In San Diego, an 81-year-old man, Mark Sonouvong, was hospitalized after being violently attacked while on his morning walk on Friday, by an assailant who reportedly asked him, "Are you Chinese or Vietnamese?"
The victim appears to have been assaulted without provocation. According to CBS8 News, the attacker approached and asked Sonouvong if he was Chinese or Vietnamese. When he told the stranger to leave him alone, he was knocked down to the ground and beaten. He didn't take anything from Sonouvong.
Police are investigating the assault as a possible hate crime.
80-year-old woman violently pushed in unprovoked assault.
In Honolulu, surveillance cameras caught a disturbing violent assault on an 80-year-old woman on the street. 37-year-old Jordan Wong was arrested Tuesday after violently pushing down the unnamed victim in an unprovoked attack. The woman fell to the ground, over the curb and landed in the shoulder of the road, hitting her head. She reportedly walked away from the assault, but suffered bruises and complained of back pain. Honolulu Police have classified the incident as a second degree assault.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Suspect arrested in deadly attack on 84-year-old man in San Francisco
San Francisco police have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder for a vicious, unprovoked attack last week on an 84-year-old man. The attack occurred Thursday in the city's Anza Vista neighborhood. Security footage shows the suspect barreling into Vicha Ratanapakdee before taking off running. Antoine Watson was booked on suspicion of murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Officers also arrested 20-year-old Maylasia Goo on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact. Ratanapakdee's family believes the attack was racially motivated.
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Jon M. Chu to Direct Movie Adaptation of 'Wicked'
Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, will reportedly direct the feature film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Wicked. A prequel to The Wizard of Oz the musical tells the story of everything that happened before Dorothy dropped down in Oz, focusing on best friends-turned-mortal enemies Elphaba (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch). No word on who will star in the film, or when it will be released.
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Chien-Shiung Wu Commemorative Forever® Stamp
The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Professor Emerita Chien-Shiung Wu, one of the most influential nuclear physicists of the 20th century, with a commemorative Forever stamp. There will be a virtual ceremony for the first day of the stamp's issue on February 11, via Facebook and Twitter. To find out more, visit usps.com
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WiNDUP
The beautiful animated short WiNDUP, directed by Yibing Jiang, breathes life into the special bond between a father and his ailing daughter to highlight the fragile nature of life, love, and the healing power of music.
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The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Julie Kwon, is an inspiring picture book biography about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military. Description: "Hazel Ying Lee was born fearless -- she was not afraid of anything, and the moment she took her first airplane ride, she knew where she belonged. When people scoffed at her dreams of becoming a pilot, Hazel wouldn't take no for an answer. She joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. It was a dangerous job, but Hazel flew with joy and boldness. This moving, true story about a groundbreaking figure will inspire young readers to challenge barriers and reach for the sky."
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Their Minneapolis Restaurant Burned, but They Back the Protest
A restaurant caught in the crossfire of unrest in Minneapolis has sent a powerful message to its followers on social media. Gandhi Mahal, a family-owned Bangladeshi-Indian restaurant, was severely damaged by fire on Thursday night amidst protests over the arrest and killing of George Floyd. Hafsa Islam, whose father owns the restaurant, wrote a Facebook post sharing about the destruction, but then shared something she heard her father say over the phone: "...let my building burn. Justice needs to be served. Put those officers in jail."
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Can You Identify the Suspect Who Assaulted This Elderly Woman?
In Metro Vancouver, police are searching for a suspect who assaulted an elderly Asian woman last month. The RCMP released video of the incident, in which a woman walks toward an elderly woman using a walker, comes up from behind and trips her leg. The woman then quickly walks away as the 84-year-old victim falls to the ground. Fortunately, the victim wasn't seriously injured. It's unclear from the video, but police say it's "possible" the suspect, who has dark brown hair, could also be Asian. Whoever the hell it is... what kind of shitty person does this?
