Editor’s Note: International Voice is a project that The Daily Orange’s Opinion section founded in partnership with WeMedia Lab, a student media organization at Syracuse University serving international students on campus.

On March 7, 2022 at 9:15 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, an armed robbery took place at the Aspen Syracuse apartments complex (located at 4101 Brighton Place). The student being robbed was a Chinese national, who was threatened from behind after they entered the apartment’s entrance. The entrance was controlled by card access. The suspect was an armed male wearing black clothes and a black mask. After being threatened, the Chinese student handed the suspect about $100 (approximately 700 Chinese Yuan). The suspect then left the scene. There were no injuries presented.

Aspen Syracuse Apartments is a third party owned living space where many Chinese international students reside. Currently, there are about 500 Chinese international students in Aspen residents’ WeChat group, of which 300 to 400 are current residents. Since Oct. 17, 2021, however, our group chat has discussed incidents such as car damage, robbery, larceny of packages at the apartments.

On Oct. 17, 2021 at 2 a.m., seven Sedans parked in the garage of Building 3 were smashed, a majority of which are owned by Chinese students. Two Chinese international students took photos of the suspects. Although local police were dispatched to investigate the incident, the residents said they didn’t receive satisfactory updates. Aspen Syracuse Apartment didn’t take enough responsibility either.

On Jan. 2, 2022 at 4 a.m. several cars parked outside Buildings 3 and 2 as well as in garages were smashed. The back windows and sensors of at least two involved cars owned by Chinese international students were severely damaged. The police investigated the incident, but there have not been satisfactory updates.

On Feb. 21, 2022, a locked car was prised open. Objects in the car were stolen, which were worth approximately $2,000.

On Feb. 24, 2022, multiple cars parked in Building 1’s garage were smashed. Police vehicles came to investigate, but there have not been satisfactory updates.

In the meantime, the fences between Building 3 and the adjacent community were blown down by the wind or intentionally damaged multiple times. Residents have witnessed people from the adjacent community trespassing the fences into Aspen for at least two or three times. In addition to the massive car smash incident on Oct. 17, 2021, packages and deliveries downstairs often go missing inexplicably. The entrance and security doors are also frequently damaged.

Although Aspen’s Chinese residents continue to provide feedback, communicate through email, as well as complain in person and express demands through the phone many times, we are not satisfied with what has been done since.

Until Monday, when a Chinese resident was threatened by a gun in a stairwell that was supposed to be locked, after the incident and the self-proclaimed “online 24/7” Aspen Syracuse’s security service — which they mentioned in an email to residents — had not made a satisfactory response, each and every Chinese resident is unwilling and unable to remain silent.

The Google reviews have disappeared, the ambiguous response by the front desk staff, all made us profoundly feel the difficulty of studying abroad and the misery of living under someone else’s roof.

Chinese international students living in the Aspen apartments have organized to spread the incident to Syracuse University and local organizations and news outlets. Multiple students jointly contacted the Department of Public Safety. Some students started to reach out to legal services. We are actively reaching out to Aspen, hoping to positively and actively address the vital security problems once and for all.

We don’t want to keep the door open just to be free from damage to the car window. We don’t want to bring hundreds of dollars in cash just to give it out when threatened by a gun. We don’t want to have our heart in our mouth, checking the apartment door, entrance and security door over and over again. We don’t want to give up thousands of dollars in rent and security deposit to run everywhere to rent a new apartment, just so that we could have a place to live.

We didn’t choose Aspen, Syracuse University and to study abroad to become a footnote of someone’s criminal records or a victim in the news or widespread gossip.

Here in Syracuse, safety should have been our right; being free from worries should have been deserved. But now, we are here, having baseball bats and chains prepared at home, while our hearts are filled with constant fear.

Regardless of race and location, no one should be treated like this for whatever reason. We hereby call for all Chinese international students in Syracuse to pay attention to this issue and spread the word with the WeMedia Lab as well as Aspen residents.

Let us have more people know what happened here in Aspen Syracuse Apartments. And let us stay tuned for what will happen here under the attention of all Chinese members.

From now on, we won’t wait again.

Translation by Francis Tang | Asst. News Editor

Published on March 10, 2022 at 1:37 am

Contact Ava: xhu144@syr.edu