8 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 26, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Filipina nurse shares tale of anti-Asian attack
during emotional Jackson Heights gathering
BY DEAN MOSES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Potri Ranka Manis stood at Diversity
Plaza in Jackson Heights on Tuesday, Aug.
17, surrounded by community members.
Dressed in scrubs and a pair of sunglasses
hiding a bruise, the Filipina registered
nurse recounted her tragic story of an
encounter with a hateful couple.
Manis has been doing her part to help
stop the spread of COVID-19 through
small actions, such as distributing face
masks on the subway system. While doing
so on Aug. 10, as she rode home on the E
train at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue
in Manhattan, she was assaulted aft er
off ering a face covering to an unmasked
couple with a child.
“Th e person that I gave the mask to
took the mask from me, threw it away and
said, ‘Mind your own business, Chink! Go
back to your dirty country.’ Th at is so sad,
pathetic and a very bad sign on what is
going on in our society,” Manis said.
Manis was visibly hurt — not just physically
but emotionally — that an act of kindness
transformed into an act of hatred. Yet
she is no stranger to combatting anti-Asian
violence; she has previously spoken at
rallies denouncing such vile actions.
“I stand here not for myself, but for
those who’ve been assaulted,” Manis
explained. “Anti-Asian sentiment has
become a parallel virus to COVID-19.
It is the virus that divides us people
of color. We cannot allow this to continue.
Th e attack that I had undergone
in the subway is more than
just a personal attack. It’s actually an
attack on public health.”
With the support of the National
Alliance for Filipino Concerns
(NAFCON), who aided in organizing
the speak out, along with neighbors
and concerned citizens who arrived
to encourage Manis to recount
the biased abuse, the frontline
worker hopes her story
can highlight the unfortunate
truth about anti-
Asian violence in New York.
She also hopes it will inspire other
victims who have yet to come
forward with their experiences
to do so.
“Nearly a third
of the nurses
who’ve died
of coronavirus
in the U.S.
are Filipino,
even though
Filipino
nurses make up just 4 percent of the nursing
population nationwide. Th ey are the
essential workers at the frontline of the
battle against the pandemic who face the
immediate brunt of COVID-19 and are at
risk of encountering anti-Asian violence,”
said May Madarang from the NAFCON.
Still those listening are demanding further
actions be taken to prevent attacks
like these from occurring as media coverage
wanes.
Outraged, longtime friend and New
York State Nurses Association Director
of Cultural Aff airs Minerva Solla fumed
over the incident, and called for vulnerable
AAPI community protections. Solla
described Manis’ dedication to showcasing
her culture through events such as the Red
Carpet for Social Justice, and her eff orts to
empower others to stand up for their rights.
“We can’t believe this,” Solla said in
audible shock and anger. “Th is sister gives
everything she has whenever she is with
people. I say to whoever touched Potri,
you treat people as you want to be treated.
You put your hands on somebody because
you don’t like that person’s look, the color
or the orientation? We are all upset. We
have to do more. Th at person hates, and
they need help because human beings
don’t go attacking other human beings
just for the f—ing hell of it.”
Assembly member Jessica González-
Rojas embraced Manis and called for greater
community education and programs
in hopes of ending the seemingly endless
onslaught of biased anti-Asian hate crimes.
“I want to share my sincere sadness
and anger. Th ere is no place for hate
in Queens. Th ere is no place for hate
in New York City. Th ere is no place for
hate in New York state. Nobody deserves
this treatment, but it is particularly
egregious when someone, a
nurse, who is a frontline worker,
who is handing out masks is
attacked for what she looks like
and who she is,” González-
Rojas said.
Also attending the event
were representatives from
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards,
Councilman Daniel Dromm
and the mayor’s offi ce, who
all helped distribute face
masks, hand sanitizer and
gloves to those in attendance
in Manis’ honor.
Photo by Dean Moses
Potri Ranka Manis sports a bruise following the Aug. 10 attack.
Photo by Dean Moses
Assemblywoman Jessica
González-Rojas
embraced
Manis.
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