75 percent of Asian seniors in New York City are reluctant to leave their homes due to a surge in hate crimes (Photo by Archie on Unsplash)
March 25, 2022 By Allie Griffin
About three-quarters of Asian seniors in New York City are afraid to leave their homes due to the recent spike in anti-Asian violence, according to a report released Thursday.
The Asian American Federation (AAF) surveyed 153 Asian seniors as well as 15 community-based organizations across the city and found that 75 percent of respondents said they are weary to leave their homes due to anti-Asian violence.
The AAF’s Seniors Working Group, which is an advocacy group for elderly Asians, attributes these fears to the increase in bias attacks since the outbreak of COVID-19. NYPD data shows that hate crimes targeting AAPI New Yorkers increased 343 percent in 2021 compared to 2020.
The spike in Asian hate is leaving many seniors in the AAPI community isolated at home. Many are also not getting the government services they need since they are reluctant to go out.
The federation’s survey found that one-third of Asian seniors don’t have daily contact with family, friends or neighbors — attributing the high numbers to violence involving Asian-Americans.
In recent months, four Asian American women have died from violent assaults in high profile incidents. GuiYing Ma, Yao Pan Ma, Michelle Go and Christina Yuna Lee were all killed by strangers in brutal attacks. Yao Pan Ma is the only one to be ruled a hate crime.
Advocates for the AAPI community said more outreach needs to be done to help Asian seniors—the fastest-growing senior population in NYC—during this troubling time.
They say AAPI seniors, in order to get the government services they need, require help overcoming language barriers as well as using the internet.
Two-thirds of the AAPI elders surveyed said they need help translating documents from their native language into English, and half of the respondents said they are not comfortable accessing the internet on their own.
“Asian seniors are left out of government programs and vital mental health services because they lack English language skills,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of the AAF.
Access to senior services is critical for many older Asian New Yorkers as 42 percent are poor or low-income, according to the AAF.
“Asian American seniors are one of the fastest-growing senior populations in New York City, yet there is shockingly little infrastructure in place to support and protect them especially as our community contends with the devastating ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Yoo said.
“Our community needs help now, and we look towards our city’s leaders to help us continue our work and expand the support Asian seniors deserve.”
Queens Council Member Linda Lee, who chairs the city council’s committee on mental health, disabilities and addictions, said the AAF report is both eye-opening and alarming.
“While Asian seniors are the fastest-growing senior demographic and rank among some of the poorest in NYC, it’s clear that we are failing them in ways big and small,” she said in a statement. “As a city, we must commit to increasing resources to counteract the mental health effects of isolation, anti-Asian hate, and cuts to social services during the pandemic.”
Lee, one of the two Korean American council members, said she will continue to fight for Asian seniors within the city council.
Her fellow Queens council member Lynn Schulman also said she would work to provide services and protections to AAPI seniors.
“Asian American Seniors are some of the most under-protected residents of this city,” stated Schulman, who represents Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hills. “In my District alone I serve a vast majority of AAPI elders and know how vital protecting them is.”
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47 Comments
Blame #COVID19,WuHan,wet markets & president Trump
Covid ?
Wuhan ??
Wet markets ???
Trumps reaction to this ridiculousness… Priceless!!
Thank you reptards and trumpers. Like those 4 years in hell with the orange clown were not enough…
The tds runs large in you
Please get help
The vast majority of perpetrators of crimes against Asians are of the darker persuasion
What is a “reptard?”
yeah, because its been such a dream with geriatric joe. just make sure he doesnt give a speech, because that could cause a world war.
This is really sad.
I noticed that many Asians have moved to neighborhoods that are predominately white.
Because that’s where they’re safe. Connect the dots
Its just so sad to see. I notice the fear in their eyes as i go to work and enjoy all the neighborhood has to offer. Its the same fear blks have encountered far too long in this city from racists and law enforcement.
Are you a troll? Blacks are more likely to be crime victims by other blacks.
at what point in time did democrats feel it was time to dump supporting the working man and woman and take the side of criminals?
my grandma always talked about Roosevelt and how he was there for the average person. Aint like that anymore!!!
Republicans are there for the average person? Right to work legislation harms the average person. Fact! Just look up the nearly 30 RTW states they are all the poorest (lowest wages) worst education systems, last in healthcare access and personal health. Democratic states out perform Republican states in every statistical category.
