To Live in Peace ... Responding to Anti-Asian Violence in Boston

A Report of the Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project Asian American Resource Workshop

To Live in Peace.... Responding to Anti-Asian Violence in Boston

A Report of the Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project Asian American Resouce Workshop

October 1987 To Live in Peace .... Responding to Anti-Asian Violence in Boston

Prepared by Elaine Song, Civil Rights Project Director Production Coordinator: Robert Chu Cover Design: Arlene Chung

About the Asian American Resource Workshop

The Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is a pan-Asian community-based education organization, whose mission is to work for the empowerment of the Asian American community. The AARW seeks to document and promote the history, culture, and issues of Asian Americans, to work with the community to develop resources for organizing and education, and to advocate for the needs of the Asian American community. Over its nine-year history, the AARW has strengthened its community base through leadership in various struggles, and through projects and events that bring together various Asian communities throughout Greater Boston. The Civil Rights Capacity­ Building Project is a significant step for the AARW in developing its commitment to community empowerment work.

The AARW Staff Executive Director: Frederick H. Dow Administrative Director: Carlton Sagara Civil Rights Project Director: Elaine Song Office Manager: Man Chak N g

The AARW Board of Trustees Robert Chu Kevin Fong Frank Mark Jeffrey Moy Steve Nishino Elizabeth OuYang Suzanne Pan Soon-A Park Jason Tong Howard Wong

For inquiries and copies: The Asian American Resource Workshop 27 Beach Street Boston, MA 02111 (617) 426-5313

Price: $2.75 plus $1.25 postage and handling

© 1987 Asian American Resource Workshop Dedication to Vincent Chin

This report is written in memory of Vincent Chin (1955-1982) and the many Asian American groups and individuals who sparked an entire movement for the civil rights of Asian Americans through his case.

Vincent Chin was a 27-year-old Chinese American from Michigan. On the eve of his wedding, two laid-off Detroit autoworkers bludgeoned him to death with a baseball bat. While beating him, they yelled, "it's because of you mother fucking Japs that we're out of work!" The case reveals the irrational and racist roots of anti-Asian violence. Yet even more unjust than the act itself was the sentence imposed on Chin's two assailants.

In 1983, both men were sentenced to 3 years probation and fined $3,700. Mter storms of protests from Asian American and civil rights groups, in 1984, one man was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison and the other acquitted of federal civil rights violations. In September 1986, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that conviction and the U.S. Department of Justice retried the case.

On May 1, 1987, a federal jury of 10 whites and two blacks in Cincinnati, Ohio acquitted Ronald Ebens of federal civil rights violations. Ebens will never spend a day in jail.

The case should be remembered for the struggle it inspired among Asian Americans everywhere who took their lives into their hands by organizing and demanding a new trial. Without the vision of these many groups and individuals, the political power of Asian Americans would not have reached the potential it has today. It is critical that the Asian American community continues and increases its involvement in the struggle for equality and justice.

iii Acknowledgements

The AARW Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project, which began in December 1985, has reached its first milestone through this report. The cooperation and contributions of many individuals and organizations have made this report possible.

The previous leaders of the AARW under whom the planning and implementation of this report took place provided support and guidance for this report. Administrative Director Carlton Sagara and Program Director Shirley Mark Yuen provided guidance and feedback in the planning and implementation of this report. The report was reviewed and approved by the AARW Steering Committee: Kevin Fong (Chair), Margaret Chin, Robert Chu, Frank Mark, Jeffrey Moy, Suzanne Pan, and Jason Tong.

Gathering the data for this report depended on the cooperation and support of the English as a Second Language instructors and coordinators who allocated a class for civil rights education and surveying. Those participated in this project should be recognized: Ralph Raddell, Jessica Bethiny, and President Harold E. Shively of Bunker Hill Community College; John Robinson and Annie Chin of the Chinese American Civic Association; Ann Spanel and Joan Seeler of the Jewish Vocational Services; Mary Jo Hetzel and Ann Kayson of the Jackson Mann Community School; and Chanrithy Uong of the Indochinese Mutual Assistance Association. Much appreciation to Pastor Don Nanstad, Bounthay Phath and Phil Giffee of the East Boston Ecumenical Community Council, Donnell Lassiter-Stewart of the Dorchester Task Force, and Ratha Yem of the Executive Office of Public Safety for providing background information on the areas highlighted in this report.

