MARCH 20-23, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 22 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages
‘WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES’:
DATELINE
USA Biden, Harris meet with Asian American leaders,
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
denounce violence following Atlanta attacks by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
UNITED States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Asian American leaders in Atlanta on Friday, March 19, three days after eight people, including six Asian women, were fatally shot at three spas in the area.
Danilo Yuchang, 59, was returning to work from his lunch break in San Francisco on Monday, March 15 when he was viciously assaulted, resulting in head and face injuries. Contributed photo
Filipino Chinese man attacked during lunch break in San Francisco
“Racism is real in America and it has always been. Xenophobia is real in America, and always has been. Sexism too,” said Harris, the first woman and the first Asian American in the country’s second-highest post. “A harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us. The president and I will not be silent. We will not stand by. We will always speak out against violence, hate crimes and discrimination wherever and when-
ever it occurs.” The Atlanta trip was previously scheduled to promote the passage of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, but shifted to focus on listening and supporting the Asian American community amid the violent attacks. The president and vice president spoke with local u PAGE A2
PH Consulate in LA: Fil-Ams advised to ‘exercise vigilance’ amid anti-Asian violence by AJPRESS FILIPINOS and Filipino Americans should ‘exercise vigilance’ amid the reported attacks against Asian Americans, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles advised. The Consulate General issued an advisory on March 15 expressing its “concern over the upsurge of reported incidents of aggression towards Asian Americans in various parts of the United States.” The day after the statement was released, eight individuals, including 6 women of Asian descent, were killed during an attack on Atlanta-area spas. Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian incidents have been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia since last March, according to new data from Stop AAPI Hate, a reporting center that tracks such incidents. “In view of these incidents, Filipino and Filipino Americans are advised to exercise vigilance, take safety precautions, heed local government bulletins, and to carry emergency and medical contact details,” the
AFTER almost a year of working from home, Danilo Yuchang returned to his company’s office in downtown San Francisco for the first time on Monday, March 15. At around 1:45 p.m., the 59-year-old travel agent, who also goes by Danny, was walking along Market Street during his lunch break when a man approached him from behind and began punching his head multiple times. Yuchang said he does not recall the assailant saying anything before the attack. “I was shoved to the ground and lost consciousness. After a while, I woke up and saw there was a lot of blood on the sidewalk and on DISINFECTION. A Barangay Kaligayahan personnel disinfects the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) office where my clothes,” Yuchang, who is Filipino and Chiresidents get medical advice, medicines, among others at the Barangay Hall Novaliches Fairview in Quezon City on Friday, March 19. nese, told the Asian Journal. “I was hit a lot so u PAGE A3 The initiative is to disinfect all places including residential areas to curb the spread of COVID-19. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez my face is so swollen.” The attack happened near the Four Seasons Hotel and the doorman came to Yuchang’s aid and called 911, he recounted. The suspect reyear range from hate speech to physi- can Caucus, said in her testimony. 28, 2021, 3,795 firsthand incidents of portedly fled on a Muni bus, according to variby CHRISTINA M. ORIEL Four of the victims are Delaina Ash- hate and discrimination were reported cal attacks, which some speakers arAJPress ous reports. gued were fueled by the rhetoric used ley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie by AAPIs across the country with verbal Yuchang said his belongings were not stolen SEVERAL prominent Asian Ameri- by former President Donald Trump and Tan and Daoyou Feng, the Cherokee harassment and shunning constituting and that the police arrived within minutes to get can lawmakers and activists testified other Republican lawmakers. County Sheriff’s Office said. Two em- the top two types of occurrences, achis statement. The hearing was scheduled before ployees at Gold Spa, one of the busi- cording to Stop AAPI Hate, a reporting He was taken to a nearby hospital where he before a House Judiciary subcommittee was treated for head injuries and a cheekbone on Thursday, March 18, two days after the shooting on