Woman Arrested for Posting Racist Notes on Homes
On Friday, a Bay Area woman was arrested for posting racist notes on homes in San Leandro. 52-year-old Nancy Arechiga is accused of taping up messages on trees and the doors of at least five homes in the Heron Bay neighborhood. The full-page hand-written notes begin with the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, then demand that the recipient "go back" to their country of origin. One of the notes ends with a very specific ultimatum: "You have until the day May/23/2020 Saturday 10:30 AM to leave this country. In this country no Asian allowed. My country U.S.A." Arechiga was arrested for distributing threatening messages that "instilled fear and intimidation upon those residents," according to police. Like I said, this is some high effort racism.
Seattle Police Search for Suspect in 3 Bias Incidents targeting Asians
In Seattle, police are investigating three separate incidents of bias targeting people of Asian descent that were reported on Saturday, possibly all committed by the same suspect. Two of the incidents occurred at Golden Gardens Park: a woman was accosted by a man who demanded her identification and yelled, "Chinese disease.. they bring it here!" Later, a couple was targeted by a man who yelled, spat on them and demanded to know where they ere from. In another incident at a restaurant, a man yelled racist remarks about Asians, knocked on the restaurant's windows, kicked a sign inside the business, then threatened to throw a table at an employee. Yeah, these all sound like the same guy.
CNN's Natasha Chen Describes Beachgoer's Racist Taunt
CNN correspondent Natasha Chen says a man yelled racist comments at her while she was on location working on a story about people headed to the beach on Memorial Day, despite the coronvirus pandemic. Chen was filming a segment at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina when a man approached her and started "yelling expletives" about her wearing a mask and blaming her for the pandemic. By blaming her, of course, he meant Asians. Honestly, given the circumstances, I would have been surprised if she didn't encounter some racist bullshit.
100 Writers Call for an End to Anti-Asian Hostility
More than 100 prominent writers, including several top Asian American authors, have called for an end to a surge in anti-Asian hostility in the US which they say has been “egged on” during the pandemic by the Trump administration’s pandering to racist tropes. The authors of the joint statement, coordinated by Pen America and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, say that "the time to turn back this wave of hate is now. Reports of any individuals being spat on, stabbed, beat up, or verbally assaulted are disturbing enough when they are isolated incidents. When such attacks are collectively driven by hate, in such large volume, the onus lies heavily on civil society and our elected representatives to condemn them."
Lion's Share Live: But Where Are You From?
Heads up. I'll be moderating a panel, "But Where Are You From?" as part of Lion's Share Live, a week-long live-streamed experience celebrating culture, creativity and community during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We'll be talking Asian stereotypes with Eugene Lee Yang, Tracy Chou, Kayvan Daragheh, Jenny Yang. It's happening Friday, May 29 at 12:00pm PT on Twitch. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Immigration Council.