Fed up Asians boycott Black racism and hate crimes

2009 - Dozens of Asian students who were attacked and beaten at South Philadelphia High School last week have opted not to return to school on Monday over concerns for their safety.

Wien Chen, president of the Chinese American Student Association, released a statement Sunday saying the students will instead meet and discuss "real solutions" to address violence at the school.

"It is our opinion that South Philadelphia High School is still not a safe place for us," read the statement. "Because we are Asian immigrants, we are targeted. We have been working with the school a long time, but the school has failed to provide a concrete plan to address our safety inside and outside the building."

School District officials and police held a meeting with the students on Friday evening but the group said the meeting did little to address their concerns or ease fears.

Tensions between black and Asian students at the school erupted in a series of assaults last week, leading to 10 suspensions and several students seeking medical treatment.

Asian students at the school said a lunchroom attack left them feeling unsafe and helpless, in part because they say school security guards often turn a blind eye.

School officials said last week's clashes strained efforts to improve race relations.

"What gets lost in all of this is the fact that the school, the community and the students have worked hard over the past two years to foster that kind of positive learning environment," said James Golden, the school district's chief safety executive.

The school, with some 1,200 students, is 70 percent black and 18 percent Asian. It has been labeled "persistently dangerous" by the state, even though assaults were down 50 percent from last year.

In an effort to get the Philadelphia School District to take their claims of abuse seriously, more than 50 Asian students from South Philadelphia High School will boycott classes this week.

The drastic move comes after 30 students were brutally attacked last week at the school located at Broad Street and Snyder Avenue.

The students who are protesting met with Asian community leaders and law enforcement on Monday to urge them to put better security measures in place.

'We are afraid to get attacked! Inside school! In the bathroom, around the hallway in school," said Yung Ly. "When my friend got attacked outside the school and the district said 'We are investigating' but they did not interview us! How can they be investigating without interviewing us? We are the victims."

The students are specifically asking for more school cameras and school officers. They also want stricter punishments for students who attack their peers.

"If there's an arrest for aggravated assault or assault and it's determined it's because of their nationality, that is a hate crime," said Chief Inspector James Tiano.

Investigators said 30 Asian-American students at the school were assaulted last week by a group of African-American students. 10 of those students were suspended from school and sent to alternative schools.

School officials who met with the students said they have been and are working on a resolution to end the violence.

"If they boycott or didn't boycott, I got the message. To me, the bottom line is that whenever kids get in a fight and a lot are injured I got the message. To me the most important things is to make sure it doesnt happen again," said Philadelphia School District Regional Superintendent Michael Silverman.

The students plan to meet again on Tuesday at an undisclosed location.