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Asian communities in California are reeling from two mass shootings within days in places where residents gather and work. The shootings happened as residents celebrate Lunar New Year after three years of the pandemic, a period when Asian hate crimes spiked. Michelle Quinn reports.
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptCA SHOOTINGS ASIAN REAX TV, R
HEADLINE: Asian Californians Reel in Wake of Recent Mass Shootings
TEASER: With 11 dead in Los Angeles, seven dead in Half Moon Bay, Asian communities in California struggle to celebrate Lunar New Year season
PUBLISHED AT: 1/26/23, 8p
BYLINE: Michelle Quinn
CONTRIBUTOR: Roy Kim
DATELINE: HALF MOON BAY, Calif.
VIDEOGRAPHER: Matt Dibble, Suli Yi
PRODUCER: Matt Dibble
SCRIPT EDITORS: ELee, DJones
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Zoom, AP, AFP, Reuters, KGO, VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO _X_
TRT: 3:20
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: Government-issued Zoom account used. Thank you.))
((INTRO))
[[Asian communities in California are reeling from two mass shootings within days in places where residents gather and work. The shootings happened as residents celebrate Lunar New Year after three years of the pandemic, a period when Asian hate crimes spiked. Michelle Quinn reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
Half Moon Bay. An idyllic small coastal town with nurseries and restaurants.
((NARRATOR))
But this week, gunshots shattered that tranquility.
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory CG: KGO))
Seven people, Asians and Latinos, ((end courtesy)) were killed at two Northern California mushroom farms. Police have identified the suspect as a Chinese worker at one of those nurseries.
((NARRATOR))
Jian Cai ((Said JeeYAN TsYE)) a Chinese American homemaker, has lived in Half Moon Bay for nearly 18 years. ((00:33)) ((Jian Cai, Half Moon Bay Resident)) “This happened yesterday, a lot of friends said ‘Hey, you should buy a gun.’ I said, 'No, I don’t like gun.' You have the gun, more dangerous, I think.”
((NARRATOR))
Half Moon Bay’s mass shooting happened just two days after a mass shooting in Monterey Park, a largely Asian suburb east of Los Angeles. Eleven people at the dance hall, all Asian, died. The suspect shot and killed himself.
The two tragic events took place during the Lunar New Year season, which is normally a time of rebirth.
[[For radio:...says state assemblyman, Phil Ting. ]]
((Phil Ting, California Assembly Member)) “To have these incidents happen that are impacting Asian American farmworkers here and then 11 Asian Americans down in Los Angeles is really just the worst kind of news that we can ever have.”
((NARRATOR))
About one in six Californians are Asian. In recent years, many of them feel like they’re under threat, said California Governor Gavin Newsom at a press conference at Half Moon Bay this week.
[[For radio: …. His comments were recorded by Agence France Press]]
((Gov. Gavin Newsom, California))
“I grew up in San Francisco. A third of our population is Asian. I live in a state where 27 percent of us are foreign-born. Over a third in San Mateo County. What a gift, a majority-minority state. But I'm also mindful that we saw hate crimes go up 177 percent against Asians last year, a little more modest in some parts of the country, and we have to do more."
((NARRATOR)) But the most recent shootings are different from the anti-Asian crimes committed by non-Asians. The two suspects in the mass shootings are themselves, Asian. While their motives are still under investigation, some believe mental health could be a factor. Asian American advocates highlight the fact that life in the U.S. for an immigrant can be challenging.
[[For Radio: …said Russell Jeung, a professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University. He spoke to VOA over Zoom]]
((Russell Jeung, Asian American Studies Professor)) ((Courtesy: Zoom)) “The social and linguistic isolation they may have, the lack of mental health and community support that they need. The easy availability of assault weapons. These trends demonstrate that Asian Americans face a lot of issues as minorities.”
((NARRATOR)) ((Zoom))
James Zarsadiaz ((SAID: ZARs a dee az)), who is Filipino and Chinese, grew up in East Los Angeles. While he wants to celebrate the Lunar New Year...
[[For Radio: It hasn’t been easy, he told VOA over Zoom]]
((James Zarsadiaz, Associate Professor of History)) ((Courtesy: Zoom)) “It's hard to really feel fully present and enjoy the festivity when you know that tragedy has hurt and has impacted the community."
((NARRATOR))
For many Asians, this year of the rabbit will be remembered as one that has started with tragedy. Some hope this will lead to deeper discussions about the experience of Asians and immigrants who live in the U.S.
((Michelle Quinn, VOA News, Half Moon Bay, California))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
HALF MOON BAY, Calif.
Embargo DateJanuary 26, 2023 19:38 EST
Byline
Michelle Quinn, VOA News,
Half Moon Bay, California
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