Another critical element of this project was the group of translators who interviewed individuals in their native languages. Special appreciation goes to them not only for their time, but also their sensitivity and commitment to serving the community: Angela Liang, Erwin Huang, Catherine Tse, Cheung Wong (Chinese); Ly Van Nguyen, Diep Ngoc Vuong (Vietnamese); Chanrithy Uong, Bunna Men, Saly Pin (Khmer); and Phonh Sonepaniph (Lao).

Several individuals also contributed time and effort to editing and writing. Written contributions were made by Diane Chin and Frederick Dow. Editing assistance was provided by Therese Feng.

Special thanks to Robert Chu, Peter Kiang, Ramsay Liem, and Elizabeth OuYang, for overall guidance of the report and the development of the Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project.

This report is funded by the Foley, Hoag, and Eliot Foundation and the United Methodist Church General Commission on Race and Religion Minority Self-Determination Fund. I am especially grateful to contributors and Board members of the CISP Alumni Public Interest Fellowship of my graduating class at Northeastern University School of Law for enabling me to work full-time on this project between September 1986 and August 1987.

Elaine Song, Director AARW Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project

iv Contents

Executive Sum.m.aty...... 1

I. Introduction ...... 3

II. The Problem: Definition and Root Causes ········································································~······6

III. The Findings ...... 9 A. The Information-Gathering Process...... 9 B. Analysis of Findings...... 10 1. Dorchester: An unyielding problem...... 12 2. East Boston: No simple solutions...... 13 3. The Somerville Mystic Housing Project: Ignoring the problem ...... 14 4. Revere: Making a community statement ...... 15

IV. The I..aw and Its Enforcement ...... •...... •..••...... •...••..••.•...... •...... 17 A. Response: Police-Community Relations ...... 17 1. General comments on the police ...... 17 2. Access problems in the Asian community...... 18 a. Lack of knowledge of laws ...... 18 b. Language barrier ...... 18 c. Neighborhood retribution ...... 18 B. Investigative Units ...... 18 1. The Community Disorders Unit of the Boston Police Department...... 18 2. The Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General's Office...... 19 3. The District Attorneys ...... 20 C. Access Problems in the Criminal Justice System ...... 21

V. Empowerment in the Asian Com.m.unity ...... •...... •.•••.••.•..•.•..•.•.•••.•..•...... 22 A. What is Community Organizing? ...... 22 1. The case of Long Guang Huang: A community organizing victory...... 23 2. "Enough is Enough": Revere's Solutions...... 25 B. Building Ongoing Institutions ...... 26 1. From service to organizing: meeting needs in East Boston ...... 26 2. The MAAs and BARCO: Unifying Southeast Asians ...... 26 3. Asians for Justice ...... 28

v 4. The role of pan-Asian organizations ...... 28 5. Activism and roots: Asian student groups ...... 28 C. Consolidating Asian American and Third World Unity ...... 29

VI. Conclusion/Recommendations ...... 30 A. General Recommendations ...... 30 1. Improving access ...... 30 2. The role of human rights commissions ...... 31 3. Civil rights units and civil rights training ...... 31 4. Community review mechanisms ...... 31 5. Multicultural awareness ...... -...... 31 B. Building an Agenda for the Asian Community...... 32 1. Education ...... 32 2. Leadership development ...... 33 3. Developing organizing initiatives ...... 33 4. Ongoing, community-wide networking...... 33 C. Capacity-Building and the Role of the AARW ...... 33

Appendix A: "A Report on Anti-Asian Violence in the U.S."- Japanese American Citizens' League ...... •...... ••.•..••..••...... •.••••..••...•.....•...... ••....•...•••...... ••.....••.••...... •...... 35

Appendix B: Massachusetts Civil Rights Laws...... •.•.•..•.....••••..•...•..•...... 37

