Asian Woman Spat At, Called 'Chinese Virus' In Queens: Police

FRESH MEADOWS, QUEENS — An Asian woman reported that a man spat in her direction and yelled "Chinese virus" this week by Kissena Corridor Park in Queens, an incident now being investigated by police as a possible hate crime.

The 25-year-old woman was with her baby Tuesday morning near 186th Street and Peck Avenue when the stranger spat at her three times before using the derogatory term, according to police and news reports.

The NYPD formed a task force last year dedicated to investigating anti-Asian hate crimes, after the coronavirus pandemic brought a surge in anti-Asian harassment and assaults due to stigma and misinformation about the virus.

In 2019, there was one reported incident of an anti-Asian incident. Last year, 30 were reported.

Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration also launched a website, Stop Asian Hate, dedicated to providing victims with educational and community resources, as well as educating the public about anti-Asian bias, discrimination and hate.

"Across the country, we are just hearing about these incidents all the time," U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, who represents the part of Queens where Tuesday's incident happened, told ABC7 New York. "This week the weather is really nice and I was thinking maybe I'll take my kids to the park, but now I'm having second thoughts myself."

Meng and U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) on Thursday announced plans to reintroduce their COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which would create a position at the U.S. Department of Justice to facilitate expedited review of hate crimes related to the pandemic.

"Before this pandemic started, I urged everyone—including elected officials—to not blame Asian Americans for the virus," Meng said in a statement. "My words were not heeded."