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Trump Courts Asian American Vote Amid Coronavirus
Hilarious. Donald Trump's re-election campaign is debuting its "Asian Americans for Trump" initiative in a virtual event tonight... as if his destructive, racist rhetoric hasn't had a major role in the rise of anti-Asian sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Americans for Trump? That's a no from me. That's a hell no.
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Couple Who Met in Japanese Incarceration Camp Die Within Days of Each Other at 90
Joseph Yamada and Elizabeth Kikuchi were born two days apart, but they didn’t meet until they were 11, when both were sent with their families to a World War II incarceration camp in Poston, Arizona. Then they became mostly inseparable. After the war, they went to San Diego High School together, then to UC Berkeley. They married, raised a family, and left their marks on San Diego in landscape architecture and community service. They both died this month just days apart. They had each recently turned 90.
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A Salute to Asian Pacific American Filmmakers
In celebration of Heritage Month, IMDb created this cool video montage taking a look back at cinematic history and celebrating Asian Pacific American filmmakers and their visionary work. Lots of great films in there.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Three Arrested in St. Paul LRT Station Attack
Police have arrested three teenagers following an attack on an Asian woman on a train platform in St. Paul. Video of the assault, which was shared widely across social media, shows one of the teens kicking the victim in the head. The attack was never reported, but transit authorities were able to identify the assailants using surveillance footage. They're still reportedly trying to identify the victim.
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Asian American Woman Harassed by Self-Identified Trump Supporter
A San Francisco resident who faced anti-Asian harassment while walking her dogs is speaking out, urging those who witness such xenophobia to step in to help. Amanda Law said she was near the Great Highway last month when a woman approached her to ask why she wasn't staying home. In video of the incident, recorded by Law, the woman can be seen walking toward the camera, asking why Law "doesn't go back to where she came from," as passersby stepped in and told the woman not to harass her. The video shows the woman continuing to walk toward the camera. "Americans said we don't want you here," the woman said later in the video. "That's why we elected President Trump." Yup, that's why.
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Family of 5 Doctors Loses Both Father and Daughter to Coronavirus
A father and a daughter, both of whom were doctors, died from COVID-19 and were honored by New Jersey governor Phil Murphy at Thursday's daily briefing for their contributions. Dr. Satyender Dev Khanna and his daughter Dr. Priya Khanna were remembered by Murphy at the daily briefing as selfless healthcare heroes, who dedicated their lives to helping others. They leave behind the elder Khanna's wife and two daughters. All three are also physicians.
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Helpers in the Time of Coronavirus<
The latest episode of the podcast Asian Americana explores the stories of Asian Americans working to defend our communities from attacks, the volunteers organizing direct aid to vulnerable populations, the people translating information into terms and languages so more can understand, and the local businesses helping each other and their communities survive during Covid-19.
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Driveways
The indie drama Driveways, directed by Andrew Ahn, is now available to download and stream. Hong Chau stars as Kathy, an acerbic, world-weary woman who travels with her young son to her deceased sister’s house to take care of her affairs. While there, her son strikes up a friendship with Del (the late Brian Dennehy, in one of his final lead roles), a gruff retiree who lives next door, who is estranged from his queer daughter. The film talks about loss in an open and frank way and shows that kindness and community are integral to moving on.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian (North) America.
Asian Woman Punched in Face at Vancouver Bus Stop
In Vancouver, police are asking for the public's help identifying a man who punched a young Asian woman in the face in an unprovoked attack last month. Surveillance footage shows the victim was standing at a bus stop when the suspect approached her and punched her in the face. And that's it. They apparently didn't know each other, and nobody said a word. He sucker punched her and then ran away. What the fuck.
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Annual TV Report Card Shows Asian American Representation At Standstill
The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition released their annual TV report card, grading the top four television networks for the 2018-2019 season assessing their progress toward diversity and inclusion of Asian Pacific Americans onscreen and behind the camera and although there was some progress, it wasn't enough to make the needle move dramatically. In fact, it barely moved at all.
