An Asian market in Green Bay, Wisconsin was the target of coronavirus-related racist graffiti. Vandals spray-painted “COVA” on the cargo vans owned by “Main Oriental Market”, reports WBAY. Initially, the owners thought the graffiti was the work of some bored teenagers and didn’t attribute it to the coronavirus.

Wbau – Tara Yang

“It was in the morning time, and we noticed that someone graffitied on our cars,” Tara Young, the store manager and owners’ daughter said. “We didn’t think that it was meant to be racist. We didn’t know what it said or what the picture was.”

However, customers of the store were quick to notice that “COVA” spray-painted on the white vans were related to the coronavirus. Yang posted about what happened on Facebook and called for her community to help each other instead of hurting each other.

“I will not tolerate RACISM,” she wrote. “Why are we fighting each other at a time where there are people fighting for their lives to survive COVID-19?

“I am sadden to see that a time like this, where each and every one of us are fighting to stay alive and healthy, there are disgusting and racist people kicking us when we are down.

“I said I wasn’t going to say anything to spare our business from drama, but if I stay silent it’ll only enable people to think it is okay to continue with this racist BS!”

Her Facebook post reached a man named Drew who is a long time customer of the store. He went out there and removed the graffiti off the cargo vans because he wanted to do some good in his community.

Yang told WBAY that she doubted they would find the supect(s), but she wanted them to know that although the Asian community is minor that they will stand strong.

“We probably won’t be able to find them, but I do have one message for them, whoever this person or these people are,” she said. “Although the Asian community only makes up four-to-five percent of Green Bay’s population, I want them to know we are here, and we stand strong, We’re not going to be scared from this little crime.”

Hate-crimes targeting Asian-Americans have surged since the outbreak of the coronavirus.