"Go Back to Your Country" This Time Pepper Spray Asian Hate Crime... Plea "This Is My Home"

Hate Crimes in New York Surge 3.4 Times

A rally condemning the murder of a Korean woman held on February 15 (local time) in Manhattan's Chinatown, New York City, USA.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] Another hate crime targeting Asians has occurred in New York, USA. Recently, crimes based on racial hatred have surged in the United States.

According to NBC News and others on the 15th (local time), Nicole Chung (24), a graphic designer, was walking with her group on Manhattan's Meatpacking District around 6 p.m. on the 11th when she was attacked with pepper spray by a woman dressed flamboyantly. When one of Chung's group, feeling scared, recorded the situation on a mobile phone, the woman confronted them with racial slurs, saying, "Are you trying to harass me?" and "Go back to where you came from," before fleeing.

Chung, who was born and raised in Queens, New York, told the New York Post, "This is my home. I was sprayed and deeply shocked." She added, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some Americans have been expressing hatred toward Asians," and appealed, "Now it seems unsafe to be alone even in the city."

The New York Police Department's hate crime task force is currently receiving tips about the woman, estimated to be in her 50s.

Meanwhile, hate crimes based on racial hatred have been increasing recently in the United States. On the 14th of last month, at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, an 18-year-old white supremacist named Payton Gendron opened fire, killing 10 Black people. According to a New York Post report the day before, hate crimes in New York increased 3.4 times from 30 cases in 2020 to 133 cases last year.

In particular, hate crimes targeting Asians are continuing. According to the New York Police Department, among 577 reported hate crime incidents between March 31 of last year and March 31 of this year, 110 were directed at Asians.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.