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Sewing in the Time of Coronavirus
The Asian American Documentary Network just launched a new series of short clips as part of its Storytelling Initiative, with the documentary short Sewing In The Time of Coronavirus, directed by Valerie Soe, highlighted as its first featured microdoc. This piece explains how Soe has been spending her time since the shelter-in-place order in California took place almost two months ago. "Sewing masks pushes back against the Trump administration's cynical manipulation of the COVID-19 crisis," Soe says, ."I reject the idea that humans are expendable cogs in capitalism's machine. We all deserve a chance to live and to be healthy. This is to ensure that more of us have that chance."
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CM's 30th Anniversary Issue: COVID-19 and the AAPI Community (FREE) Character Media (formerly KoreAm Journal, Audrey Magazine and Kore Asian Media) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special edition print issue covering what's been happening in our country, specifically within our Asian American community, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For a limited time, they're mailing out complimentary copies of the print edition, free of charge. All you have to do is fill out the form here. (You can also read the digital version here.)
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Lucky Grandma Trailer
Check out the trailer for crime comedy Lucky Grandma, starring the legendary Tsai Chin. In the heart of Chinatown, New York, an ornery, chain-smoking, newly widowed 80-year-old Grandma is eager to live life as an independent woman, despite the worry of her family. When a local fortune teller predicts a most auspicious day in her future, Grandma decides to head to the casino and goes all in, only to land herself on the wrong side of luck... suddenly attracting the attention of some local gangsters. Desperate to protect herself, Grandma employs the services of a bodyguard from a rival gang and soon finds herself right in the middle of a Chinatown gang war. Lucky Grandma, directed by Sasie Sealy, will be released in virtual theaters on May 22.
"This assault is being investigated as a bias incident."
Photo: Sikh Coalition
Last week in Washington state, an Uber passenger was arrested for strangling his Sikh American driver during a ride. The attack is reportedly being investigated as a possible hate crime.
22-year-old Grifin Levi Sayers allegedly attacked his Uber driver -- who is Indian and wears a turban and unshorn hair in observant of his Sikh faith -- in the early morning hours of December 5 in Bellingham.
At the end of the ride, Sayers became verbally and physically abusive against the driver, making racist accusations about his appearance and Indian heritage before grabbing the driver's throat.
Suspects assaulted three elderly men in an attempted robbery.
In San Francisco, police are searching for suspects who were caught on video assaulting a group of elderly men in a violent attempted robbery on Saturday night.
Video of the attack shows a group of seniors walking near Portsmouth Square in Chinatown when they're approached by two suspects who begin throwing punches at them. One victim is hit directly in the face and falls down, appearing to be out cold.
An anti-vaccine activist was cited for misdemeanor assault Wednesday after shoving a California lawmaker who has worked to tighten the state's laws for childhood vaccinations.
54-year-old Kenneth Austin Bennett livestreamed the confrontation on Facebook, showing him exchanging words with state Senator Richard Pan before shoving him on the sidewalk near the capitol in Sacramento.
Pan, a pediatrician, has authored several bills that limit exemptions for child vaccinations, including legislation that prohibits parents from opting out of vaccinating their school-age children on account of personal beliefs.
His efforts have made him the target anti-vaccination activists, including screaming protestors, online harassment and death threats. But this is apparently the first time things have gotten physical.
An intruder broke a window at Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres and punched a temple leader.
Last week in California's Central Valley, an intruder broke into a Sikh temple, destroyed windows, assaulted a temple leader, shouted obscenities and told him to go back to his own country before fleeing.
Amarjit Singh, who lives and works at the Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres, was at his home on temple grounds late Thursday night when a masked intruder broke two windows in his bedroom. When Singh lifted the window blinds to look out, the intruder punched him in the neck and shouted "go back, go back to your country" before fleeing.
Deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said, inexplicably, it's too early to call it a hate crime.
Andrew Ramsey assaulted Harwinder Dodd and attempted to steal his turban.
