NAVROZE MODY
Mody and his family immigrated from the UK to California in the late 1970s. After finishing his studies at UC Berkely, he left again for his MBA at the University of Chicago. When he found a job in NYC working for Citibank, he first moved to Rego Park then settled in Jersey City. He wanted Jersey City to be home and invited his parents to move from California to live with him. They moved in with him in April 1987.
On September 27, 1987, Navroze Mody went out for drinks with his friend from work. On his walk back home to Jersey City heights from Gold Coast Cafe in Hoboken, he was brutally beaten into a coma. Four days later, he was dead. This was one of many attacks by the members of a Jersey City-based hate group called the Dotbusters in the late 80s.
Four teenagers were arrested for the attack. William Acevedo, Luis Acevedo, Ralph Gonzalez, and Luis Padilla were acquitted of murder charges but convicted of assault. Luis Acevedo spent 4 years in jail.
In 1991, Navroze Mody's father, Jamshed Mody, sued the city of Hoboken claiming that "the Hoboken police's indifference to acts of violence perpetrated against Indian Americans violated Navroze Mody's equal protection rights" but was unsuccessful.
Published on the front page of Jersey Journal, September 25, 1987, two days before the attack
NAVROZE MODY (CENTER)
Unfortunately, we couldn’t convince the property owner to put up the sign. So we went back to the location with the plaque on a tall pole to get as close to the spot we imagined installing. We stood there for some time and took pictures as people walked by.
We will keep Navroze Mody in our minds and will continue to tell his story whenever we get a chance.
August 2021
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT NOW
THE CONTINUED OTHERING OF ASIANS AMERICANS IN THIS COUNTRY
THANKS TO
THE MODY FAMILY