Anti-Asian Violence

Unity Against Anti-Asian Violence

Flushing, NY: Local residents, faith leaders and civic activists representing the diversity of the World’s Borough gathered on the steps of the Queens Public Library in downtown Flushing, Queens, to stand in unity against anti-Asian violence and hate. Today’s vigil was an opportunity for our community to mourn the lives lost in the recent mass shooting in Georgia, condemn the white supremacy and racism dividing our country, and stand in solidarity across race, religion, and gender lines in mutual support and protection against future acts of violence. "We came together today to stand united against hate," stated John Choe, executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, who organized today's vigil against anti-Asian violence. "We must come together as a community to build solidarity and mutual support. The police are crime fighters; they cannot solve the racism and sexism that are at the root of these attacks. Only we can protect us." On March 16, a white man gunned down nine people. At 5pm on Tuesday, the suspect opened fire at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, killing four people and injuring a fifth, before driving 30 miles into Atlanta and killing four more people at two businesses, Gold Spa and Aromatherapy Spa. Six of those killed were Asian American women: Soon Chung Park (74); Hyun Jung Grant (51); Suncha Kim (69); Yong Ae Yue (63); Delaina Ashley Yaun (33); Paul Andre Michels (54); Xiaojie Tan (49); Daoyou Feng (44). “Today we grieve for the eight lives lost,” stated Julie Ae Kim, Co-founder of the Asian American Feminist Collective. “Then we imagine and build a future where this can’t happen again. We hold our elected officials, advocates, and community accountable for stigmatizing and perpetuating harm to massage parlor workers, migrant workers, sex workers and we use this moment to call for justice. We know that the only way through this is together.” The vigil began with an opening prayer by Rev. Dr. Richard McEachern, Pastor of Macedonia AME Church, and a song by Soh Young Lee-Segredo, educator, community activist, Charter Member of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of the Korean American Association of Queens (KAAQ) and founding member of the Multicultural Council of New York. “As members of the faith community, our prayers go out to the families victimized by these violent attacks,” stated Rev. Dr. Richard McEachern, Pastor of Macedonia AME Church. “We are outraged by these biased and senseless attacks on Asian Americans, and we will not remain silent. We must speak out against bigotry, racism, and discrimination wherever and whenever we see it. We want our Asian American neighbors, friends, and co-workers to know we are standing with you during this difficult time.” “The experience of being treated like a stranger in our own country is part of the Jewish story and the story of the AAPI community. As Jews, we stand with our AAPI family, community members and neighbors in love and solidarity,” stated Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Founder of the Malkhut Jewish spiritual community of Queens. “The scapegoating by public officials, associating COVID with the Asian American community, is dangerous and irresponsible and it must stop. In particular I also want to shine a light on the intersection between misogyny and racism in the recent horrific shootings in Atlanta. Racism and sexism were operating hand in hand in this incident, and we must call it out for what it is.” Flushing is the point of origin for many workers in massage parlors across the US. Immigrant massage workers and their supporters in Red Canary Song have called for decriminalization of sex work and justice for Yang Song, who was killed during a police raid in November 2017 on 49th Road in downtown Flushing after making a complaint of sexual assault and rape by undercover law enforcement officers. The vigil was also joined by Evergreen Chou of SEIU 1199 Healthcare Workers, other religious leaders and activists.l

Photo: Suechin Chang

IN THE NEWS New York Sees First Case of Brazil COVID-19 Variant

BY CAROLYN CRIST WebMD HEALTH NEWS BRIEF

New York state confirmed its first case of the P.1 coronavirus variant, which was first identified in Brazil and is now the dominant variant there, according to The New York Times. Public health officials have been concerned about the highly contagious nature of the variant, particularly because it has reinfected some people who have already recovered from COVID-19. “The detection of the Brazilian variant here in New York further underscores the importance of taking all the appropriate steps to continue to protect your health,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on Saturday. “While it’s normal for a virus to mutate, the best way to protect yourself is to continue to wear a well-fitted mask, avoid large crowds, social distance, wash your hands, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn,” he said. The first P.1 case in New York was identified at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. The patient is a 90-yearold Brooklyn resident with no travel history. The U.S. has reported 54 cases of the P.1 variant across 18 states, according to the latest CDC tally updated on Sunday. Florida has reported the most of any state, with 21 cases. P.1 has also been found in at least 25 other countries, TheTimes reported. The P.1 variant shares similar mutations with the B.1.351 variant that was first identified in South Africa and is now dominant in that country. The U.S. has reported 194 cases of B.1.351 across 27 states. In addition, the U.S. has identified 6,390 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant that was first identified in the U.K., which could become the dominant form in the U.S. this spring. Health officials are trying to ramp up vaccinations as coronavirus variants spread. The vaccines made by PfizerBioNTech and Moderna protect against the B.1.351 variant, the newspaper reported, but are slightly less effective. They are expected to have similar results against the P.1 variant. The U.S. has shipped 156 million doses of COVID-19 vaccinees, and 81.4 million people have received at least one dose, according to the latest CDC update on Sunday. More than 44 million people — or 13% of the population — have received both doses. In New York, at least 25% of the population has received at least one dose. “This is a race between the vaccine and the variants, and we continue to make tremendous progress of getting shots in the arms of eligible New Yorkers,” Howard Zucker, MD, the New York state health commissioner, said in the statement. “In the meantime, we remind New Yorkers to do everything they can to protect themselves and their neighbors as we continue to manage this pandemic,” he said.l