In Oregon, a man is facing a hate crime charge after attacking a Sikh convenience store owner and attempting to steal his turban, in a violent altercation that started with a disagreement over a pack of cigarettes.
On Monday, 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey tried to purchase cigarettes at the 12th Street Market in Salem, but didn’t have identification with him. When the owner, Harwinder Dodd, refused to sell him the cigarettes, Ramsey became angry and attacked him, throwing his shoe at him, pushing him down and attempting to steal his turban.
According to a probable cause statement, Ramsey told police he thought removing the Dodd's turban would disrespect him because he was "Hindu and prays to Vishnu the catfish god." Ramsey was charged with misdemeanor second-degree intimidation -- a hate crime in Oregon -- and fourth-degree assault charges.
"He attacked my faith, my dignity, and my entire community."
On Friday in Seattle, a man was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to the 2017 assault with a deadly weapon of a 53-year-old Sikh American taxi driver.
Swarn Singh, who maintains and unshorn beard and wears a turban in observance with this Sikh faith, was driving his taxi last December when Rory Benson, a passenger, brutally attacked him with a hammer.
On December 16, 2017, Singh had parked outside an apartment building to drop off Rory Benson and his mother. It was then that Benson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, attacked Singh, grabbing the piece of cloth Singh kept in his taxi to wipe the windshield and attempted to suffocate him with it.
Singh immediately ran out of the taxi, but Benson, grabbing a hammer from his bag, chased him on foot. He caught up to Singh and hit him in the head repeatedly, specifically targeting his turban and knocking it to the ground. Singh suffered a scalp laceration and a skull fracture. Benson was arrested.
Suspects repeatedly punched, kicked and spit on a 71-year-old man in broad daylight.
In northern California, two teens have been arrested in the brutal assault on a 71-year-old Sikh man in broad daylight. Investigators say the attack was an attempted robbery, but the victim's family is calling it a hate crime.
Sahib Singh Natt was taking his daily walk around a park in Manteca when he was confronted by 18-year-old Tyrone McAllister and a 16-year-old boy, who demanded money from him. When Natt, who has trouble communicating, tried to walk away, they blocked him and the confrontation became violent.
A neighbor's home surveillance video shows one of the men kicking Natt to the ground. When he attempts to get back up, he gets kicked repeatedly. They assailants start to walk away while Natt is still on the ground, but one of them returns to kick him a few more times and spit on him.
Man calls Asian passenger racial slurs before repeatedly hitting him on a BART train.
Can't a guy just ride the train in peace without being accosted, called racial slurs and getting punched?
In the Bay Area, a man was caught on camera attacking an Asian passenger on a BART train, calling him racial slurs before punching him multiple times. The video, recorded Monday night, has since gone viral.
The assault happened on the Richmond line going south to Fremont around 10:00 PM. A man in a blue shirt boarded the train at the Coliseum station and got into a verbal altercation with another passenger, San Francisco Chronicle as Charles Wu, who was sitting down. According to a witness, the man was saying the n-word repeatedly on the train, and Wu stepped in and told him to stop. Blue shirt apparently didn't like that.
Video of the incident, recorded and posted to social media by fellow passenger Wiseley Wu (no relation), shows the man calling Charles Wu a "Chinese n**ger," among other profanities, and threatening to punch him. Things escalate when he reaches over and hits Wu in the shoulder and head.
Elderly store owner used a bamboo stick to beat back a knife-wielding assailant.
File under badass... In San Francisco, an 86-year-old Chinatown store owner successfully fought off an armed intruder, using a bamboo stick to beat back a man who tried to attack him with a knife.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, 49-year-old Thomas Baker was creating a disturbance inside a Chinatown store on Sunday afternoon. When the shopkeeper tried to get him to leave, Baker responded by punching the elderly man repeatedly in the back of the head.
A man in north Seattle says he was assaulted on the street by a man who threatened him and told him that his "passport would be taken away," among other things, before punching him in the face.
Marcus Choi says he was walking with his dogs in the Bitter Lake area last week when he was confronted by a man coming out of a Lowes parking lot, yelling at him, getting his face and threatening him.
