SAMMAMISH, Wash. — Police are investigating another wave of racist graffiti in Klahanie. It's the second time this week someone has spray-painted racial slurs and swastikas on homes and cars in the eastside community.
In the latest incident, someone scrawled the "n" word on a garage door and a swastika on the hood of a car. Two nearby homes were also targeted, though not with racist terms.
“It's very uncommon for such a thing to happen in Klahanie. It's been three years for me here, and we've never seen anything like this,” said Raghuraj Rabindranathan, whose garage was vandalized.
He says he cannot imagine why someone would target him and his neighbors.
“Until you get to know the real truth, it's kind of a lot of uncertainty,” he said.
He says he doesn't think it was a hate crime. The King County Sheriff's Office is investigating the possibility, as well as other motives.
Earlier this week, someone vandalized a different group of homes with similar graffiti.
“We think that these race-based hate incidents that target communities and neighborhoods and even peoples' homes are indicative of much larger trends we're seeing throughout the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country,” said Miri Cypers, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League Pacific Northwest.
She and others who fight racism and hate are concerned the recent highly-publicized Jussie Smollett case in Chicago could have a chilling effect on other victims, who may be reluctant to come forward.
The actor was arrested after allegedly falsely claiming to be the victim of a hate crime.
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The Anti-Defamation League says it's vital for communities, like Klahanie, to continue speaking out when others target them.
“These acts of hate are ones that need to be highlighted, that need to be spotlighted, and need to be really boldly rejected,” Cypers said.
Klahanie residents are planning an anti-hate peace rally this Sunday. They want to show whoever tried to bring them down that what happened there is only making the community stronger.