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Caribbean Unity/ continued from page 1

This has led a minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines government to reproduce his blog a strong view that “CARICOM is dead,” depicted by a headstone in a burial ground. (See: Every island for itself… | iWitness News (iwnsvg.com) Against the background of these recent pronouncements, my commentary this week draws on an article I wrote in 2013. Ian McDonald’s “A Cloud of Witnesses,” published by The Caribbean Press, is a collection of thoughtful reflections on the Caribbean condition; visionary and inspirational addresses to diplomats and graduating University students; and moving accounts of experiences that are shaping the Caribbean in which we live. The topics in the book are varied reflecting a long life in the Caribbean; the interests of a man who is poet and writer; lover of cricket; executive in the sugar industry and a consummate West Indian – born in Trinidad of Antigua and St Kitts ancestry, grew up in Trinidad and Antigua, earned a degree from Cambridge University, Captained the West Indies Davis Cup tennis team, and worked most of his adult life in Guyana. He is also among a rare breed – a white and proud West Indian as comfortable in the company of other West Indians of all races as he is content in his own skin. After he retired as an executive of the Sugar Industry in Guyana, and by then an accomplished and well-recognised writer and Poet, McDonald worked with the West Indian Commission – that body of distinguished West Indian men and women who produced in 1992 the seminal study, Time for Action, that laid out a blueprint for the Caribbean’s future. McDonald recalls the testimony of “experts” who pointed to the models that were being developed elsewhere – the Asian Tigers, the Singapore model, the new Europe. He also remembers with satisfaction that the Commission felt that, while these models were useful reference points, the West Indian model had its intrinsic value. “West Indians”, the report said, “offer a rare creation – a people of many nationalities, many races, many faiths, and different cultural heritages” who have stayed together in a single community. McDonald asserts his own belief in the value of the West Indian model. Nonetheless, he is practical enough to “pray because I think we will need some heavenly blessing in a hard task … but in the end I profoundly believe because I think we already hold enough in common to secure an undivided future together”. His profound belief does not prevent him from being “disillusioned with the pettifogging gradualism that the word CARICOM is rapidly coming to stand for.” “All of our small countries”, he says, “simply have to make ourselves bigger very soon – enlarge our domestic market, broaden our technological base, combine our financial resources, increase the scale of opportunity for our ambitious young people, bring together behind one frontier the marvelous common cultural strains that exist in the West Indies side by side but apart – apart and therefore more vulnerable to outside cultural impact.” As for the grand communiques, speeches, and often touted plans of CARICOM meetings, he despairs – “every country in the region is littered with the burnt-out corpses of plans not implemented and reports unread”. Of the high-sounding declarations, he laments that they are “Declarations of futility.” The book conjoins cricket with poetry not only in capturing the superlative stroke play of Rohan Kanhai and Vivian Richards; the genius of Frank Worrell; and the artistry of Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara, but the essence of what cricket means to every West Indian –“truly cricket is supremely an imaginative possession which binds our Caribbean Community together… If it is no longer to be so we have lost something of infinite value”. McDonald’s book celebrates the nobility and importance of West Indian-ness and the necessity to consolidate its value. However, it does not ignore the warts so obvious on our Caribbean face, nor does it avoid confronting our obsession with our sovereignty that is constantly invoked to pursue narrow political interests. Clinging to sovereignty, which in any event we only exercise against ourselves is an obstacle to the unity we all need to survive in a world that cares little about small states. As the rest of the world sees the English-Speaking Caribbean, our entire populations are collectively no more than a small city in the US, Europe, or Asia. What is more, many of our countries frequently yield their sovereignty to larger countries when they are either lured or pressured to do so – even at the expense of the CARICOM Treaty obligations. In truth, as was evidenced in their testimony to the 1992 West Indian Commission, Caribbean people would prefer the Caribbean with one currency, one passport, free to travel between them, to invest in them, to benefit from its abundant collective wealth, to hail their joint heroes in sport, in literature and other areas of achievement. And, more than anything else, to command respect in the world. McDonald’s book describes the things that give pleasure and cause the soul to soar and want to accomplish what looks impossible like “painting the wind” or creating a West Indian nation – the former only God can accomplish; the latter is within the capacity of Caribbean people inspired by their leaders, when we all get to it. l

Sir Ronald Sanders is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and the Organisation of American States.