Tuesday night, March nesses targeted, were identified as center that has been tracking since last a horrific Atlanta-area shooting that left 16, occurred, taking the lives of eight Julie Park and Hyun-jeong Park Grant, year. u PAGE A3 eight individuals, including six Asian individuals, which many Asian Ameri- Korea Times Atlanta said, while the Of that number, 503 incidents took women, dead and as nearly 3,800 anti- can and Pacific Islander (AAPI) com- identities of two other women have not place in the first two months of 2021 Asian hate incidents have been reported munity members and leaders are call- been released. alone. Several high-profile attacks on since the beginning of the pandemic. As other speakers echoed after her, older Asians — such as 84-year-old ing a racially motivated crime, despite Thursday’s hearing, which was held the suspected gunman, 21-year-old Chu went on to blame the previous ad- Thai immigrant Vicha Ratanapakdee before the House Judiciary Subcommit- Robert Aaron Long, telling authorities ministration’s use of anti-Asian words being pushed to death in San Frantee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and otherwise. (e.g. “Wuhan Virus”) to describe the cisco and Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Civil Liberties, marked the first time in “His targets were no accident, and virus to “shift blame and anger away Filipino man who was slashed in the 34 years that Congress held an inquiry what we know is that this day was com- from [Trump’s] own flawed response face and required almost 100 stitches into anti-Asian discrimination. ing,” Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chair of to the coronavirus.” — were referenced in testimonies on ON her first shift in the field in her new job, The reported incidents from the past the Congressional Asian Pacific Ameriu PAGE A3 From March 19, 2020 to February Cal State LA nursing graduate Sarah Francisco found herself swept up in the COVID-19 crisis, helping vaccinate patients in South Los Angeles as the virus surged toward a catastrophic peak. “Having the opportunity to dive in and assist with vaccinating the most vulnerable populations in the community, and seeing their excitement and relief, was very memorable,” she recalled of her eventful welcome to Kedren Community Health Center in January. Francisco is one of eight family nurse pracby KLARIZE MEDENILLA bills passed on Thursday that was previFilipino citizens, whether a retitioners, or FNPs, working across Los Angeles AJPress by AJPRESS ously approved by the House in 2019. turning Overseas Filipino (OF) or under a new program co-administered by the The American Dream and Promise Act Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), university’s Chin Family Institute for Nursing in THE U.S. House of Representatives passed 228-197 with all Democrats and ALL Filipino citizens are al- are permitted to enter the counthe Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human on Thursday, March 18 overwhelmingly nine Republicans voting in favor of the lowed to return to the Philippines, try. Services. passed a pair of immigration bills designed bill. but foreign nationals are still temHowever, foreign nationals are The Family Nurse Practitioner Community to overhaul the American immigration The second bill that the House passed porarily barred starting March temporarily barred from entering Care Residency Program has placed the FNP system, including creating a pathway to — called the Farm Workforce Moderniza- 22. the Philippines starting on Monresidents at Kedren and three other clinics in citizenship for undocumented immigrants This update comes after the day, March 22, until April 21. tion Act — would allow farmworkers and underserved communities in East L.A., down- brought to the country as children. their immediate families to earn legal sta- National Task Force Against COExempted from the travel retown LA and Chinatown. The Chin Family InstiCommonly known as DREAMers, these tus through their employment; it would VID-19 (NTF COVID-19) issued a strictions are the following: tute for Nursing is partnering with the Commu- undocumented immigrants would earn also revamp the H-2A agricultural guest Memorandum Circular on Friday, • diplomats and members of nity Clinic Association of Los Angeles County on permanent resident status that would lead worker program and set a pathway for March 19 to further clarify the international organizations and the program, which launched on Jan. 11. to naturalization, according to the Ameri- eventual naturalization. temporary suspension of travel their dependents, provided they u PAGE A4 can Dream and Promise Act, one of the u PAGE A2 into the Philippines. u PAGE A4
House committee holds hearing on rise of anti-Asian crimes, discrimination
Fil-Am nurse practitioner part of Cal State LA’s community care program
House passes two immigration All Filipino citizens allowed bills, sets pathway to citizenship to enter PH, foreign nationals for undocumented youth barred starting March 22