A senior Japanese diplomat in Oregon, US was attacked last month in what is believed to be an anti-Asian hate crime, reported Kyodo news. Yuzo Yoshioka, a 62-year-old diplomat, was walking alone in downtown Portland on June 17 when he was pushed to the ground by a homeless woman. The attack resulted in a cut to his head. Fortunately, he was discharged from the hospital on the same day and has since recovered and resumed his duties at the ministry.

According to Oregon Live, Yuzo Yoshioka informed a police officer that the attack was unprovoked. The officer noted the presence of a significant amount of blood as the victim was being assisted by medics. The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Arissa Jean Minyonne Robinson, has been charged with fourth-degree assault, felony bias crime, and strangulation. This same individual is also accused of assaulting a 76-year-old man of Asian descent in August of the previous year.

Court records reveal that the attack on the diplomat was part of a larger pattern of Robinson targeting individuals of Asian descent. In a separate incident, Robinson approached a 76-year-old Asian man from behind, struck him repeatedly in the head, and placed him in a chokehold, cutting off his air supply. The Japanese foreign ministry has refrained from providing further information about the suspect due to an ongoing investigation. The police were able to identify and apprehend Arissa Robinson after following her for several blocks. She was eventually discovered hiding inside the US Bancorp Tower.

Robinson is currently facing charges of felony bias crime and fourth-degree assault. It is worth noting that this incident is not the first concerning the safety of Japanese diplomats in Oregon. In 2021, Mr. Yoshioka's predecessor wrote a letter to then-governor Kate Brown, raising concerns about the state's lack of supervision of an incarcerated man who assaulted two women of Japanese descent after escaping from a work crew. The incident raises questions about the safety of the Japanese community in Oregon, and the consulate will have to consider how to address these concerns moving forward.

Despite the attack, Yuzo Yoshioka expressed his positive view of Portland, stating that he remains glad to be assigned there and that his perception of the city has not changed. This incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing need to address and combat hate crimes targeting Asian communities, both in the United States and globally.