Gibson and advocates host rally to denounce
violence against Asian-Americans
BY JASON COHEN
Since COVID-19 began
there has been an increase in
anti-Asian crime nationwide.
With the killing of six
women of Asian descent at an
Atlanta spa, a brutal attack
on an Asian woman in Hell`s
Kitchen and several other incidents,
it is clear that this is a
national crisis.
Recognizing this, Councilwoman
Vanessa Gibson, Congressman
Ritchie Torres and
community organizations
and advocates held a “Stop the
Hate Rally” on April 7 in support
of the Asian-American
Pacifi c Islander (AAPI) community
in the Bronx.
Gibson stressed that she is
tired of seeing Asian people
assaulted, spat on and live in
fear.
“We all have an expectation
to be safe on the streets,” Gibson
stated. “It pains me when I
see people that are victims of
racism and hate.”
Torres shares his colleague’s
anger towards the
rise attacks against Asian
people. He explained that hate
crime reporting is inaccurate
nationwide and hopes that
Congress passes the No Hate
Act and the COVID-19 Hate
Crime Act, which could help
curtail hate crimes.
“We owe to every member
of the AAPI community to
stand up for their human dignity,”
he stated. “By standing
up for their human dignity we
are standing up for our own.
We are one people, we are one
nation and that humanity is
worth defending.”
Among the groups who
joined the elected offi cials at
the rally were the Asian American
Federation, Chinese-
American Planning Council,
Inc., NYC Commission on Human
Rights and clergy members.
Pastor Daniel Cho of the
United Methodist Church in
Manhattan was quite emotional
when discussing the
turmoil that Asian people
have faced recently. Cho explained
this racism and violence
is nothing new, but
COVID-19 has only exacerbated
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A 22 PR. 16-22, 2021 BTR
the problem.
He has a friend who was
spat on, friends who are afraid
to let their kids walk down
the block and congregation
members who have been attacked.
Cho stressed that no
one should be treated like this,
regardless of their skin color,
ethnicity or gender.
“We care about building
a society that is grounded in
love,” he commented. “We
know the power of love can
bring us all together.”
Alice Wong, chief of staff
for the Chinese American
Planning Council, said that
she and her colleagues are distraught
at how the AAPI community
has been treated during
the past year. Wong told
the attendees that Asian people
are told to go back to their
own country even though they
were born here and some arm
themselves when they go out
in public out of fear.
“I ask everyone here will
you stand with the Asian
American community because
Alice Wong, chief of staff: Chinese-American Planning Council
even though we are the
community that is under siege
right now we all do recognize
that other communities of
color have been dealing with
this for so long,” she said. “Let
us all stand together against
this white supremacy.”
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