Sacramento’s Asian American community holds a vigil to honor Monterey Park shooting victims

In the aftermath of the shooting in Monterey Park that has now killed 11 people at a dance studio, legislators and the Asian American community in Sacramento came together to demand better gun control. 

The vigil took place on the steps of the Capitol and lawmakers from the Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus spoke about the impact the shooting has had on the communities they represent. Not all the victims have been identified, but Monterey Park is a majority Asian city, and many said the timing of it happening over the Lunar New Year weekend shook residents.

“The Asian Pacific Islander community is not immune from senseless firearm violence and the additional hardship that this takes, and the tone is that culturally for Lunar New Year, on this day, members of the community do not talk about bad things,” said Assembly member Evan Low (D-San Jose). 

All legislators present said they would be making it a priority to strengthen the state’s gun laws, including looking at how to better regulate ghost guns and guns purchased in neighboring states.

Stop AAPI Hate, the national nonprofit tracking hate crimes against Asian Americans said it believes race was a factor in this shooting, even if it “may not be a hate crime in the traditional sense.” The organization has recorded over 11,000 hate crimes against Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic, with the majority of these incidents happening against women and those aged 60 years of age and older. 

“Anti-Asian hate doesn’t always come from the outside, it can happen from within our own communities,” said co-founder Manjusha Kulkarni. “But no matter the why or the who, we know that Asian Americans are hurting and the shooting has exacerbated the collective hurt and the trauma that our communities have been experiencing for the past few years.” 

Assembly member Mike Fong, who represents Monterey Park, the city where the shooting occurred, said he was at a Lunar New Year celebration near the dance studio just hours before. He said the shooting is especially tragic given that it happened on the eve of what many Asian cultures are celebrating as the Year of the Rabbit - a year symbolizing peace and prosperity.

Assembly member Mike Fong addresses a crowd Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 during a vigil honoring the victims of the Monterey Park shooting at the state capitol in Sacramento, Calif.Nick Shockey

“Monterey Park is a community that is 65% Asian, it’s the first city in the United States with an Asian American majority. It’s a tight knit community,” Fong said. “These were our moms, dads, uncles, aunts, grandmas and grandpas. Our community is heartbroken and reeling from this tragic incident.” 

Assembly member Stephanie Nguyen (D-Sacramento) said she knows that for the Sacramento community, Lunar New Year celebrations will continue despite the tragedy. 

“You saw that there were many lion dances and dragon dances happening up and along the Little Saigon area,” Nguyen said. “We can’t let this day set the tone for the rest of the year, but we’re crying inside because of what happened.”

Sacramento community members also attended the vigil, including representatives from the organizations Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA), My Sister’s House, African House of Sacramento and Asian Resources. 

Stop AAPI Hate is recommending anyone seeking ways to give or receive support in the wake of the shooting check their partner organization’s list of resources here.