Stop AAPI Hate: We support ending gun violence, but we are not usually part of the policy conversations. AAPI organizations are uniting to advocate for action.
As a 39-year resident of Monterey Park, Peter Ng passed by the Star Ballroom Dance Studio every day on his way to work.
We are in solidarity with the communities of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay as they mourn the loss of life, work to recover a sense of safety and begin the long journey toward healing in the aftermath of two separate acts of mass gun violence in recent days.
In recent days, California cities Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay, and Oakland joined the long list of communities who have been devastated by senseless acts of gun violence.
The two tragic events took place during the Lunar New Year season, which is normally a time of rebirth, says state assemblyman Phil Ting, whose district includes part of San Francisco.
The shootings have added to the pain and anxiety that Asian Americans have experienced in the last few years, activists say.
AAPI community leaders across Southern California are mobilizing to support Monterey Park victims and their families, launching a resource directory, raising funds to support victims through GoFundMe and addressing fears and providing support through a network of organizations throughout Southern California.
A clear answer may never emerge. But as mass shootings grow increasingly common, data show that an overwhelming majority have a connection to domestic violence.
The suspects in both shootings were later revealed to be Asian men, diminishing fears that the attacks were hate crimes, but advocates say the violence adds to the dread that Asian Americans have experienced the past several years.
Manjusha Kulkarni said the stigma among Asian Americans surrounding mental health care echoes attitudes felt more broadly across the general population.
