As a 39-year resident of Monterey Park, Peter Ng passed by the Star Ballroom Dance Studio every day on his way to work. When news broke of a shooting at the studio on Chinese New Year’s Eve, he was shocked and devastated.
“This tragedy, when it hit, it just shatter[ed] everyone’s heart,” he said. “I just cannot find a word to express the level of sadness that we have felt for the victims, family, and for the friends—which many of them are mine too.”
The shooting in the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, which was a community center and hub for exercise and companionship for many elderly Asian Americans, rocked the Monterey Park community. However, in the wake of the violence, local organizations banded together to support those affected by the shooting. In an Ethnic Media Services panel, representatives from four different community organizations discussed their efforts to raise funds, provide counseling and mental health services, and other critical resources to the local community.
As CEO of Chinatown Services Center, Ng was at the forefront of those efforts. He maintains that staying united is critical to support all affected by the tragedy.
Community organizations also collaborated to ensure the Monterey Park community had information about resources they could reach out to for support. For instance, they worked together to distribute AAPI Equity Alliance’s resource guide with information on counseling and mental health services, legal aid, in-language support lines, medical centers, government organizations, and other crucial resources in eight different languages.
