Columbia Univ. spokesman assaulted and told to go back to his country, he says

The New York Police Department is investigating an attack on a Columbia University staff member who says he was struck in the head and had xenophobic remarks shouted at him last week near campus.

Ben Chang, the university’s spokesperson and vice president for communications, was on his way to work on June 17 when a man approached him just a few blocks from school, began yelling at him and hit him with a metal water bottle, according to the NYPD. Chang told NBC News that during the altercation, the man told him to “go back to your f‐‐‐‐‐‐ country” and continued following him for some time after the assault.

So far, no arrests have been made, but the NYPD said the Hate Crime Task Force was notified about the attack.

“It’s important to report what happened both in my own case, but also for overall, trying to make sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen in the future,” Chang said. “I’m born and raised in the D.C. area. My mom grew up in West Virginia. We don’t get much more American and apple pie. And that’s jarring.”

Ben Chang.Columbia University

Chang, 52, said the confrontation was unprompted, that he didn’t speak to the man or bump into him. As the man yelled at him, Chang said he attempted to ignore him and kept walking, but the man then struck him anyway.

Chang said he tried to escape by getting on a passing bus, helped by a passenger and the bus driver, but the man continued shouting at him from outside. Though Chang said he got off two blocks uptown, he noticed that the man had also kept on walking up, eventually spotting him and attempting to engage him again. After seeing that Chang had alerted a school public safety officer, the man walked off. Chang did not seek medical attention.

Chang, who’s lived in New York City for  two years, said the attack was shocking, particularly as he’s still unsure what triggered it.

“I hope he gets help,” Chang said of the perpetrator. “I hope he doesn’t do this again.”

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Kimmy Yam

Kimmy Yam is a reporter for NBC Asian America.