Disturbing incidents often under-reported
Assault on elderly man in Vancouver a hate crime: police
EAST VANCOUVER — An attack last month in East Vancouver that police say was racist has shone a light on not just the challenges people of Asian descent face during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also on the unresolved racism simmering in society.
On Wednesday, Vancouver police said they were searching for a person who assaulted a 92-year-old man of Asian descent with dementia last month in what cops are calling a hate crime.
“Everything about this assault and the behaviour of the suspect is despicable,” said VPD Const. Tania Visintin in a statement Wednesday. “As a police department, we do not tolerate incidents motivated by bias, prejudice or hate. It’s even more disturbing considering the victim’s age.”
On March 13, the victim, who suffers from severe dementia, wandered into a convenience store near Nanaimo Street and East 1st Avenue, according to police. Staff at the convenience store were trying to assist the elderly gentleman, when a man began yelling racist remarks at the victim that included comments about COVID-19, police said.
Outside the store, police allege the attacker shoved the elderly man, which caused him to fall to the ground and hit his head. The attacker left before police arrived.
Visintin said the man is recovering at home with his family.
Vancouver police say they’ve had an increase in reports of anti-asian hate motivated incidents and criminal behaviour over the past couple of weeks. Eleven hate crimes were reported to police in March. Five of those reports had an anti-asian element, according to the VPD. So far in 2020 there have been a total of nine anti-asian hate crimes reported to police. In comparison, there were 12 in all of 2019.
“We know that hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents are generally under-reported. We believe the increase in March is indicative of a larger issue,” said Visintin. “We are making a plea to victims or people who witness hate crimes to please come forward and report the incidents to police so they can be investigated.”
In a recent Psychology Today piece, Leon F. Seltzer noted outward acts of anger can be indicative of biases within an individual as they fight to control their lives or place blame during a turbulent time.
“In times of elevated stress, even subtle, dimly recognized prejudices can be blown out of all proportion, compelling us to react in unprecedented ways,” wrote Seltzer. “It’s all-too-easy to hate what’s beyond our control. And these days many of us feel tremendous resentment that outside forces reflecting neither our will nor intent constrain us from living as we’ve grown comfortably accustomed to.”
It’s something that Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon recognizes is happening more frequently during the pandemic.
Last year, Kahlon served as parliamentary secretary for multiculturalism and spent much of his summer touring the province to hear from British Columbians about racism at town halls and roundtable discussions.
“I think the one thing about a health crisis like the one we have is, it both brings out the best in people but it also brings out the worst in people,” said Kahlon of the attack.
“Hearing about this incident, it just reminds you that we have a lot of work to do and unfortunately, doing that work is a little more challenging under these circumstances but it’s more important now than ever.”
Kahlon acknowledged these incidents aren’t as simple as identifying a bad guy or blaming bystanders for not intervening — perhaps out of fear for their own safety or health during the pandemic — but that these situations force a deeper look at societal pressures, inequality and bias.
“I think it’s important that people need to think, if an incident happens, ‘What are you going to do? How are you going to react?’ People need to start thinking about these things as well.”
He also noted that while major incidents such as the March 13 attack grab headlines, there are many other racially motivated incidents that are never reported or that were never witnessed.
“The only way to address … issues of hate and racism is by strengthening communities and knowing that work happens over time — it doesn’t just happen,” said Kahlon. “It takes methodical and determined steps to do that and to find ways during this pandemic to continue that work.”
Joe Tong is a Vancouver-based educator who said he began reading more media reports in March about violent race-related incidents linked to COVID-19 in other parts of the world.
“That’s when I started thinking, ‘You know what? We need some sort of visibility — before social distancing and all that happened — some way of putting it out there that this is an issue,’” said Tong.
“It’s not just something that exists online but that it’s ingrained in our everyday interactions and thoughts about what this whole pandemic is — and racism is a big part of that.”
As a result, Tong created two pin designs, one reading, “Racism will not protect you from a virus” and another that says, “#Iamnotavirus.” He has made about 80 pins since March, distributing them to students and those who have bravely shared about racist experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to spread support, spark conversations and educate.
Police describe the attacker in the March 13 assault as a white man in his 50s. He is believed to be six feet tall with a heavy build. He has dark, short hair and is balding on top.
He was wearing a grey button-up shirt over a black T-shirt with a white skull design on the front, black pants and black running shoes. He was also wearing a thick, gold bracelet, a gold necklace and several gold rings.
Anyone with information is asked to call VPD investigators at 604-717-2763 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.