Joint Statement on Anti-Asian Violence from Ma-Yi & The Public Theater

Last night, our production of THE CHINESE LADY began performances. To celebrate the moment, a performance from Yip’s Dragon Style Kung Fu and Lion Dance was organized in The Public’s lobby. They shared a beautiful performance with us, but what many people might not have realized was that one of the incredible artists had just been attacked on his way to The Public.

His glasses were broken, his eye was bruised, and he was kicked multiple times. Because he couldn’t see well, he couldn’t perform his role but insisted instead on playing one of the instruments, and the group insisted the performance go on as planned.

We are sharing this because the attack on this Asian American artist, which happened near Seward Park not far from where Christina Yuna Lee was tragically murdered, is another incident in a long history of violence against Asian Americans. This violence and the hatred that fuels it remain disgusting and heartbreaking and have created an environment full of fear where safety seems scarce for our Asian American neighbors.

We’re sending our love and support to the artist and to the Yip’s Dragon Style Kung Fu and Lion Dance team and their families, and to THE CHINESE LADYcompany, and we remind ourselves that what we say to each other, what we say about each other, how we show up for our Asian American neighbors, how we respond when they are scared or in danger, and how we show up as allies makes a difference.