Like I said in the past all the crime ridden, poor school cities in Republican states are all democratic run cities. Jackson, Little Rock, Montgomery…
The assaults are coming almost entirely from Black homeless people. Stop putting those homeless shelters in Asian neighborhoods. Stop dancing around the issue. We are beaten over the head on a daily basis with regard to anti Black prejudice but what about the massive Black bigotry against Asians, Jews and gays. It’s forbidden to talk about it. That’s not right.
we the people need to file personal lawsuits against the politicians. simple as that. make it personal.
Hard fact, according to Politico’s numbers, the Trump vote grew a lot in the 2020 election… I’m assuming that’s going to increase.
@Hard fact- Trump lost by wide margins although he increased his share of votes in nearly all of the city’s 65 assembly districts.
The president’s biggest gains came in pockets of Brooklyn neighborhoods that are home to the city’s Hasidic community, where Mr. Trump was expected to run strongly.
He also improved greatly on his 2016 showing in immigrant-heavy districts in Queens and the Bronx, mirroring gains among Latino voters in Florida, Texas and elsewhere amid surging turnout.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/nyregion/trump-voters-nyc.html?referringSource=articleShare
Of course, nobody will even acknowledge who is responsible for committing the vast majority of these crimes against Asians.
It’s impossible to solve a problem when one is in denial about it’s very nature.
That’s who.
13 percent of the population commit 90 percent of all crimes- guess who?
So true! It’s a shame.
Why are you blaming the anti-Asian attacks on our president making racist remarks for four years?
And there’s censorship even here on Sunnyside post. I’ve had comments not posted when I mentioned obvious things about certain types committing the same crimes day after day
Should we draw a conclusion based on that? Or only about people whose race is different than yours?
I am a white conservative and freely admit that most of the people rioting on 1/6 were white right wing extremists. I’m not hiding behind anything. At least Mayor Adams kind of has the courage to tell Black people to face their problems and stop blaming they’re problems in everyone else.
They’re all facing federal indictments because they were dumb enough to post their crimes on social media. There’s nothing for you to admit, but thank you for agreeing that the vast majority were white.
Should we draw a conclusion based on that?
I never mentioned race. You did.
Oh, thank you. I agree, there is no singular race responsible for committing the vast majority of these crimes against Asians.
Somehow you managed to connect the dots on your own. Your political ideology, however, is in conflict with what you know to be true in reality. It’s called Cognitive Dissonance. Liberals have it in spades.
No, I said the opposite. Scroll up to learn more!
What did YOU mean by “who is responsible for committing the vast majority of these crimes against Asians”
You don’t need to capitalize it ? Try looking it up before pretending you understand what it means. Did you vote for the prez who couldn’t spell hamburger?
You forgot “climate change.”
No one wants to be cancelled.
You “forgot” to point out that they were all killed by Black men.
(only) Black Lives Matter.
That’s what those Blue Lives Matter signs mean?! I didn’t see the “only”part. I wish someone had told the capitol rioters not to attack police.
Thank you for highlighting this horrible situation. I wish Julie Won would fight for us they way she fights for Blacks and Hispanics.
Great job Democrats!
Trump a Republican started targeting the Chinese with hate speech.
And black people keep targeting Asians in NYC with violence. I’d rather someone use hurtful words than attack me in the middle of the street.
Thank you for saying “and,” thus agreeing that Trump started targeting the Chinese with hate speech. I agree, there are things we can compare there to the hate crimes we’ve seen against Asians now, it’s terrible.
Wei- Criminals are never registered voters especially if they’re homeless, you need a domicile to vote. You should be concerned with words especially when those words are calling others to action like Trumps words.The weak minded and mentally I’ll are most vulnerable and first to act as history has shown.
Your friends in the BLM group targeted Asians with violence. And you liberals and progs engage in hate speech. Let’s face it: people of a certain hue are jealous of the success of Asians and resent them because they don’t complain and whine and ask for “reparations”. Must be difficult trying to deflect all the time with orange man bad.
Dear Republican band wagon banner waver, you’re obsessed with banging the Republican drum. Get help. They’re taking up way too much real estate in your head and way too much of your time. You’re not persuading anyone with your posts. They’re actually redundant boring and tiring to read. Get help, this obsession will cost you friends and family. This is a great example of the power of repetitive programming.
Trump the head of the Republican Party started the attack on the Chinese community.
If you are asian, and if you don’t vote for democrats, you are racist… wait…what about right to vote???