Houston ∙ Is discrimination against Asians on the rise in America? Reports about the investigation into the killing of five women and five men in a dance club in the Asian American community the other day point to this. Asian Americans across the country say the incident has reignited the fear and trauma caused by a wave of hate incidents and tragedies that have plagued the community over the past few years.
Also read: Suspects in the killing of 10 people have committed suicide
By Sunday night, authorities identified the suspect in the incident as 72-year-old Huyu Kan. The authorities also said it was later determined that he had committed suicide. The defendant used a semi-automatic pistol to fire. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said a second handgun was also found at the scene where he was found dead.
Frank Wu, president of Queens College of the City University of New York, said before the attacker was identified that ‘although we cannot be sure that the attack was motivated by racism, it may have been motivated by racism’ . For an already traumatized community, this is just another scary moment. It’s easy to understand why Asian Americans are concerned.
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Raymond Chang, a pastor and author, said the shooting was another shock to a community still trying to regain balance after anti-Asian violence in recent years. ‘We haven’t had enough time to recover from all the trauma and losses our communities have experienced. said Chang, president of the Asian American Christian Fellowship. Events like this have been increasing over the years. He said the pain and impact of this is increasing.
First celebration after covid
The incident, which took place Saturday night during Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations at a dance club in Monterey Park, shocked a quiet community east of downtown Los Angeles. The impact of the first post-Covid celebration turning into this was dire. This weekend, Monterey Park hosted its first Lunar New Year celebration since the pandemic. But on Sunday morning, the normally bustling Garvey Avenue lay eerily quiet with deserted vendor tents and abandoned carnival rides.
The second day’s celebrations were cancelled
The incident happened outside of a city-sponsored event, but officials canceled events on the second day of the two-week festival as a precaution. Around 100,000 people were expected to attend the festivities, which included traditional lion and dragon dancers as well as food stalls and other entertainment.
Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, a San Francisco-based organization formed during the Covid pandemic to combat rising anti-Asian hate and collect data, described the crime as ‘devastating beyond words’. Kulkarni said Stop AAPI Hate has received more than 11,000 reports of anti-AAPI hate incidents since it began tracking such data in March 2020.
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‘How can we mourn and celebrate at the same time?’ Amanda Nguyen, founder of the civil rights organization Rise and 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, posted on Twitter. “Lunar New Year is sacred to us. I’m trying really hard not to cry because I grew up with the tradition that anything that happens at LNY sets a precedent for the rest of the year.
In Atlanta, Marian Leo said news of the shooting made her briefly reconsider attending her city’s Lunar New Year celebration. But she did it anyway. ‘In the community, despite the fear, was the best place for us,’ he posted on Twitter alongside pictures of the event. ‘If the rabbit is the luckiest symbol, why welcome this new year with tears?’ she wrote.
Celebrating diversity
Monterey Park, a small city of about 60,000 people, was named one of the best places to live in the country in a Time/Money article in 2017. Articles praised the city’s many parks, amphitheater and farmers market. According to the US Census Bureau, nearly two-thirds are of Asian descent. Driving around the city you will see street signs in Chinese. Adults practicing tai chi in the park are also a common sight.
Monterey Park Mayor Pro Tem Jose Sanchez said he will be sworn in as mayor in two days. His daughter’s sixth birthday party had to be canceled because of the shooting, and he said he wanted to do more for the city and the community in the wake of the tragedy. Sanchez said he plans to hold a vigil in the city on Tuesday for the victims.
Asian Americans are afraid
Some said the violence during the Lunar New Year celebration was all too familiar. As the United States began to feel the effects of the Covid pandemic in early 2020, anti-Asians unleashed slurs and violence against Asians in part. ‘Asian Americans are scared.’ said Queen’s College’s Wu. Chang, of the Asian American Christian Cooperative, said the violence Asian Americans have faced not only in recent years but historically has led many to question whether they can live normal lives safely.
English summary: The Asian community is reeling from the Lunar New Year shoot
