‘We shouldn’t have to live in fear.’ Fresno’s Asian-Americans face more than coronavirus
With reports of racism and hate crimes on the rise, some Asian Americans in Fresno say they are living in fear of more than just the novel coronavirus.
Saeng Bunsy said she was trying to buy diapers earlier this week at a Fresno store when a woman told her to “move out of my way” and then used a racial slur. Bunsy, a 37-year-old Laos native, said she worries for her family’s safety, especially on the heels of local reports of race-related crimes directed at Asian Americans amid the coronavirus scare.
“We shouldn’t have to live in fear,” she said in an interview with The Bee.
There have been several cases of reported discrimination against Asian-Americans across the country tied to the spreading of COVID-19, several outlets have reported.
Fresno police are investigating two suspected hate crimes believed to be tied to the outbreak. In both of the cases, racial slurs blaming Asians for the coronavirus were scrawled across vehicles belonging to Asian-American families.
Sgt. Jeff. La Blue said police expect to make an arrest in the coming days.
While Fresno police have received just two such reports, La Blue acknowledged many - if not most - race-related incidents go unreported.
“I’m not saying that it’s not happening,” he said during an interview Thursday. “We are not seeing a trend. I know that some of the Asian culture is concerned and I’m not trying to dash those thoughts or fears.”
He said Fresno police are “sympathetic to the different needs of people during this time.”
Bunsy said she knows one of the families targeted by the vandalism and said many people are worried. She also said those fears are compounded with recent repeated remarks by Presidents Donald Trump referring to it as the “Chinese virus” and similar comments by local elected officials.
“Fresno is too diverse for us to go backwards,” she said.
That fear has spread among others in the Southeast Asian immigrant community, leaving them afraid to leave their houses, said Paying Her, a program manager with the Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries.
Some clients and their families are “very afraid to go out,” Her said.
“They just don’t feel safe,” she said.
The Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council on Thursday launched a new website for victims of hate crime, discrimination and harassment across the country to report incidents.
La Blue said police are taking the local cases seriously and Chief Andy Hall has received updates on the investigations.
“We aren’t overlooking anything like this,” he said.
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