By Raymond Douglas Chong, AsAmNews Staff Writer
A Hapa man tells AsAmNews he thwarted an attack in Portland, OR.
After a workout at 24 Hour Fitness Fitness in the Hollywood District, Darby Li Po Price was chatting with a female companion. Without any warning, a woman attacked Darby. He describes himself as himself as hapa-half Chinese and European, Native American Cherokee.
“I was assaulted without warning by a stranger who walked up to me on the sidewalk in Portland. A large woman stepped up to me, after walking past the woman I was talking with. She said, ‘I have to do this!’ She swung a full roundhouse punch at my face.
“I blocked her punch with my forearm, then kicked her, and as she re-approached me, I yelled “stay back or I will hurt you and put you in the hospital. Stay back unless you want to go to the hospital. She responded “go ahead, I do not care.”
Maybe she did care because he say the woman walked slowly away and down the sidewalk and then across the street. There she stood and watched Price and his friend. He says he was not hurt.
“I will give physical and racial descriptions because they lead to my assumption it was a racial assault in the context of re-heightened China/Chinese/Asian bashing and other racial tensions. The attacker, a large thick (powerful) Black woman stepped past a White blond thin (weak) woman to take a full roundhouse punch at me. My assumption is not sure, but it makes more sense to me than anything I can think of. I assume that means the attack was not towards a White, unless the attacker assumed I was White and wanted to attack a White male rather than White female.
Darby said he reacted in self-preservation and did not think of engaging the woman to determine why she attacked him. He says his friend stood in disbelief and he went on to demonstrate to her how to effectively block and deflect a punch and to do the kick he used against his attacker.
He explained to his friend he had been attacked numerous times before, particularly in his childhood. From ages 4-18, his family moved 17 times to areas he describes as overwhelmingly White and where he was the only Asian/Asian American.
“As a mixed ambiguous looking person I have been attacked and called a range of slurs such as ch*nk, chinaman, yellowman, J*p, Injun reskin, half breed, sp*c, beaner.
“The woman did not utter racial expletives, but sometimes racist attackers do not give racial expressions, which is another reason that racial attacks are underreported , and not reported to police. I do not plan to report to police, but I reported to new Asian American coalition collecting hate attacks.
Price is a Professor of Asian American Studies. As a Hapa, Darby mused about his many racial attacks in America.
“I was attacked most in remote West Virginia. They are very insular and do not like outsiders. Asians are considered perpetual foreigners to many Americans. When I grew up, it was a context of Asians portrayed and thought of as enemies in war movies against Japanese, Korean War, Vietnam and cold war against China. The larger context is Whites have historically portrayed Asians as the yellow peril threatening to take over the world.”
He says there is a lot of racial tension in Portland. There is a shortage of police in the neighborhoods because they are concentrating their attention on the downtown racial protests and riots against the police. He says its a good time to be ready to defend ourselves rather than rely on police for protection.
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I wish to qualify regarding West Virginia that “many” (rather than “They”) are insular and don’t like outsiders.
Likewise, “many” whites have portrayed Asians as the yellow peril. . . .
–Darby Li Po Price
This is terrible. He was attacked because of his physical appearance. Asians had been racially attacked by both Blacks and Whites for neither belonging to that racial category.
thank you for your affirmation Teo. I am being called a racist for assuming it was a racial attack. Darby
Sorry for your experience Darby. Paul Thompson BFUHS
thank you for your empathy Paul!!! Nice to hear from a fellow BFUHS (Bellows Falls Union High) grad.
Darby
Am getting wide range of suggestions for responding to the attacker ranging from hurting the attacker, to just block/deflect the punch then ask why attacker they want to hit me? If I see attacker again, I will ask why they wanted to hit me. Any thoughts on this?