Chinese-Americans Protest At Coronavirus Sign In Northbrook

NORTHBROOK, IL — Calling the latest graffiti "hostile, hurtful and horrifying," local Chinese-Americans held a Saturday protest at the controversial "COVID Death Scoreboard" at Triangle Park in Northbrook. Earlier this week, the word "China" was spray-painted on the sign at the corner of Shermer Road and Walters Avenue.

"This was very hurtful," said Northbrook's Wei Chen, one of the organizers of the protest. "I have lived with my family in Northbrook for 20 years, and this is the first time I felt unsafe on the streets of Northbrook. People in the Chinese-American community are now very worried about the safety of their family, especially the ones with young kids."

The sign, created by Northbrook resident Lee Goodman, has been vandalized more than a dozen times since going up Sept. 18. It is updated daily with a running tally of the number of coronavirus deaths in the United States. President Donald J. Trump's name appears on the sign, and his name has been spray-painted over on at least one occasion, according to the Northbrook Police Department.

Chen notes that a recent CBS News story said that between March and July, there have been more than 2,120 hate incidents against Asian-Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.

"It is unfair, unwarranted, and mean-spirited. The pandemic is a worldwide health crisis and should not be used as an excuse for racial, ethnic, or nationalist bigotry," Chen said. "Members of that community will hold a demonstration at Triangle Park to express their outrage on such a public offensive slander."

According to the U.S. Census, Asians are the largest minority group in Northbrook.

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