A ramen noodle restaurant in San Antonio was vandalized with racist graffiti and anti-mask messages on Sunday, according to the business owner who is enforcing a mask policy.
After criticizing the Texas governor’s decision to lift the state’s mask mandate during a CNN interview last week, Mike Nguyen found tables and chairs outside his business were covered in anti-mask and anti-Asian messages spray-painted in red, with phrases such as “Go back 2 China” and “No masks,” a local CBS outlet reported.
“The funny thing is, I’m not even Chinese, I’m half-Vietnamese, half-French,” Nguyen said outside his restaurant Sunday.
Volunteers came to Nguyen’s Noodle Tree restaurant on Sunday afternoon to help clean the racist messages off of his property. The restaurant was able to open for business later during the day.
ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES HAVE RISEN 150% NATIONWIDE: STUDY
The community is here helping clean up. Mayor Nirenberg says they are treating this as a hate crime + will prosecute the person or people who did this to the fullest. SAPD is aware + the Mayor said he has been in talks with them.
+https://t.co/y0NmQcVAoNhttps://t.co/U4dBCshPA1 pic.twitter.com/82brt06Hjm— Amanda Henderson (@AmandaHTV) March 14, 2021
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, rescinded a coronavirus order last week requiring the use of face masks indoors, though businesses may still request customers to wear one upon entry.
Prior to the vandalism over the weekend, Nguyen went on CNN Wednesday for an interview about the lifted mask mandates, calling Abbott’s decision “selfish” and saying: “Dropping the mask mandate will not help the economy, will not help us open. And a lot of us feel he’s putting … us in danger.”
Nguyen said his position on wearing masks during the pandemic has been primarily focused on the safety of himself, his staff, and the community he serves.
“If they don’t want to wear a mask, that’s OK,” he said. “They can dine outside or order to go.”
He added his belief about the importance of masks coupled with his outspokenness about Abbott’s handling of the pandemic might have led someone to vandalize his business.
“Regardless of what your beliefs are, it shouldn’t have to get to that point where you wish death upon somebody,” Nguyen said. “That’s what kind of enraged me was, you don’t even know who I am. All I’m trying to do is the right thing.”
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg released a statement about the vandalism Monday, calling it a “hate crime,” according to a statement obtained by KENS5.
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“We cannot turn our backs on the hate speech that was displayed yesterday by the disgusting graffiti painted at the Noodle Tree restaurant. I applaud the customers and neighbors who demonstrated the compassion of our community by immediately stepping in to help the restaurant,” Nirenberg said.
The mayor called on anyone with information about a potential suspect to report any information to law enforcement. The San Antonio Police Department has not issued a report regarding the vandalism incident.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the police department but did not immediately receive a response.