Ignore Bogus COVID Vaccine Survey

BY COLLEEN TRESSLER FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

People across the country are reporting getting emails and texts out of the blue, asking them to complete a limited-time survey about the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccine. (And no doubt, there may be one for Johnson & Johnson, too.) In exchange, people are offered a free reward, but asked to pay shipping fees. No legitimate surveys ask for your credit card or bank account number to pay for a “free” reward. If you get an email or text you’re not sure about: •Don’t click on any links or open attachments. Doing so could install harmful malware that steals your personal information without you realizing it. •Don’t call or use the number in the email or text. If you want to call the company that supposedly sent the message, look up its phone number online.

Remember: •Don’t give your bank account, credit card, or personal information to someone who contacts you out of the blue. •You can filter unwanted text messages on your phone, through your wireless provider, or with a call-blocking app. •If you get an email or text that asks for your personal information and you think it could be a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

To learn more about COVID-related frauds and scams, visit ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams.l

Protecting Your Stimulus

Payments/continued from page 1 creditors, and debt collectors, making clear that financial relief provided through stimulus payments are exempt from garnishment under New York law. The American Rescue Plan Act authorized the U.S. Department of Treasury to send billions of dollars to Americans struggling as a result of the economic fallout of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis, but these emergency stimulus payments were not designated as exempt from garnishment, allowing debt collectors to potentially benefit before consumers. “As New Yorkers continue to face economic instability spurred by the pandemic, it is imperative that we continue to protect their wallets from unscrupulous actors,” said Attorney General James. “This official guidance makes clear that banks and debt collectors cannot freeze or seize stimulus funds that are intended for New Yorkers, especially those most in need during this time. My office remains committed to protecting New Yorkers’ rights, and ensuring that any institution that violates this guidance will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” Attorney General James’ guidance is based on multiple state and federal consumer protection laws and clarifies that any attempt to garnish stimulus funds from New Yorkers will be treated as a violation of these laws. Under New York law, certain types of property — including public benefits, like public assistance, social security, and veterans’ and retirement benefits — are exempt from execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process by a judgment creditor seeking to satisfy a monetary judgment. The New York State Court of Appeals has held that exemption statutes “are to be construed liberally in favor of debtors” because exemptions “serve the important purpose of protect[ing] the debtor’s essential needs.” American Rescue Plan Act stimulus payments are similarly aimed at debtors’ or borrowers’ essential needs and — under Attorney General James’ guidance — will therefore be treated and are subject to the same protections as statutorily exempt payments, and will not be subject to garnishment — a legal mechanism that typically involves the “freezing” of funds in a bank account by creditors or debt collectors. Attorney General James’ guidance advises banking institutions that American Rescue Plan Act stimulus payments will follow similar legal processes as other public benefits, and any person or entity that garnishes or attempts to garnish these payments will have violated multiple state and federal consumer protection laws. This guidance also addresses what are known as “setoffs” — where a financial institution seizes funds in a consumer’s account to pay a debt owed to the bank. American Rescue Plan Act stimulus payments are now exempt from this abusive and unfair practice, and Attorney General James is urging all financial institutions to follow the lead of the nation’s largest banks, which have committed to ensuring that consumers are able to access the full value of their stimulus payments. This guidance does not apply to any actions taken by the state of New York, including, but not limited to, any actions to collect past due child support. The American Rescue Plan Act authorized the Treasury Department to issue emergency stimulus payments of up to $1,400 for eligible adults and up to $1,400 for eligible children to help offset the costs of essentials, like housing, groceries, car payments, and other necessary expenses. According to the Treasury Department, as of last week, approximately 90 million Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan Act had already been distributed to individuals throughout the nation, with more expected in the coming weeks. This guidance follows similar guidance issued by Attorney General James, in April 2020, that protected New Yorkers’ Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) stimulus payments from garnishment. This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Christopher L. McCall, Deputy Bureau Chief Laura J. Levine, and Bureau Chief Jane M. Azia — all of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. The Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Economic Justice, which is overseen by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.l

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