FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thousands Speak Out Against Anti-Asian Hate in Six Cities Across the United States
Contact: Charles Jung, California Asian Pacific American Bar Association & APAs vs. Hate; Justin Zhu, Stand with Asian Americans
Phone: 415-762-3100
Email: press@asianjusticemovement.org
Release Date: February 1, 2022
[SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, FEB. 1, 2022] — Asian American and Pacific Islander communities came together to organize rallies in six cities across the country on January 30 2022 that resulted in thousands of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and allies coming together to take a stand against anti-Asian hate and honor the memory of Vicha Ratanapakdee and other recent victims of anti-Asian hate. Simultaneous events were held in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Atlanta with a coordinated moment of silence.
In San Francisco, hundreds gathered in the Anza Vista neighborhood where Vicha Ratanapakdee was violently pushed onto the ground and two days later succumbed to his injuries. Those who spoke included Mayor London Breed, City Attorney David Chiu, State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisor Catherine Stefani, and Vicha’s daughter Monthanus Ratanapakdee. A march from the speaking area to the site of the incident was concluded with a nationally synchronized moment of silence. The moment of silence was broken with a performance by cellists and a reading of the rally declaration, We Will Not Be Silenced. A post-rally luncheon afterwards featured remarks by included remarks by Rev. Arnold Townsend of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP, Norman Chen, CEO of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and Carl Chan, president the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce.
“We honor the memory of Vicha Ratanapakdee and stand with the victims of anti-Asian bias and violence,” said Charles Jung, one of the organizers and executive director of APAs vs Hate. “We have much progress to make in fighting racism and hate. For our community, it is time to break the silence.”
About the Rallies:
The Asian Justice Rallies were held in six cities: San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. It was a national event on January 30, 2022, the anniversary of death of 84-year old Thai grandfather Vicha Ratanapakdee, commemorating Mr. Ratanapakdee, the hundreds of victims of anti-Asian violence, and the thousands of persons subjected to anti-Asian hate. More information can be found at asianjusticerally.org.
About the Los Angeles Rally:
A quote from Punnpavin Herabat, Thai Community Development Center Policy and Planning Associate about the Rally:
“The Asian Justice Rally was a national memorial ceremony that not only offered the AAPI communities the opportunity to come together to mourn for Mr. Vicha Ratanapakdee and the recent victims of anti-Asian hate throughout the United States but also served as a reminder of the long history of hate, violence, discrimination, inequality and injustice that they have faced in this country since their forefathers and continue to face to this day. Given that the rally was held at Wat Thai of Los Angeles (Thai temple), this rally sent a clear and important message that the Thai and other Asian communities have a voice, exist and deserve to be treated with the kind of respect and dignity that any human being deserves. It provided the bridge for the communities to connect with their elected leaders and public officials from both the US and Thai governments, advocacy groups and community leaders while also providing a platform for those in positions of authority to take a stand and advocate for those vulnerable to anti-Asian harassments, violence and crime. Holding the rally in Los Angeles is particularly important to the Thai immigrant population as it is home to the largest Thai population outside of Thailand.”
“We hope that we have all learned that hatred and violence have no place in society, especially in a country that was founded upon the ideals of freedom, equality and justice. However, as Vicha’s daughter, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, said in her statement, hate cannot be explained away. Therefore, we must take a stand against prejudice and injustice while also being patient and forgiving to welcome others outside the AAPI community to join in on our fight for a better society. We hope that our society can rid itself of the vices that have caused so much pain to the victims of hate and their families and aspire to achieve a more accepting, caring and moral society.”
