Photo: Mike Nguyen, Noodle Tree
The owner of the Noodle Tree Restaurant in San Antonio says he won’t be deterred by vandals who spray painted his restaurant with racist graffiti.
“You’re not going to be able to scare me. You’re not going to be able to discourage me from opening,” Mike Nguyen said to Fox29.
The incident happened just a few days after he spoke out against Texas Governor Greg Abbott who rescinded the statewide mask mandate.
Nguyen who is Vietnamese and French is a cancer survivor.
Messages scrawled on his restaurant included “go back 2 China,” “No masks,” “commie,” and “I hope you die.”
“Regardless of what your beliefs are, it shouldn’t have to get to that point where you wish death upon somebody,” Nguyen said to KENS5. “That’s what kind of enraged me was, you don’t even know who I am. All I’m trying to do is the right thing.”
Members of the community showed up to help with the clean up and to let Nguyen know the racists are in the minority in San Antonio.
“To our Asian community and our community in general, we stand with you all of you and we will not stand for the hate that’s been displayed here,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg who is of Filipino, Malay, Indian, and British heritage from his mother’s side.
Police say the incident will be investigated as a hate crime.
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