For a few minutes Sunday morning, Su Nguyen was unsure if the City Heights Lunar New Year Festival should continue as planned.
He had just learned a shooting in the city of Monterey Park in Los Angeles County had left 10 people dead and another 10 injured.
“That is an unacceptable target for the Asian community during this day,” said Su Nguyen.
He said he quickly got on the phone.
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“We had the mayor's office calling us and the police station here and officers called me and told us they would make sure our event is safe,” said Nguyen.
He knew then there was no reason to cancel the celebration, especially because he said now it was more important than ever to show up for his community.
“We celebrate it and at the same time we share it with the people because we are fighting racism, so this is the best thing we can do,” said Nguyen.
Many others also showed up with the same plan.
“It's definitely very heartbreaking but it didn't stop me from wanting to come here today and support my community and show, ‘Hey just because one person doesn't want us to celebrate and be together, that's not going to stop me,” said Rose Le, a festival attendee.
Rose Le said she’s celebrating as a way to say “enough” because of the spike in anti-Asian hate over the last three years.
“I think now more than ever, especially after the events from yesterday, it's really important to show like, ‘I'm very proud of being Vietnamese American,” said Le. “And I was born here and I’m from here but there's another side to me.”
The City Height’s Lunar New Year Festival went on as planned. Crowds enjoyed skewers, traditional performances, cultural exhibitions and more.
But there were increased security measures including additional patrols in the area. This is something APPI advocates like Joann Fields say we should take as an indicator that no matter where we are, we must stay alert.
“We do have to remain vigilant, we do have to remain aware that anything can happen whether it is a festival or on your way to work or school,” said Joann Fields, public relations director with the APPI Initiative.
It's a reality many said they sadly have become accustomed to.
“Growing up in America and seeing all these mass shootings everywhere; whether it be at school, at grocery stores, at the movie theaters, or at community events, I always have a plan,” said Le.
