Two elderly Filipinas attacked in New York

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 13) — Two elderly Filipinas were attacked in separate incidents of anti-Asian hate in New York on March 10, authorities said.

According to the Philippine Consulate General in New York, a Filipina in her 50s “who walks with a cane and suffer from poor eyesight” was pushed down stairs by an unidentified man at 179th Street Station of the F Train in the Jamaica neighborhood in Queens, New York.

On the same day, a Filipina in her 60s was pushed by an unidentified man at the Long Island Rail Road train platform in the Jamaica neighborhood. She sustained multiple injuries after she landed on her face, the consulate said.

The consulate also reported that the two incidents of anti-Asian hate are the first cases involving Filipinos this year. It received 23 reports of hate crimes against Asian-Americans last year.

“Mayor Eric Adams promised to make New York City safe again and we are counting on him to fulfill that promise,” Consul General Elmer Cato said in statement.

Cato advised Filipinos in New York to be on alert while outside of their residences and to immediately report any incident to authorities.

The consulate will hold a self-defense webinar on March 28.

In May 2021, US President Joe Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which seeks to counter hate crimes against Asian-Americans during the pandemic.