In Great Neck Plaza, officials denounce defacement of Chinese Association's sign as 'act of hatred' 

Local leaders are denouncing the recent defacing of a Great Neck Chinese Association banner with words that officials said promote hate and racism.

The Great Neck Chinese Association’s welcome banner, which is displayed on the fence of the Long Island Rail Road bridge on Middle Neck Road in Great Neck Plaza, was defaced late last week, officials told Newsday.

The vandalism is drawing outrage from residents and elected officials, who are calling it an "act of hatred" in their community.

“An act of prejudice against any person or group in our society is an act of hatred, prejudice against all of us,” Mayor Ted Rosen told Newsday on Wednesday, before a news conference planned for Thursday. “We have to stand together and give a strong response that this type of conduct, this type of hateful act will not go unchallenged. We have to denounce it.”

Rosen said the banner's location is a prominent place for organizations, groups and nonprofits to post signs and banners.

More than 26% of the village’s population is Asian, which is more than double the village's 2010 Asian population, according to U.S. census data. 

A New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services report released in December showed hate crime incidents reported to police departments and sheriffs’ offices in New York increased 55.8% in 2021. The report states that 140 anti-Asian crimes were reported that year, the highest number since reporting began.

The Great Neck Chinese Association said in a letter on social media that they condemned the recent defacing in the “strongest term.”

The organization added: “The attack on the banner is not a simple act of vandalism, but it is an attack on a group of residents based on our ethnicity. More importantly, this is an attack on the ideals of tolerance, acceptance and the celebration of diversity.”

Association co-president Steve Chen told Newsday on Wednesday that "as a community we’re not going to back away from this and people that take this kind of action should be held accountable.”

A spokesman for the Nassau County Police Department confirmed the agency is investigating the matter.