Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside is known for its Filipino community. The area is often referred to as ‘Little Manila’ (Photo: QueensPost)
March 17, 2021 By Allie Griffin
The city is deploying members of the NYPD counter-terrorism unit to Asian neighborhoods across the city after a gunman shot and killed eight people–including six Asian Americans–at three Georgia spas Tuesday night.
Mayor Bill de Blasio — who called the mass shooting “nothing less than domestic terrorism” — said he is increasing the police presence in areas where many Asian Americans live. He did not list the specific neighborhoods.
“We have to be clear that what we saw here is nothing less than domestic terrorism, people killed in their workplaces, going about their lives, simply because of their ethnicity, and a systematic effort to harm people,” de Blasio said at the start of his morning press briefing today.
“I want to assure all New Yorkers, and particularly Asian American New Yorkers that we are here for you, NYPD and all New Yorkers will stand by you in this incredibly difficult moment,” he added.
He said the shooting in the Atlanta area is extraordinarily distressing, coming at a time when there has been a surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans and while the country is still fighting COVID-19.
In New York City, there were 28 hate crimes against Asian Americans last year, compared to just three in 2019, according to the NYPD.
“We all need to understand the pain that Asian Americans are going through right now in this city and all over the country and we need to be there for them,” de Blasio said. “We have to stop Asian hate. We have to focus our energies on supporting our Asian brothers and sisters in this moment.”
For many Asian Americans, the shooting in Atlanta was the embodiment of their biggest fear, several officials said, after a year of increased stigma due to COVID-19 and racist terms like “China virus” or “Kung Flu.”
Queens Congress Member Grace Meng, an Asian American who has herself faced racist rhetoric, said members of her community have tried to warn others of such a scenario for at least a year.
“My heart breaks for those we lost in these senseless shootings. And this is all the more painful because Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have spent the last year telling you that our communities were in danger,” Meng wrote on Twitter. “We cannot move forward — we cannot heal — until our country reckons with & stops AAPI hate.”
She also sharply denounced the 164 Republican Congress members who voted against a resolution she introduced in the House of Representatives in September calling for the condemnation of anti-Asian attacks.
“The 164 @GOP members who voted against my resolution to #StopAsianHate there is blood on their hands,” Meng tweeted Tuesday night following the shooting in Atlanta.
+ the 164 @GOP members who voted against my resolution to #StopAsianHate there is blood on their hands. https://t.co/48gZEUiAlS https://t.co/wkARo1ohS6 pic.twitter.com/1j9qe0PlxJ
— Grace Meng (@Grace4NY) March 17, 2021
Queens State Sen. John Liu echoed Meng’s sentiment.
“How shocking is this really?” he tweeted next to an article link on the shooting. “The hate and bigotry on full display are sadly an extension of the violence and scapegoating Asian Americans have suffered throughout the Covid crisis.”
At least two candlelight vigils in Queens have already been planned to remember the victims of yesterday’s shooting.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Council candidate Shekar Krishnan and other community leaders will host a candlelight vigil at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights at 7 p.m. tonight.
Another vigil is being planned in Sunnyside at 46th Street-Bliss Plaza at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
De Blasio has introduced multiple efforts to combat the rising anti-Asian hate across the city over the past year.
For instance, the NYPD created a task force in August to investigate and combat the spike. The Asian Hate Crime Task Force was filled with 25 Asian American NYPD detectives who collectively speak 11 different languages.
Last month, the city also released a toolkit to address hate crimes against Asian New Yorkers.
#NYPDCT is monitoring the shooting of Asian Americans in Georgia. While there is no known nexus to #NYC we will be deploying assets to our great Asian communities across the city out of an abundance of caution. #SeeSomethingSaySomething pic.twitter.com/Vl87DPRR8m
— NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) March 17, 2021
Featured Events
29 Comments
Hello, there was a vigil held by the Forest Hills Asian association as well. Here were the event details: https://www.facebook.com/events/288349459368907/?active_tab=discussion
I hope after the victims are laid to rest we can look at a huge issue and that is the fact that these women are modern day slaves. These are not massage parlors let’s be realistic and these women are not sex workers, the overwhelming majority are being forced to work in these places against their own will and have to hand over whatever money they make. As long as it remains a dirty secret, things like this will continue to happen. I’m shocked it doesn’t happen more often as these places are robbed at gunpoint all the time. There are issues I agree with AOC on and ones I disagree with but please take a walk up Roosevelt Ave from Woodside all the way to Main Street, it is rife with these places. All your hear is massage, massage or chicas chicas. If you think I’m lying, you’re in denial.
As an Asian American, I welcome the NYPD. I hope this will help others visit our communities and support business.
If only the Trump voters that murdered 3 policemen at the Trump Riot were as welcoming
I think there is also a massive spike in Housing Discrimination against Asian Americans. My daughter and her husband who is Asian are trying to move out of NYC and into the suburbs of LI. They made 10 offers close to asking on homes and none were accepted. I told her to investigate or contact local media about this. They keep telling her she was out bid and the homes are off the market. People need to speak up and report any discrimination.