"He then aggressively put his forehead on mine and said I was going to prison, along with the rest of us" -- meaning us Asians, of course -- "and that my passport would be taken away," Choi said in a Facebook post.
Choi went home, but the incident bothered him, and he just couldn't leave it like that.
"I could have avoided this by simply letting it go, but I don't tolerate racism, especially in my own neighborhood," Choi said. "I came back out to get a picture and video of him."
He returned to confront the man and take his picture, which escalated the situation -- something Choi probably had to expect. The man took a swing at Choi, hitting him in the face and knocking off his glasses.
Choi posted the details of the incident, including a photo and video of his assailant, on Facebook:
21-year-old man jumped, beaten in hate crime assault at OC Night Market.
Hate crime alert. Orange County authorities are searching for a white couple who assaulted a 21-year-old Asian American college student in the parking lot of a recent OC Night Market event in Costa Mesa, following an earlier incident in which one of the assailants told the victim, "Go back to Asia and eat a dog."
The altercation started on Sunday evening when two white women approached the victim, who was standing in line, and tried to get him to buy them drinks. When he refused, one of the women told him to "Go back to Asia and eat a dog," among other not-so-nice remarks. Because, yes, racist taunts are the totally reasonable response to someone refusing to buy you drinks.
She reportedly got up in the victim's face and when he pushed her away for some space, another man charged and punched him in the face. Security responded and escorted the couple out of the OC Night Market.
But later that evening, as the victim and his girlfriend were walking back to his car after the event, he was confronted and attacked by the duo we will from this point on refer to as the Violently Racist Couple. They had apparently been waiting for him to leave, followed him back to his car, and jumped him.
"The moment I got to my car, a black sedan pulled up," the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells the OC Weekly. "The guy immediately went after me and everything else was a blur."
The victim suffered bruises and lacerations to his face requiring stitches, and several chipped teeth. The victim's girlfriend was also punched in the face when she tried to intervene. According to witnesses, the Violently Racist Couple drove off in a black sedan, but not before the guy yelled some more anti-Asian slurs while hanging out of the passenger side window. Well, that's classy as shit.
The victim's friend posted details about assault on Facebook, along with a photo from the emergency room.
Also: "You are a fucking immigrant! Go back to your country! What are you doing here?"
In New York, a man was arrested and charged with a hate crime after violently assaulting an Asian man on the street while yelling, among other racist and anti-immigrant sentiments, "We are white power!"
On Monday morning in Midtown, 48-year-old Steven Zatorski ran up to the 30-year-old victim and started kicking him, yelling "You are a fucking immigrant! Go back to your country! What are you doing here?"
He also added "We are white power" as he punched the victim in the face. For good measure, I suppose.
Harkirat Singh was assaulted by drunken passengers who called him racial slurs and ripped off his turban.
Harkirat Singh (Photo Credit: New York Daily News)
In New York, a Sikh taxi driver was assaulted by a group of drunken passengers who called him racial slurs and ripped his turban off his head. Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. (No shit.)
25-year-old Harkirat Singh, who wears a turban and unshorn beard in observance of his Sikh faith, was driving a woman and three men in their early 20s from Madison Square Garden to the Bronx early Sunday morning when the passengers began to physically assault him and rip off his turban.
Police say the attack is not being investigated as a hate crime.
In Los Angeles, an 83-year-old woman was assaulted on the street in Koreatown on Wednesday afternoon. The attack, which became the subject of a viral social media post, is reportedly not being investigated as a hate crime, despite initial claims that the assailant had yelled "white power" before running off.
27-year-old Alexis Duvall, is accused of punching the elderly Asian woman in the back of her head, causing her to fall to the ground. The victim suffered a cut to her left cheek and scrapes to her knee. Duvall was arrested after a bystander chased and apprehended her, then called police to report the incident. The suspect gave her name as "Patty Garcia," but police say fingerprints identified her as Alexis Duvall.
