Police probe Chinatown surge in racist graffiti

BY Simone Weichselbaum
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, February 19th 2010, 4:00 AM

The NYPD is probing a rash of anti-black graffiti that popped up on a Chinatown building and nearby telephone booth in the past two weeks, police sources said.

"Black Workers Go Home" has appeared along Bayard and Mulberry Sts. at least three times this month, sources and witnesses said. The Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the graffiti as a possible bias incident.

The racist words were first scrawled on 70 Mulberry St. - home to The Museum of Chinese in America's Collections and Research Center, a dance studio and a job training agency.

Colin Parther, human resources manager for the Chinatown Manpower Project, says he is one of just two black workers in the building. He said he first saw the graffiti on Feb. 1 on the building's front door. A custodian painted over the tag, but it was back back days later, he said.

"I feel threatened," Parther said.

"Maybe they think an Asian should have my job," said Parther, 28.

Cops found the latest rant Wednesday on a phone booth about a block away from 70 Mulberry St.

Chinese store workers along Bayard St. said racist graffiti is not a typical problem.

"There aren't that many black people in Chinatown," said Ed Xu, 24, selling eyeglasses at Mott Street Optical. "I am surprised to see it. It should be erased immediately."simonew@nydailynews.com

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