Vandalism discovered at Little Manila center, a historical site in Stockton, California dedicated to the appreciation of Filipino culture, is being investigated as a hate crime.
According to Recordnet.com, “Five of six donated vinyl banners that had been on the windows for the last three years were either ripped off or damaged. Graffiti written with nail polish was on one window and the letters ‘T’ and ‘M’ were removed from the ‘Little Manila Center’ sign on a door.”
The content of the graffiti is unclear, with some news sources reporting that it reads, “White property, you’re a brainwashed bigot.” Recordnet.com states that the graffiti reads, “You the prop whittie (sic) your (sic) a brain washed (sic) bigot (sic).”
As Recordnet.com reports, a man from the next-door business informed officials of the Little Manila Foundation, which runs the community center, that he witnessed a possibly homeless or mentally ill woman ripping the posters. The witness said he confronted the woman, who then fled, and did not call the police.
The defacing of the Filipino cultural center comes in the midst of Filipino American History Month.
In a public statement released on their official website and Facebook page, the Little Manila Foundation said, “It is with a heavy heart to tell you that on Monday, someone defaced our windows and ripped our historic photographs that bore the words: Community, Culture, Empowerment, Arts, History, and Heritage…As we celebrate Filipino American History Month this October, we know that discrimination against Filipino Americans is nothing new.”
“This incident only strengthens our resolve and reaffirms the work that we are already doing,” the statement continues. In it, the foundation also promised to reinstall the art.
NextShark reports that the Little Manila District was considered “one of the most endangered historic places of 2003 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.”
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. You can show your support by liking our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asamnews, following us on Twitter, sharing our stories, interning or joining our staff.
