{OPINION} Was the attack on an Asian Man in Cerritos racially motivated?

FIRST, READ THE FACTS: https://aapiawarenessproje.wixsite.com/my-site/post/the-incident-asian-american-man-attacked-during-a-walk-in-the-park-cerritos-ca

One incident of Thursday, June 10, 2021, saw an elderly Asian man fall victim to an attack by another man in Cerritos, CA. While truly an unfortunate event, sadly a reality and consequence of rising Asian hate in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic. A cause for concern, I would say.

In a flash, Cesar Echano punched repeatedly in a life changing, eye opening, horrific attack. But the mechanic of the attack would not justify the racial motivation behind the incident. The unique, bleak mindset that someone must have had to do this has yet to be unveiled, but may as well never be - the suspect is long gone. What isn't unique, is what happened, or what was cause by this mindset. Let's consider this: a person is shouted at with slurs. Racially charged slurs. Hurtful and upsetting slurs. Then, the insulter consecutively attacks the person as they leave the scene. As sequential events line up, it is easy to connect two events together and deem the attack as racially charged. Now, let's take this person and give them a name: Cesar Echano.

This is the simplest description of the atrocious incident involving the attack of Cesar Echano. With that, I would say, blatantly, that the attack was racially motivated. But, let's analyze it another way. Another idea. Another tactic. Another way to think about it. Let's step into the perspective of the suspect himself. The suspect, with a mindset of damaging proportions, motivated to attack someone for taking part of their community as a different race...a shame.

Acting as the suspect, imagining them randomly provoking a calmly walking Echano, that it would take serious nerve to accomplish such a preposterous action. And, in addition, accusing him of looking at them funny. Continuing to argue, after he silently acknowledges and puts his head down as to not look in any way, complying with demands. Continuing to argue, after he walks away. Continuing to argue, just to try and provoke him. Continuing to argue...to tell him to go back to his country. It's a harrowing thought from a glance, that it could turn racial.

And then the vicious mindset that boils all common sense away as Echano's car door is ripped open and he is beaten. Punch, punch, punch...and the suspect runs away, devoid of remorse.

In other words, both perspectives, Echano's hearing of being told to go back to his own country, and an analysis of the suspect's actions and evidence of his actions, show that this attack was racially motivated. Not just racially charged, but hurtful. Not just hurtful, but mentally degrading. Not just mentally degrading, but a real and true example, of many similar ones, of growing Asian hate.