Attacks Against Asians on the Rise

SUNDAY,MARCH 7, 2021 ///Times Community News publication serving Orange County /// timesoc.com Attacks Photo by Edwin Goei | Illustration by Greg Diaz against Asians on the rise With the number of incidents growing nationwide, O.C. leaders call on the public to help stem the violence. BY AGNES CONSTANTE Asian American community leaders and elected officials in a news conference on Feb. 25 urged the public to stop and report incidents of anti-Asian rhetoric and violence, which have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Between March and December 2020, there were more than 2,800 reported anti-Asian hate incidents across the nation, according to Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition tracking anti-Asian hate and discrimination during the coronavirus pandemic. Of these incidents, about 7.3% of cases involved people over the age of 60. Among attacks on Asian Ameri- can seniors that have been re- BY EDWIN GOEI ported include 84-year-old Vichar Ratanapakdee in the San Fran- his month marks a year since the pandemic hit the cisco Bay Area who was killed T U.S. This means that even for those with wanderlust, during a walk around his neigh- it’s likely been at least that long since they’ve gone borhood in January and Noel abroad. Quintana, 61, who was slashed Despite declines in reported COVID-19 cases, flying to across his face on his way to work another country still harbors a lot of uncertainty and risk. in a subway train in New York in However, if you’re like me and your primary reason for trav- February. eling is the food, you’re in luck: The Orange County dining Christie Nguyen, co-founder of scene is surprisingly international. It’s well-represented by Nailing it for America, a volunteer small businesses that offer tastes from far-flung cultures — group that formed last year and cuisines that are perhaps less familiar to you than your has provided PPE and meals to weeknight sushi or Mexican takeout meal. frontline workers and seniors in In fact, there are so many restaurants from so many na- Southern California, said seeing tionalities in O.C. that cataloging them all could itself fill a attacks on the elderly has been “Lonely Planet” guidebook. upsetting. What follows is a selection of 10 restaurants representing “We must do better,” she said. 10 countries from four continents, where you can eat your “We must end the violence of Courtesy of Delice Breton hate racism and discrimination.” See World, page R4 AN OMELET like those of the Brittany region of France Orange County District Atty. at Delice Breton in San Juan Capistrano. Todd Spitzer said the county has filed more hate crimes in the last KABSA AT TRADITIONAL two years than in the previous 22 El Mahroosa in COMBO at years. Anaheim. Abyssinia in Don Han, operations manager Anaheim at the Orange County Human Re- lations Commission, an agency established in 1971 to help the county track hate incidents and hate crimes, said it has recorded 40 hate incident cases against Asian Americans since January Edwin Goei Edwin Goei 2020 — 10 times higher than pre- See Asians, page R5 Pacific Symphony uploads performances from an empty hall BY VERA CASTANEDA ership, and its Facebook page re- riod of being unable to play to- ceived eight times additional gether. I planned the repertoire The Pacific Symphony returned viewership. for these online concerts in such a to the stage this year for a new Every Thursday at 7 p.m., a new way that each piece can be per- online performance series. video will stream and be available formed by a smaller ensemble The “Symphony Thursdays” se- for 30 days on the symphony’s rather than the full orchestra. This ries, filmed at Renée and Henry website, mobile app, YouTube allows us to be properly socially Segerstrom Concert Hall during channel and Facebook page. distanced on stage and assures its COVID-19 closure, is available The March 4 performance, with that everyone is safe,” Music Di- through an online service called abrass and percussion section, rector Carl St.Clair said in the an- Pacific Symphony+, and it’s avail- was scheduled to feature Morten nouncement. able online for free. Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mys- In the past, orchestra concerts The program kicked off with a terium” and Michael Daugherty’s filmed to document the perform- 23-minute video of Richard “Asclepius.” ances for the symphony archives Strauss’ “Serenade for 13 Winds” Other performances will in- were not meant for wider distri- and the finale of Tchaikovsky’s clude Mozart’s “Serenata Not- bution. However, the Pacific Sym- “Serenade for Strings” on Feb. 25 turna,” the finale from Gounod’s phony edited and released new in conjunction with the sympho- “Petite Symphonie for Winds,” and archival videos on KCET and ny’s new mobile app. While 300 suites from Stravinsky’s “Pul- PBS programs at the early stages live viewers tuned into the per- cinella” and “The Firebird” and a of the coronavirus pandemic. The formance, viewership after the number of Bach concertos. orchestra produced concerts in event grew. Compared to last year, “The musicians and I are grati- living rooms and backyards in the the symphony’s YouTube page re- fied to be creating and making Courtesy of Doug Gifford ceived six times additional view- music again after such a long pe- See Symphony, page R4 PACIFIC SYMPHONY musicians rehearse for the online series. R2 SUNDAY,MARCH 7, 2021 TIMESOC WWW.TIMESOC.COM Attorney says sheriff’s deputy may have filed afalse report The woman is by resisting arrest and making threats toward the deputies. The representing a homeless district attorney’s office man who was allegedly dropped the case against Hol- beaten and Tased loway, she said. where he was living. Holloway’s account — laid out in a legal complaint — de- BY BEN BRAZIL scribes a much different picture. The alleged beating of Hol- An attorney representing a loway occurred in January 2018, formerly homeless veteran who when he was approached by was allegedly beaten and Tased deputies at his tent in O’Neill by Orange County sheriff’s dep- Regional Park in Trabuco Can- uties believes a deputy filed yon. false police reports on the inci- Holloway, who was 41 at the dent. time, was awakened by deputies Luis Sinco | Los Angeles Times Attorney Narine Mkrtchyan following up on a report of do- said that Deputy Chad Renegar mestic abuse, the complaint A CASHIER helps a customer at the checkout stand in the Vons grocery store in Long Beach. beat her client, Jeremy Hol- says. loway, and then fabricated the Mkrtchyan said the Sheriff’s details of the violent episode. Department received a call from Mkrtchyan believes Hol- someone who said a woman loway’s case is stronger now af- and man were involved in the Santa Ana OKs boost ter Renegar was charged last dispute, yet the deputies zeroed month with falsifying a separate in on Holloway, whose only police report. companion was his dog. “My client was injured and Renegar and another deputy beat up, and then they lied searched Holloway’s belongings for grocery workers about it, claiming that he was in the tent without his consent, violent and that he was refusing the complaint says. Then the to comply with their com- deputies left. mands,” Mkrtchyan said Mon- Mkrtchyan said the depart- BY BEN BRAZIL Phan said. “I have spoken to provided initial approval and day over the phone. "... My cli- ment then received another call workers and we’ve heard work- Los Angeles County approved ent has suffered serious injuries. of a woman screaming at the The Santa Ana City Council ers today who are asking for an extra $5-per-hour wage I’m really happy that now we campsite. However, a police re- approved “hero pay” for grocery this, because every day they put boost last week for grocery and can use that criminal case to port said the caller indicated and pharmacy store employees themselves at risk.” pharmacy workers. push my client’s case and get that a man was walking around on Tuesday night in an effort to The council was expected to Oakland, Seattle, Santa Moni- some compensation for his in- the campsite searching for who- support high-risk workers in the approve the item after a major- ca, San Jose, Montebello and juries.” ever called the police on him. city. ity of the members came out in Long Beach have also approved Renegar faces up to four years The deputies confronted Hol- The council voted 5-2 in favor favor early last month. At that similar ordinances. and eight months in prison for loway, who according to of an urgency ordinance requir- meeting, the council voted on Afederal judge ruled in favor the charges, which allegedly oc- Mkrtchyan, was on informal ing grocery store employees in whether to approve a resolution of Long Beach last week, up- curred while he was working as probation for insurance fraud at the city to be paid an extra $4 an directing staff to bring the pro- holding the hero pay ordinance. afield training officer in 2019 in the time. According to the com- hour for 120 days. Council posed urgency ordinance back Opponents of the raises have Rancho Santa Margarita. plaint, Holloway complied with members Nelida Mendoza and this week. stated that it potentially opens According to district attorney adeputy’s orders to step away David Penaloza dissented. Councilman Phil Bacerra cast up cities to litigation. The Cali- spokeswoman Kimberly Edds, from his tent with his hands up.

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