Speakers:
Chancee Martorell, Executive Director of the Thai Community Development Center
Congresswoman Judy Chu
U.S. Thai Ambassador, H.E. Manasvi Srisodapal - (Recorded Statement)
Thai Consul-General Tor Saralamba
State Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian
George Gascón, L.A. County District Attorney
Hilda L. Solis, L.A. County Supervisor for District 1 - (Recorded Statement)
Ron Galperin, L.A. City Controller
Paul Krekorian, L.A. City Councilmember for District 2
Kevin de León, L.A. City Councilmember for District 14 - (Recorded Statement)
Warinthip Jaengdee, President of Thai Association of Southern California
Monthanus (Amy) Ratanapakdee, Vicha Ratanapakdee’s daughter - (Recorded Statement)
Captain James Townsend, LAPD Mission Area
Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance
Robin Toma, Executive Director of L.A. County Human Relations Commission
Jerry Louis Raburn, On behalf of Asian Pacific American Public Affairs (APAPA), Los Angeles Chapter
Rosalyn Patamakanthin Vasquez, President of the Thai American Chamber of Commerce of California
Alex De Ocampo, Co-founder of the Filipino Voter Empowerment Project
Quotes:
1. “It wasn’t until Vicha’s murder and the murder of eight people in three separate Asian-owned spas in Georgia that our nation finally woke up. It was a turning point. But today, Vicha’s murder is one of over ten thousand anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents that have terrorized our communities since the start of 2020. And the constant stream of stories like what happened to Vicha left many in our communities wondering “Will I be next.” These attacks were so horrific, so obviously motivated by bigotry and hate that they propelled the Asian American community into the national spotlight.” “We must work for more AAPI history and contributions to be included in school curricula and for Smithsonian Museum of AAPI history. We must strengthen the allyship that can ensure that we support one another when any one group is attacked. By helping to build those bridges between communities and by uplifting communities of color, together, we can ensure a future that is more just and equal. And that is how we defeat hate. And defeating hate is the best way for us to memorialize Vicha Ratanapakdee on this one-year anniversary.” - Congresswoman Judy Chu
2. U.S. Thai Ambassador, H.E. Manasvi Srisodapal took part in the rally by video and provided this pre-recorded statement, “I join you today to share deep remorse for the loss of Mr. Vicha Ratanapakdee and other Thai and Asian people who have become victims of hate crimes and criminal acts of violence. I also wish to express admiration to the local, state, and federal authorities for their prompt assistance and action, and to the local communities, particularly the Asian community for raising awareness and advocating against hate crimes. Going forward, I hope that the Asian community and all friends in America will find strength and wisdom to cultivate a caring and harmonious society.”
About the New York City Rally:
Speakers:
- Don Vu, SwAA, Founding Member and NYC Chapter Co-Lead
- Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director Asian American Federation
- Senator John C. Liu
- Elizabeth Kari, Advocate and daughter of Vilma Kari
- Nicole Henriquez, Esq., Christian J Hall Foundation
- Rachel Hu, ANSWER Coalition
- Senator Chuck Schumer
- Nikki Singh, Manager of Policy and Advocacy, Sikh Coalition
- Judi Cheng, Chinatown resident and teacher, victim of violence in 202
- Grace Lee, LES community activist
- Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams
- Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller
- Brianna Cea, President, OCA New York Chapter
- Don Lee
About the Chicago Event:
“We need to keep track of the trends [of anti-Asian hate incidents] as evidence of a national crisis, in order to better advocate for public policies to protect our community and for stronger sentencing for hate crimes. Rallies like today’s show that, despite the diversity within the Asian American community, we will stand together in solidarity and make our voices heard," said Mabel Menard, President, OCA Greater Chicago.
Manasvi Srisodapol, Ambassador from Thailand to the United States (on video)
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Senator (on video)
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois Congressman, 8th District (on video)
Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General (on video)
Theresa Mah, State Representative, 2nd District
Byron Sigcho Lopez, Alderman, 25th Ward
Paul Leong, Naperville City Council Member
Jeremy Wang, DuPage County Regional Board of School Trustee
Sang Yup Lee, Second Vice President, Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago
Mabel Menard, President, OCA Greater Chicago
Thomas Choi, Governmental Affairs and Advocacy Officer, Chinese American Service League
Kajana Thepboriruk, Assistant Professor of Thai Language, Northern Illinois University
Grace Chan McKibben, Executive Director, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community
A memorable quote from State Representative Theresa Mah: "For Asian Americans, these two years have been a stark reminder that racism and violence against us remains an unresolved issue in our country. And it is not a new issue," Mah said. "The idea that Asians are foreign don't belong and cannot be incorporated as full Americans has existed since the founding of this country."
About the Philadelphia Rally:
Philadelphia rally organizer Jimmy Chong said, "We are all gathered here to show strength in numbers. Our parents and many of you have immigrated from different countries, speak different languages and we have dramatically different cultures, however we are now Americans. We are gathered here to show solidarity and unification and I look forward to our communities working together to give Asian Americans a voice."
