Askari Addison
By Askari Addison
Last week, an individual or a group of individuals defaced areas of the Chinatown-International District (CID) with hateful graffiti targeting community activist and City Councilmember Tanya Woo. The vandals scrawled their messages on parking pay stations and historic brick buildings near 7th Avenue South and South King Street. The graffiti included hate speech, references to race, and evoked themes of exclusion.
Someone defaced a Seattle pay station near 7th and King St in the Chinatown-International District
While it is important to value the right to free speech and the power of peaceful protest, this community must unequivocally condemn the use of property destruction and vandalism as a means to personally attack community members.
There are many ways to exercise our First Amendment rights, but resorting to property destruction and hate speech, especially in marginalized communities of color, is unacceptable and counterproductive. These actions undermine the very principles of respect and justice that our city strives to uphold, and places burdens on those least able to carry them.
This act of vandalism in the CID, a community already marginalized and traumatized by a history of exclusion and xenophobia, is a blatant display of hate. It is deeply troubling that such messages were in a community that has long been made to feel like they are foreigners in their own homes— a mostly immigrant community that doesn’t see the presence of politics.
As a resident of the CID, I’ve volunteered for weekly community watch walks. I know Tanya, and I know these statements were made to mischaracterize, harm, and divide communities. Tanya is out in the community on a weekly basis offering mutual aid to unhoused neighbors, and checking in on the seniors. Tanya’s dedication and hard work embody the spirit of service and community.
I call on all members of the community to engage in constructive and respectful dialogue as we work together to address the challenges facing our neighborhoods. Let us stand united against hate, property destruction, and violence, and reaffirm our commitment to equity, inclusion and mutual respect.
We must strive for civility and respect, rejecting all forms of hate and discrimination. Our communities deserve better, and it is our collective responsibility to stand against such reprehensible actions. It is only through working together that we can bring the equity, justice, and vitality to our communities that they deserve. Please stand with us as we speak out against anti-Asian hatred and xenophobia.
I think it is time for CID residents, non-profit & social service agencies in the area and allies to take a stand against Asian bullying and the defacing of the Chinatown International District with ugly and harmful graffiti on landmark buildings and city property. This is a historic neighborhood, many of our immigrant ancestors set foot in Seattle. Let’s challenge ourselves to make it a vibrant neighborhood again. See something, say something, DO something.
Where’s the “hate crime” part in that graffiti?
Can there be more picture examples of the racist graffiti being described? Those just glancing at headlines just assuming the only graffiti is done on the parking meter.