For Immediate Release
August 7, 2012
Press contact: Deborah Wang; dwang@asiaohio.org; (330) 645-5805
Independence, OH Driver Attacks Community Member with Racist, Sexist Language
CLEVELAND – At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Monday, August 6, 2012, a driver verbally attacked a member of the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community with racist language in the Cleveland suburb of Independence. Writing in to Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA) to report the incident, the community member recalled that the man was driving either a red station wagon or a red SUV/Jeep.
While approaching the southwest corner of Pleasant Valley and Brecksville Road, the driver attempted to change lanes into the passenger side of the community member’s car. He swerved away at the last possible moment to avoid a collision, then swung from behind onto the driver’s side of the community member’s car.
“The traffic ahead of me had slowed to a stop so he stopped his car at the driver’s side of my car,” the community member told ASIA. “Unfortunately, my window was open so I heard him rant racial slurs and sexist language towards me. I feared for my physical safety and wondered how it is possible for this type of hatred to persist in 2012.”
Added the community member, “It’s frightening that there are people who can have such hatred towards another human being, without knowing anything about the other person.”
ASIA condemns all racist, sexist, and otherwise bigoted behavior, and calls on all residents of Greater Cleveland to treat one another with dignity and respect. Individuals who experience such verbal attacks are encouraged to record the offender’s identifying information (such as his or her license plate number) and report the incident to the police as criminal misconduct under Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.21 – Aggravated Menacing and 2927.12 – Ethnic Intimidation.