Speakers:
Nydia Han, 6abc Reporter
Christina Lu, Survivor and Advocate
David Oh, Philadelphia City Council Member
Helen Gym, Philadelphia City Council Member
Stephanie Sun, Executive Director, Governor's Commission om Asian Pacific American Affairs
Dr. Val Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
Nancy Guenst, PA State Rep
Joe Ciresi, PA State Rep
Steve Malagari, PA State Rep
Joanna McClinton, Democratic Leader, PA State Rep
In attendance:
Joseph Hohenstein, PA State Rep
Danilo Burgos, PA State Rep
George Choe, CEO Philip Jaisohn Medical Center/Philip Jaison Memorial Foundation
Ken Yang, Esq, Executive Director, Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi)
Kevin Kim, Esq, President Korean American Sports Association
Judy Yoo, President Federation of Korean American Associations of the North East (FKAANE)
Parents and students who were victims of a racial attack
Philip Jaisohn Student Drummers
Emcees: Nancy Walsh and Jimmy Chong.
About Anti-Asian Hate:
According to Stop AAPI Hate, a total of 10,370 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons were reported to their organization between March 19, 2020, and September 30, 2021. Of the hate incidents reflected in their report, 4,599 occurred in 2020 (44.4%) and 5,771 occurred in 2021 (55.7%). According to their research, one in five Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experienced a hate incident in the past year. The top types of encounters are: verbal harassment, shunning, physical assault, online harassment, and other civil rights violations. Read more at stopaapihate.org.
About Vicha Ratanapakdee:
Vicha Ratanapakdee was an 84 year-old Thai American grandfather who was assaulted on January 28, 2021. He died of his injuries on January 30. The assault became emblematic of the wave of anti-Asian attacks and bias incidents occurring across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, targeting individuals out of fear, racism, and xenophobia.
Photo Credits:
Img: 01_SF_rago_justiceforvicha_DSCF9609_hires
Caption: David Chiu, SF Mayor London Breed, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, and San Francisco City Attorney come together to march in the Asian Justice Rally in SF that memorializes the one-year anniversary of the fatal attack of 84-year old Thai grandfather Vicha Ratanapakdee.
Credit: Photography by Rozette Rago/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @hellorozette/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 02_SF_rago_justiceforvicha_DSCF9609_hires
Caption: Justin Zhu, Stand with Asian Americans, breaking the National Moment Silence, with a reading of ‘We Will Not Be Silenced’ at the Asian Justice Rally in SF on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022.
Credit: Photography by Rozette Rago/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @hellorozette/@asianjusticerally
Img: 03_SF_rago_justiceforvicha_DSCF9609_hires
Caption: Natassia Kwon and Charles Jung, APAs vs. Hate march at the Asian Justice Rally in SF on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022.
Credit: Photography by Rozette Rago/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @hellorozette/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 04_NYC_AsianJusticeRally_Jan30_NYC_065
Caption: Hundreds attend the Asian Justice Rally in Foley Square, NY on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Poupay Jutharat/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @poupayphoto/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 05_NYC_AsianJusticeRally_Jan30_NYC_111
Caption: Asian Justice Rally NY march (Foley Square to Chinatown, NY) on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Poupay Jutharat/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @poupayphoto/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 06_NYC_AsianJusticeRally_Jan30_NYC_144
Caption: NYC Asian Justice Rally ends in Forsyth Plaza on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Poupay Jutharat/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @poupayphoto/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 07_LA_2022.01_Jennelle Fong_SwAA_0023
Caption: Asian Justice Rally LA held at the Wat Thai Temple on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Jennelle Jones/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @jennellefong/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 08_LA_2022.01_Jennelle Fong_SwAA_0023
Caption: Asian Justice Rally LA held at the Wat Thai Temple on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Jennelle Jones/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @jennellefong/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 088_2022.01_Jennelle Fong_SwAA_0004
Caption: Asian Justice Rally LA held at the Wat Thai Temple on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Jennelle Jones/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @jennellefong/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 09_Phila_HAN_5474
Caption: Korean traditional drummers at the Asian Justice Rally in Philadelphia on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Hannah Yoon/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @hanloveyoon/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: 10_Phila_HAN_5956
Caption: Asian Justice Rally in Philadelphia - Lotus signs are held during the national moment of silence coordinated across all of the cities on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022.
Credit: Photograph by Hannah Yoon/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @hanloveyoon/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
Img: NYC_IMG_2987
Caption: NYC Asian Justice Rally marching from Foley Square to Chinatown, led by Will Lex Ham, Rachel Hu, and Stand with Asian Americans (@standwithasianamericans) members.
Credit: tag @dsuryakusuma
Img: SF_rago_justiceforvicha_DSCF9640_hires
Caption: After National Moment of Silence, renowned cellists played “You will never walk alone” as grandpa Vicha walked alone the morning of his attack. Now the community walks together for grandpa Vicha and victims of Asian hate.. Cellists pictured: Adelle-Akiko Kearns, Angela Sun.
