Italy’s Racial Discrimination: Incidents Targeting Asians Spark Outrage

① Assaulted during a European trip

A Korean tourist was assaulted and robbed while visiting Italy, sparking widespread concern. On February 22, as he was walking down Corso Como Street in Milan, a group of eight individuals targeted a man in his 20s, identified only as Mr. A. The assailants hurled racist insults and mimicked monkey sounds at him.

The attackers, without any provocation, assaulted Mr. A and three other Korean tourists. Mr. A recalled the incident, “They started making monkey noises at us. From 100 meters away, they were taunting us with ‘Ni Hao’ and ‘Ching Chang Chong.'” He added, “They ripped off my necklace, knocked me to the ground, sprayed something in my eyes, and then one of them snatched my cell phone.”

The assailants are believed to have used a spray containing capsaicin on the tourists. Moreover, Mr. A reported the theft of personal belongings valued between $2,500 to $3,300.

The Korean tourists sought assistance from the local Milan consulate, only receiving a disappointing reply: “There’s nothing we can do.” Mr. A expressed that the consulate’s assistance was limited to directing them to the emergency room and the police station without providing interpretation services. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, interpretation services are challenging under the Consular Assistance Act unless deemed an emergency.

Facing a lack of support from the consulate, Mr. A enlisted the help of an acquaintance to report the incident at the local police station. However, nearly three weeks later, he remains without any updates on the investigation.

In response to the situation, netizens voiced criticism, citing a pattern of overseas consulates being unable to assist when Korean citizens are victimized abroad. They questioned the purpose of consulates beyond facilitating family stays and expressed frustration over the perceived lack of aid provided. Some questioned the necessity of consulates if they cannot offer assistance in times of need.

② The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disputes the claim they didn’t help

Following the incident, the government disputed the claims made by the Korean tourists. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the 23rd, the Milan Consulate General received a report on the 4th detailing an attack on four Koreans by thugs while touring Milan, resulting in the theft of their valuables. Upon receiving the report, the consulate promptly verified the extent of the damage and injuries through a phone call with the victims and subsequently reported the incident to the Milan police while guiding the victims to the hospital emergency room.

Additionally, the consulate maintained communication with the victims through additional phone calls on the same day and the 12th. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that consular assistance, including safety checks, was provided by the consulate.

Further clarifying the situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “Based on the recorded calls and text messages exchanged between the consulate and the victims on the day of the incident, there were no requests for interpretation services or reports of racial discrimination from the victims.” They underscored that the assertion claiming the tourists sought interpretation services from the consulate but were denied is unfounded.

③ Controversy over racial discrimination in Italy

Incidents of racial discrimination targeting Asians in Italy have been recurrently highlighted in the media. Just last year, an incident occurred on a train bound for Milan where three local women targeted an Asian passenger. Upon spotting a Chinese-American man and his mother seated across from them, the women began mocking them, mimicking Chinese speech while laughing derisively.

The discriminatory behavior persisted, prompting the man’s girlfriend to record the incident and share it on social media. The video quickly gained traction, attracting attention from local media outlets. Subsequently, the identities of the three Italian women involved in the discriminatory act were exposed. As public outrage mounted, the university where the women were enrolled pledged to investigate the matter and implement appropriate measures.

One of the offenders eventually issued a belated apology to the victim, asserting, “It was not done with racist or aggressive intent.” In a perplexing turn, she attempted to shift blame by claiming, “The victim’s video has inadvertently provided real racists with a platform to spew their hatred towards us.”

Previously, an Italian TV show host stirred up controversy by making derogatory remarks about Asians. Gerry Scotti and Michelle Hunziker, hosts of the popular Italian terrestrial channel Canal5, presented a segment on the Beijing bureau of the Italian public broadcaster RAI.

They adopted offensive gestures during the segment by slanting their eyes and intentionally mispronouncing ‘RAI’ as ‘LAI.’ Their actions were aimed at ridiculing Asians who may struggle with pronouncing the letter ‘R’ correctly. Despite the offensive nature of their behavior, the program attracted a viewership of 4.6 million people.

Following the broadcast, the show triggered widespread outrage on social media platforms. Eventually, Michelle Hunziker apologized through a post, expressing remorse for any harm caused. She acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding issues of racial discrimination and admitted to being negligent in considering this aspect beforehand. Her apology aimed to address the concerns and hurt sentiments of those affected by the offensive portrayal.