As the attacks against the Asian American community continue to rise, the Philippine Consulate in New York urges Filipinos who experience these attacks to immediately report.
"As we pray for an end to hate, racism, and discrimination, we also urge our kababayan to do their share. We call on all Filipinos who experience or witness any hate crime to immediately dial 911 to report the incident. We also urge Filipino victims or those who know of Filipino victims to immediately get in touch with us at the Consulate General so we could render assistance," the Philippines’ new consul general in New York, Elmer Cato, said in a statement.
Cato was referring to the recent attack on 65-year-old Filipino-American Vilma Kari, who was brutally assaulted by former convict Brandon Elliot.
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Filipinos are advised to immediately report hate crimes to the Consulate General’s Assistance to Nationals Hotline at 917-239-4118 or to send an email to [email protected].
Cato cited that there are about 2.4 million AAPI residents in the New York City Metro Area alone, who contribute more than USD6.2 billion in state and local tax revenues.
"Our contribution does not end here. In the battle against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Filipino nurses remain in the frontline against the pandemic," he added.
Data from the National Nurses United showed that four percent of nurses in the United States and about 30 percent of the almost 200 registered nurses who died from COVID-19 are Filipinos, said Cato, adding that 25 percent of Filipinos in New York work in the healthcare industry.
"It is, thus, ironic for Elliot to insist that Vilma and the AAPI community she belongs to do not belong here," he said.
“In these trying times, the Consulate General of the Philippines would like to assure our kababayan in New York and those in other states under our jurisdiction that we remain fully committed in looking after their well-being,” Cato said.