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7.22.2020

Suspect Charged with Hate Crime For Running Over Sikh Man

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



DA Charges Suspect With Bias-Motivated Crime After Attack On Sikh Man
Nearly three months after Lakhwant Singh was brutally assaulted in Lakewood, Colorado, the district attorney has finally decided to add a hate crime charge against his assailant. Eric Breemen verbally accosted Mr. Singh and his wife in their store, repeatedly telling them both to "go back to your country," before running over Mr. Singh with his car and leaving him for dead. He later described Mr. Singh as an "older Arab" to the officers who arrested him. Up until this week, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office publicly stated they didn't believe the assault on Mr. Singh was biased, because "go back to your country" is "not racial." I don't know, I thought it was pretty damn racial. But I guess they changed their minds. Moving forward, Breemen will be charged with multiple counts -- now including a bias-motivated crime.

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Fort Hood Soldier's Remains Are Found At A Nearby Lake
Police are investigating the death of a Fort Hood soldier whose body was found at a nearby lake -- the third service member from the Texas base to be found dead in the past month. Pvt. Mejhor Morta was found unresponsive on July 17 in the area of Stillhouse Hollow Lake. His death is currently being investigated by the Bell County Sheriff's Department. Preliminary autopsy results show the cause of death is "consistent with drowning." Police officials have not said whether they consider Morta's death to be suspicious, or if it might be connected in any way to the two other deaths, but three deaths at the same base is not normal.

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Austin DJ says he was threatened, called anti-Asian slur near UT campus
In Austin, G. Michael Pendon — the artist better known as DJ Jester, the Filipino Fist -- was out for a nighttime bike ride on Saturday near the University of Texas campus when he was repeatedly harassed by a group in a pickup truck, who threatened him and called him racist and homophobic slurs. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. The Austin Police Department says there's an open investigation into Pendon's report. Meanwhile, Pendon is seeking security camera footage from the condo development and nearby businesses to help identify the men who harassed him.

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100 Miles Apart
In this documentary short by Garveaux Sibulboro, a love story: Two newly engaged Filipino American healthcare workers are forced to shelter in place 100 miles away from each other during the Coronavirus pandemic as one nurse volunteers to work a COVID unit, leaving their immediate future in ambiguity.

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Race & Storytelling: Asian American Voices
SAG-AFTRA hosted a livestream panel discussion, "Race & Storytelling: Asian American Voices," featuring veteran actor Clyde Kusatsu, The Good Doctor's Christina Chang, ABC News' Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Parvesh Cheena, Fresh Off The Boat's Hudson Yang, casting director Leslie Woo, and moderator Jeff Yang. They discussed the ways in which better representation and three-dimensional portrayals of Asian American characters can counter stereotypes and result in larger societal impact.

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