Tell your daughter to make an offer substantially higher than than asking price. This has nothing to do with her race, there is a price war when it comes to buying a house in the suburbs ever since the outbreak of Covid. It is a seller’s market high demand, with little inventory. Recently friends of mine who are African American did just that, and got the house. The only color that matters when it comes to buying a house is GREEN!
It’s not racist, your are really ignorant for making this statement. The housing market is extremely competitive and the interest rates are historically low. I was outbid so many times when before I finally bought my home after 2 years. A lot of the times I was outbid by Asians who bought the house with cash. Stop spreading lies of racism and thinking your entitled to a house. Learn how to bid better or get a better realtor .
Yea your right, it has nothing to do with the low interest rates and everyone trying to buy a house out of the city. I got out bid for 2 years looking for a house. A lot of the times it was by Asian people buying up properties to invest. Did I complain to my local government how it’s not fair? Wake up and stop spreading nonsense racist fairy tales. Your offers aren’t as good as the other people. Get a life.
As usual Mayor De blasio is a day late and a dollar short. this didn’t start a couple of days ago. this racism and attacks have been going on for years. Politicians have been sweeping stuff like this under the rug for too long. Its about time they did something about it. Please support asian business.
As Albert Einstein once said, “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” Thank you Mayor.
Where are they going to deploy these units? Most likely Republicans areas, because of the GOPs constant hateful speeches. So Staten Island? Lol. Give me a break. Put more cops on the subways, buses and the street. Show that cops are taking back the streets and not the criminals, so EVERYONE can be safe.
It’s your peeps that want to discriminate against Asians in specialized schools and colleges
Not republican voters !
Liberals resent talent
So, all the recent attacks against Asians in NYC weren’t enough to “up patrols,” but shootings in Georgia are? That doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Racism will not win. Vote Andrew Yang for Mayor of NYC. Take a stand against white supremacy.
White supremacy? Isn’t Yang basically a white apologist? Aren’t most of the attacks here in NYC done by blacks? This is a liberal city where Trump is hated, for him to have such an impact on a demographic that didn’t support him, where they ate up what he said and are now acting upon it is asinine. Blacks have an underlying hatred for Asians. If that’s not addressed, the hate crimes aren’t going down.
As for Andy, how can any Asian American support this fool when even he doesn’t want standardized testing as the main tool to get into specialized schools?
“I like the Knicks. I like the Yankees. I love pizza from Brooklyn. I love everybody.” New Yorkers can smell a fake a mile away. Well not really, DiBlasio served two terms for Pete’s sake!
And so are the vast majority of victims.
So, no, the “most of the attacks here in NYC” are not done by “blacks.” Oops, completely wrong again!
The victims and attackers are both white? Ran out of meds?
Your completely wrong. Here is a link to the arrests made in 2020 for bias attacks in NYC. The majority of perpetrators are POC. 21 out of 93 arrests were ‘white’ perpetrators.
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/excel/hate-crimes/2020/hate-crime-arrests-by-motivation-annual-2020.xlsx
Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
There are also too many “Sharon Osbourne’s” types in Sunnyside. Both male and female. They need to wake up and understand that racism is real and not look the other way when it is happening or deny that there is a problem when a POC tries to raise awareness and concerns. They need to educate themselves and leave their ignorance and privilege at the door. this problem is city wide. They also need to be called out.
BLM is a racist organization that should be called out and those that jumped on the bandwagon should educate themselves to the mass manipulation they fell for. Glad you see it.
What about the Domestic terrorism” on subways everyday!!!! People are killed, sexually assaulted, robbed, beaten, and harassed on the NYC subways! Our community lives in fear everyday and feel they are risking their lives during their commute. THIS IS domestic terrorism!!!
The government says the percentages are down? Ask the mayor to send his kids on the subway at 5am. There should be NO percentage that you or your family could have a life changing crime done to them.
Put up gates, cameras on the cars and platforms, have actual conductors, and more police.
Where are the celebrities commenting on the terrorism on our subways??? They never will because is not enough of a fashion statement headline that helps their career.
The national and local media finally had an opportunity to attach a face other than trumps to blame the spike in asian hate crimes in mostly dem states because of what happened in Georgia.
I am an Asian American man and have been subjected to hatred recently. I am pleading with people to leave us alone. There is not much more our community can take. The pain for us is awful. Grace Meng is a hero to us. Please stop the hate.
Just mind where your body is in regards to other people when you’re outside.
We all have the power to stop “the reason why they Asian Americans are being attacked”. Let’s all work together to get back to normal.
According to police, The murder victims were targeted for reasons not having to do with race and more to do with targeting sex workers. Two of them were white as well.
No motive for such as heinous act is justified but it’s disgraceful that so many people are eager to turn this tragedy into a racial issue and make political hay out of it.
The liberal politicians are playing both sides in order to keep voters. The politicians want to appease the Asians by creating a scapegoat and at the same time they do not want to antagonize the BLM supporters by calling them out on their underlying racism against Asians.
You mean the same police who said the shooter was having a bad day?
Besides being irresponsible Grace Meng. Saying that people who voted against her resolution have blood on their hands. Anytime a crime is committed against an Asian it is a hate crime. I was robbed a couple of weeks ago does that mean it was anti-Semitism?