This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
There are currently 66 anti-Asian bias cases under investigation as hate crimes by the New York Police Department. But the NYPD’s official tally doesn’t display the thousands of incidents and harassment Asians, especially older Asians, underwent last year. According to attorneys, there may be a list of reasons why victims might not want to report the violence; such as language barriers, distrust of authorities, lengthy interviews, skepticism over if there will be consequences, fear of payback, concern about immigration status and shielding others from their pain. The City and The Marshall Project also compiled ways on how New Yorkers can report hate crimes in the city here. The City and The Marshall Project
In other local immigration news…
Documented Talks: The Future of Chinatown
📍 Documented Event
Manhattan’s Chinatown has suffered immensely since the beginning of the pandemic; from businesses closing to former President Donald Trump constantly connecting coronavirus and China. On Thursday, April 29 at 4:30 pm, Documented host an online discussion with Rong Xiaoqing, a reporter for the Chinese-language newspaper Sing Tao Daily, to discuss the events of this past year and will shed light upon what the future may hold for Chinatown residents as they cope with loss of employment, declining business and rising rent, along with other issues. Wellington Chen, executive director of the Chinatown BID, Joanne Kwog, president of Pearl River Mart and Yin Kong, founder of Think! Chinatown, will join her. Register here for our free Zoom event.
Resources for Immigrants with Disabilities in New York
📍 Documented Original
According to New York City’s Department of Health, three million residents have disabilities. It’s unclear of how many immigrants have disabilities, but after receiving requests information for individuals with disabilities from our WhatsApp community, we put together a list of resources for immigrant New Yorkers with disabilities. It details what people with disabilities’ legal rights entail, and includes dozens of nonprofit and government resources for people with many different disabilities and mental health concerns. Read more at Documented.
NY Assembly Approves HERO Act to Protect Workers
On Monday, the Democratic-led New York state Assembly approved the NY HERO Act, which requires businesses to have safety protocols to prevent COVID-19 spread. Businesses must start following specific protocols, including providing employees with personal protective equipment, allowing them to socially distance and assuring they had breaks to wash hands. NY HERO Act received pushback from the business community who worried it would open the door to more lawsuits. Meanwhile labor and immigrant groups were happy with the new bill. “Our state’s workers, including two million undocumented workers, continue to put their lives on the line to keep our economy and communities running, yet have not been provided enforceable safety standards,” said New York Immigration State Director Eddie Tavera. Spectrum News
