NEW YORK CITY – Another Filipino – this time an 18-year-old tourist from Cebu – was viciously attacked on the streets of this city, prompting an urgent warning from the Philippine Consulate General.
“Based on information received by the Consulate this afternoon, the victim was walking with three other Filipinos near the cover of 6th Avenue and 46th Street when he was assaulted,” said a report from the Consulate, which said it was in touch with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to “get more information on the incident. It is unknown at this point if the incident was anti-Asian-hate-related.”
The victim, who has not yet been named, “sustained facial injuries from the suspect who was eventually subdued and turned over to authorities,” added the Consulate, which issued an urgent advisory to members of the Filipino community and visiting Filipinos “to exercise the necessary precautions while on the streets or in the subways.”
According to the Consulate, “this is the 41st incident since last year that involves a Filipino who was either a victim of a hate crime or incident or a criminal act.”
Recently, members of the Filipino community have started to push back, even as Consulate officials have met with the mayor and with police officials to press for more effective ways to prevent similar attacks.
A young Filipino nurse riding a commuter train turned the tables on her attacker a few weeks back. The co-rider spat on her own hand and then, without provocation, wiped this off the nurse’s uniform. The nurse, who happened to have come from a family of prominent Filipino boxers, promptly punched the assailant, who fell to the floor.