Asian community activist slams ABC News for ‘harmful mistake’ of falsely identifying her as murder victim
'Your mistake is harmful and further invisibilizes Asian women,' Grace Lee tweeted
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A community activist accused ABC News of a "harmful mistake" that "further invisibilizes Asian women" after the Disney-owned network misidentified her as the victim of a recent deadly attack on a different Asian woman on Monday.
During a segment on "World News Tonight" about the brutal murder of Christina Yuna Lee, who was stabbed and killed inside her New York City apartment early Sunday morning, the newscast spoke to Grace Lee, a local activist who attended a vigil for the victim.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Grace Lee spoke with ABC News about the city’s failure to charge the suspect with a hate crime, noting it doesn’t diminish the "real fear" that Asian women face. However, ABC News misidentified Grace Lee, referring to her on the on-screen chyron as Michelle Go.
Grace Lee, a progressive running for State Assembly, took notice and blasted ABC News on Twitter.
"My name is Grace Lee. I am a community activist. Michelle Go was an Asian woman who was brutally murdered last month. I was at a vigil today for Christina Yuna Lee. Your mistake is harmful and further invisibilizes Asian women," Lee tweeted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Go was pushed in front of an oncoming New York City subway train last month. She was standing on the platform inside the Times Square subway station on the morning of Jan. 15 when Simon Martial, 61, pushed her in front of an R train as it rolled in, police have said. She did not survive the impact and Martial was charged with second-degree murder.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 18: Local politicians, activists and members of the public attend an evening vigil for Michelle Go, who was killed in a Times Square subway station last Saturday on January 18, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
NYC SUBWAY ATTACK VICTIM MICHELLE ALYSSA GO TO BE HONORED WITH TIMES SQUARE CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
Fox News Digital confirmed the version of "World News Tonight" that aired on the East Coast misidentified Lee as Go. The chyron has been adjusted to properly identify Lee on the version of the segment shared by the network’s social media accounts and on the digital version of the episode available online.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ABC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An ABC News insider told Fox News Digital it was simply "an unintentional mistake" that was quickly corrected.
Many onlookers couldn't believe ABC News' gaffe:
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference at City Hall in New York City, U.S., January 24, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Go’s shocking murder prompted calls to "stop Asian hate" amid a significant increase in hate crimes in New York City.
Fox News Digital was first to obtain the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) total year-end hate crime statics on Friday, which show reports of anti-Asian attacks skyrocketed by a staggering 343% – from 30 in 2020 to 133 in 2021.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A blood-soaked homeless man with multiple open criminal offenses, identified as 25-year-old Assamad Nash, has been charged with Yuna Lee’s murder.
FILE - In this March 31, 2021, file photo, Jen Ho Lee, a 76-year-old South Korean immigrant, poses in her apartment in Los Angeles with a sign from a recent rally against anti-Asian hate crimes she attended. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand – all Democrats – condemned Lee's violent stabbing as another attack faced by the Asian American community.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.