Asian couple in NYC subway are latest hate crime victims
By Gilda Pasion-Balan, Correspondent
NEW YORK – The nationwide epidemic of hate crimes committed against Asian Americans continues, and a couple riding on the New York City subway last week were the latest victims.
An Asian male and his female companion were at the receiving end of an unprovoked attack after they refused to give up their seats to a trio of thugs, two males and a female.
The trio shouted racist slurs at the couple, with one calling the Asian man an “Asian pig.”
Like Los Angeles and San Francisco, in California, New York is one of the most culturally-diverse metropolitans in the US. The big cities, however, have also become the sites of frequent attacks, both verbal and physical, against Asians and Asian Americans.
Last week’s hate crime occurred on the subway car traveling to Times Square from the Grand Central Station.
The 42-year-old Asian man and his 41-year-old companion were already on the train when the thugs got on the subway car. The trio demanded that the Asians vacate their seats, but the couple ignored their bullying tactics.
While continuing to respond to the verbal provocations, one of the trio began physically assaulting the Asian man, who would require several stitches on his head due to the injuries caused by the attack.
Witnesses said they trio continued to hurl racist expletives at the pair while the assault continued. They were called “Asian pig” and “Asian pigs” by the thugs.
The assault stopped when the train reached the Times Square station. The three suspects immediately fled. And while they could not be identified immediately, stills and video screenshots taken by several witnesses were released to the NYPD.
The police described the suspects as younger, either in their twenties or thirties.
The Asian man also suffered injuries in other parts of his body, besides the stitches he needed. The man and his companion, however, refused further medical attention.
All sorts of crimes have been taking place in the city’s subway system, and the hate crimes such as the one that took place last week has been acknowledged by the Governor’s office, the Mayor’s office, and the NYPD leadership.
The latest hate crime is believed to have a good chance of being solved due to the videos and stills provided by witnesses, which have been widely disseminated. The NYPD also asked anyone with information on the suspects to contact them, specifically the hate-crime task force in the Department known as CrimeStopper.
While the witnesses to the latest incident were too stunned to take action, some did have the presence of mind to take videos, which should prove helpful in identifying, apprehending, and charging the suspects with a hate crime, now considered a federal offense.
