A FILIPINA health worker knocked down an apparent racist woman who picked on her inside an express train in New York City last Friday, Philippine Consul General Elmer Cato said.
In a social media post, Cato said the woman “spat on her hand and wiped her saliva” on the Filipina seated next to her on the train.
“A woman picked on the wrong Asian on the N train. She spat on her hand and wiped her saliva on a young Filipino hospital worker seated next to her. She then saw a few stars. Our kababayan comes from a family of boxing legends in the Philippines,” Cato said.
Cato, however, did not provide further details about the identity of the Filipino or on the incident, citing concerns about the safety of the former.
The latest incident prompted Cato to call on the US government to act on the rising number of hate crimes, including those targeting Asians in the country.
Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported about 40 incidents of hate crimes and other incidents involving Filipinos in New York since last year.
Hate crimes in the US against Asians and Asian-Americans have been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the notorious cases include an attack on 58-year-old Maria Luningning Ambrocio last year.
Ambrocio, a health care worker, was walking with another Filipina near Times Square after visiting the consulate when she was struck on the head by a mentally deranged person.
She later succumbed to her injuries.
A 65-year-old Filipino was also attacked last year in Manhattan by a man who was out on parole for killing his mother.
A Filipino consular officer based in the consulate in New York was also verbally assaulted by a fellow train passenger while on the way to work.
