A Filipino family was physically attacked in California in a possible hate crime. The attack came at a drive-thru snack at a fast food restaurant in North Hollywood, California, on May 13 at 10 pm as a jeep bumped their car.
Victim Patricia Roque said that as they were about to get “our drive-thru” when someone bumped the back of their car and “we immediately went ahead and called 911 and our dad to help us.”
The family was threatened by the other driver in a “racist stereotypical accent.”
Her father Gabriel arrived a few minutes later and he was physically attacked.
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His wife, 47-year old Nerissa, said, “ Akala ko aalis na siya pero di pa siya umalis. Bumalik pa talaga siya para sabihin yung words na hindi magaganda about Asian things. Hindi namin alam kung ano gagawin namin. Natakot kami, especially kasama ko pa daughter ko. Dumating sa point na humingi kami ng tulong, tinawagan ko husband ko. Pagdating ng husband ko, pinipilit niyang pumunta sa kotse para buksan, kunin daughter ko. Pinigil siya ng husband ko. Bigla na lang niyang sinuntok asawa ko. Biglang napahiga siya. Tumulong ako. Pag tulong ko, bigla niya akong sinakal.”
“I’m traumatized. Masakit kasi iba na pala pag sa pamilya mo nangyari. Yung mga nakikita natin sa TV, napapanood natin. Akala ko di mangyayari. Pero pag nangyari sa pamilya mo, it’s traumatizing. Up to now, yung pain… He was supposed to hit me then nakailag ako. Tapos tumama siya sa chest ko. So yung pain, hanggang ngayon andito pa. Naalala ko pa yung mga ginawa niya,” Nerissa added.
The attacker has not yet been publicly identified, but has been taken into custody by the police.
