmo is the
BRACA (Bay Ridge Arts &
Cultural Alliance), Founder
& President; Bay Ridge Conservancy,
Founder & President;
Scandinavian East
Coast Museum, Founder &
President; TRCC (The Ridge
Creative Center), Creator
&Executive Director