NEW YORK: Two brutal killings in the span of less than a month have left Asian American women in New York City on edge. And in metropolitan areas around the country, they say there’s constant reason to be looking over their shoulder, Xinhua quoted a NBC report.
Around 4 am Sunday, 35-year-old Christina Yuna Lee was found dead in her bathroom stabbed 40 times after a man, Assamad Nash, allegedly silently followed her up six flights of stairs into her lower Manhattan apartment, according to the report.
Her death follows the Jan 15 killing of Michelle Go, 40, who was pushed in front of an oncoming train at the Times Square subway station. At a vigil held to commemorate her, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “I’m recommitted to ensure that this will not happen in our city.”
Several women who live in the city were quoted as saying that statements like that have felt increasingly hollow.
With Lee’s death in her own home, they say their safe spaces around New York are rapidly disappearing.
Impacts of violence and racism are disproportionately felt by women in targetted groups, said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, and the brutality endured by Asian Americans long predates the pandemic.
“When the pandemic-related violence against particularly East Asians started happening, people were talking about it as if it’s the first time we’re experiencing this,” she said.
“Now people are paying attention. Now they want to know. All of a sudden, there’s interest.”
Chinatown residents came together to clean up a memorial for the woman stabbed to death on Sunday after it was vandalized early Wednesday morning.
The tribute on Chrystie Street has been a place for people to pay their respects to Christina Lee, who police say was stabbed to death by a man who followed her into her apartment. The victim’s landlord says a vandal struck overnight.
“There was shattered glass, candles all over the ground. There was pieces of ripped-up signs. Flowers were skewed about,” Brian Chin said. “Sickening and horrifying, but, you know, we’re not surprised.”
Assamad Nash has been charged with murder and burglary.
Police believe the attack was sexually motivated and are working to determine whether Lee’s race played a factor.
Westchester County police officer says she faced harassment for being openly bisexual.
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