Asian-Americans hold 1st official parade in New York with racism on the rise
New York, May 15 (EFE).- Asian-Americans in New York City on Sunday held their first official heritage parade along 6th Avenue in Manhattan during a time when they have been suffering a wave of racist attacks that erupted after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States more than two years ago.
The Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community thus joins many other ethnic and national groups in the US in holding an annual parade to emphasize their contribution to the creation and development of the country.
Irish, Italians, Scottish, Latin Americans in general and Puerto Ricans in particular are some of the communities in the Big Apple that have designated one day out of the year to turn out and parade along the city’s main avenues to emphasize their origin and presence in the social, economic and political fabric, not only of the New York metro area but nationwide.
New York Mayor Eric Adams said in a speech during the parade that the community is against hatred toward Asian-Americans, against anti-Semitism or hatred against any ethnic group, adding that in his jurisdiction there is no room for racism.
In his brief message, Adams, who acknowledged the contribution of the AAPI community in the city’s progress, also devoted some of his remarks to condemning the mass shooting – apparently perpetrated for racist reasons – carried out by a white 18-year-old gunman at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
Ten people died and three others were injured at the hands of the assailant, who was taken into custody by law enforcement, with most of the victims being African American.
The mayor added that people know that they must confront hatred in the US and in New York state, noting that when people join together to hold a parade they are also showing that they accept and respect one another.
New York’s community of Asian origin is the second-largest such community in the US and their first official local parade coincides with the month dedicated to celebrating their achievements and remembering their history at a time when racist attacks are continuing against them.
The Stop AAPI Hate organization said that 10,905 racist incidents against members of this community occurred between March 2020 and December 2021, with 64 percent of them being verbal attacks and 16 percent physical attacks.
The majority of those attacks were staged against women, and – in order of nationality – against Americans or residents with roots in China, South Korea, The Philippines, Japan and Vietnam.
EFE jfu/rrt/bp
