Asian-American theater director attacked by robbers in New York City.

A veteran Filipino-American  performing artist was assaulted outside his apartment in New York last week.

By Edward Era Barbacena

New York city has been one of the hot spot wherein Asian-Americans has always been targeted for hate crimes since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged and spread globally. 

New York became the first city in the United States to become the coronavirus center in the Western world. In addition to the former president Trump's constant displacement on  China for the pandemic, Asian-Americans had always been the subject of unprovoked Asian hate crimes.

One of the latest nonsensical reported attacks against Asian is the case of the Asian-American theater actor from the Philippines Miguel Braganza , a former cast of Miss Saigon. 

Filipino theater actor and director Miguel Braganza, an alumnus of “Miss Saigon”, was on his way to his apartment when an unidentified robber assaulted and hit him with a gun on the forehead.

On the same day his “Sandiwa: A journey of song and dance” concert opened at the Philippine Center, Filipino theater actor, director, and “Miss Saigon” alum Miguel Braganza was attacked outside his New York apartment on 7 August.

According to the Philippine Consulate General in New York, the incident happened at Fort Tryon in the Upper West Side at around 1 a.m.  

A veteran Filipino-American performing artist was assaulted outside his apartment in New York last week.

The incident of the attack is yet to be determined if this was actually a form of another hate crime against Asian-Americans or robbery. According to Braganza, he was suddenly attacked after visiting his friends while going back to his appartment.

According to Braganza, there were two black men jumped on him and one struck him on the head with a gun. A witness caught the incident on his cell phone.

"I was mugged at gunpoint, and I was hit with a gun,” said Braganza.

"Two black men attacked…but only one attacked me,” he said. “The other guy was on the street.”

Fearing for his life, Braganza screamed for help and as his neighbors were alerted, the suspects immediately left the scene.

A neighbor offered help to the bloodied Braganza, who was taken to the emergency room of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and discharged after several hours.

And while Braganza did not sustain any major injuries, he said he is suffering from trauma.

Despite his head wound and trauma, Braganza was able to attend his “Sandiwa” presentation at the Philippine Consulate that same evening.

“I told my doctor to release me because of the show. I was able to catch the second part,” said Braganza, who believed the incident was a robbery attempt but did not rule out the possibility of an Asian hate crime because of his ethnicity.

Braganza, meanwhile, said there is still no update from the New York Police Department (NYPD) regarding the incident until now and no suspect has been identified and arrested.  His assailants are still at large.

The Philippine Consulate reminded Filipino communities in New York to always be vigilant when outside their residences, especially during the evenings, amid the rising incidents of anti-Asian hate and violence in the city.

Sources:  The Philippine Tribune; GMA 7 online news