Credit: Photography by Rozette Rago/Asian Justice Rally
OR tag: @hellorozette/@standwithasianamericans/@asianjusticerally
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALLIES TO BE HELD NATIONWIDE ON JANUARY 30 IN RESPONSE TO CONTINUED ANTI-ASIAN HATE
Contact: Charles Jung, California Asian Pacific American Bar Association & APAs vs. Hate; Justin Zhu, Stand with Asian Americans
Phone: 415-762-3100
Email: press@asianjusticemovement.org
Release Date: January 26, 2022
[SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, JAN. 26, 2022] — Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are coming together in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Philadelphia for a national commemoration of the one year anniversary of the murder of Vicha Ratanapakdee and honoring the victims of anti-Asian hate and bias.
The six cities will be holding synchronous rallies and press conferences and a coordinated moment of silence at 2:45 ET/1:45 CT/11:45 PT.
The national organizers, Stand with Asian Americans (SwAA) and APAs vs. Hate (AvH), shared their purpose for bringing together the coalition: “The death of Vicha Ratanapakdee was a rallying point for the Asian American community in our effort. Unfortunately, anti-Asian violence and xenophobia continues to this day. Individuals, including the elderly and students, are subject to harassment and discrimination. These rallies reflect the community’s continued calls to end racism, for sustained intervention and investment by public officials, and inclusive solutions to combat hate and prejudice.”
City Specific Information:
Atlanta
Local Organizers: Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS), Thai Association of Georgia (TAG), National Association of Chinese Americans (NACA), Georgia Advancing Progress PAC (GAPPAC), Asian American Advocacy Fund - Georgia Chapter, Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association (GAPABA), Atlanta Korean American Committee Against Asian Hate
Press Contact: Victoria Huynh, victoria.huynh@cpacs.org, (770) 936-0969 ext. 137
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Location: The Atlanta event will be virtual rally and in-person press conference at CPACS, 3510 Shallowford Rd, Atlanta, GA 30341
Chicago
Local Organizers: Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC), OCA Greater Chicago, Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago
Press Contact: Grace Chan McKibben, gracechan@cbcacchciago.org, 773-405-6770
Time: 1:15-2:00 pm CT
Location: Virtual
Los Angeles
Local Organizers: Thai Community Development Corporation (Thai CDC), OCA-Greater Los Angeles
Press Contact: Chanchanit Martorell, chancee@thaicdc.org, (323) 468-2555
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PT
Location: Wat Thai Temple, Los Angeles, 8225 Coldwater Canyon Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91605.
New York City
Local Organizers: Stand with Asian Americans, Asian American Federation
Press Contact: Diana, diana@standwithasianamericans.com
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Location: Foley Square, New York, NY 10013
Philadelphia
Press Contact: Jimmy Chong, chong@chonglawfirm.com, 215-909-5204
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Location: Philadelphia City Hall - North Apron (by the Flag Poles)
San Francisco
Local Organizers: Stand with Asian Americans, APAs vs. Hate, Stand with Asians, Asians Are Strong, Delta Chinatown Initiative, Dear Community
Press Contact: Charles Jung, press@asianjusticerally.org, 415-762-3100
Time: 11:00 am PT.
Location: Rally begins at top of Sonora Lane steps (Terra Vista Ave. & Encanto Ave.) in San Francisco. Short march to the site of the fatal attack.
About the Rallies:
The Asian Justice Rallies are being held in six cities: San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. It is a national event on January 30, 2022, the anniversary of death of 84-year old Thai grandfather Vicha Ratanapakdee, commemorating Mr. Ratanapakdee, the hundreds of victims of anti-Asian violence, and the thousands of persons subjected to anti-Asian hate. More information can be found at asianjusticerally.org.
About Anti-Asian Hate:
According to Stop AAPI Hate, a total of 10,370 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons were reported to their organization between March 19, 2020, and September 30, 2021. Of the hate incidents reflected in their report, 4,599 occurred in 2020 (44.4%) and 5,771 occurred in 2021 (55.7%). According to their research, one in five Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experienced a hate incident in the past year. The top types of encounters are: verbal harassment, shunning, physical assault, online harassment, and other civil rights violations. Read more at stopaapihate.org.
About Vicha Ratanapakdee:
Vicha Ratanapakdee was an 84 year-old Thai American grandfather who was assaulted on January 28, 2021. He died of his injuries on January 30. The assault became emblematic of the wave of anti-Asian attacks and bias incidents occurring across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, targeting individuals out of fear, racism, and xenophobia.