Appendix C: News Articles ...... 41

Appendix D: Fol'II\er AARW Structure .....•...... ••..••...... •...... •.•...•.•...•....••..•.••....•.•.•..•••...... •..... 51

vi Executive Summary

Racial violence in Boston's Asian American 4. Anti-Asian violence is an issue that has community has reached crisis proportions. mobilized diverse sectors of the Asian Children have been spit on while walking to American population to build a stronger school, houses have been burned down, people political voice. have been killed. This report offers an analysis of anti-Asian violence based on the views and The AARW Civil Rights Project was experiences of its victims. Between August 1986 established to develop solutions to anti-Asian and June 1987, the Asian American RQsource violence and other civil rights violations. Its Workshop Civil Rights Project surveyed programs, which focus on empowerment in the individuals and researched cases of anti-Asian Asian community, include community education, violence to collect data on the needs and issues resource development, political organizing, and facing the Asian American community. This development of legal and policy strategies. It report has two purposes: to provide a is not enough to react to the problem when it community analysis of the problem that happens. The Asian community must make considers the social factors causing it and the government agencies and elected officials personal experiences and opinions of victims; accountable to it by mobilizing and inspiring and to promote dialogue and action around civil the people to voice their needs and work rights issues thoughout the different sectors of together to develop common solutions to their the Asian American community. problems. This report therefore calls for more This report makes the following findings: concerted action throughout the Asian 1. For many Asians, acts of violence, which are community to increase its ability to serve its committed by Asians' own neighbors within community's needs. It should also be seen as the their neighborhoods, occur in such first step in developing a long-term strategy overwhelming proportions that they have around the problem. The Project makes the become a part of daily life. following recommendations based on its 2. Many Asians place little faith in the law findings: enforcement system to respond effectively to 1. Asian community groups and coalitions need the problem or to prevent it. to systematically reach out to and educate 3. Due to linguistic, cultural, and other the Asian refugee and immigrant barriers, the Asian community is often communities about civil rights issues and denied access to the law enforcement system, legal rights; which effectively denies them their civil 2. Community education and other programs rights. should also concentrate on leadership development from within the communities;

1 3. The Asian community must be given the tools c. Establishment of civil rights units within for organizing on a mass scale around civil police departments outside of Boston and rights issues including anti-Asian violence; training of police officers about civil 4. Community leaders should develop an rights laws as well as about the Asian agenda with law enforcement and American experience; government officials that includes the d. Community review mechanisms to following recommendations: evaluate police conduct; a. The involvement of city governments e. Development of Asian American studies through human rights commissions and and multicultural awareness programs in other departments, in developing long­ Greater Boston's public schools. term preventative measures to address 5. A network of Asian groups and individuals anti-Asian violence; from different geographic locations should b. Improvement of access for the Asian be established in order to develop collective community; solutions to common problems.

2 I. Introduction

S ince 1980, Boston and the nation have This report highlights the main issues witnessed a dramatic increase-in racial violence which the respondents have identified; it is against Asians. This report expresses the not, however, comprehensive. The report puts views, concerns; and experiences of members of forth the point of view of those directly Boston's Asian American community who have affected by the problem and makes been victims of this violence. Following several recommendations based on their needs and months of information-gathering on incidents of perspectives. anti-Asian violence, the Asian American In analyzing the causes of anti-Asian Resource Workshop Civil Rights Project has violence, this report will examine many social written this report with two purposes: to and historical conditions, both nationally and provide a community analysis of this problem locally, which trigger racist sentiment. These that considers the social factors causing it and conditions include racist media images, the personal experiences and opinions of perceptions that Asians are the cause for victims; and to promote dialogue and action economic hard times; lingering racism from the around this issue throughout the different Vietnam War, and population increases. sectors of the Asian American community. With compelling social forces such as these, Specifically, the Project makes the fighting anti-Asian violence requires strong following findings: initiative and commitment on the local level. 1. For many Asians, acts of violence, which are Although various governmental and legal committed by Asians' own neighbors within approaches have been effective in stemming their neighborhoods, occur in such the problem, it is clear that Asians have made overwhelming proportions that they have the most major gains through efforts initiated become a part of daily life. from the heart of the community: the people 2. Many Asians place little faith in the Ia w themselves. This report will discuss the enforcement system to respond effectively to significance of community-based coalitions and the problem or to prevent it. institutions such as the Committee to Support 3. Due to linguistic, · cultural, and other Long Guang Huang, the Coalition On Violence barriers, the Asian community is often Against Cambodian Americans, the East Boston denied access to the law enforcement system, Ecumenical Community Council, and the mutual which effectively denies them their civil assistance associations. These efforts have rights. unified various sectors of the Asian community, 4. Anti-Asian violence is an issue that has increased political accountability, and mobilized diverse -sectors of the Asian improved the capacity of the Asian community American population to build a stronger to develop long-term solutions based on its own political voice. needs.

3 AARW Photo Crowds gather in front of City Hall for justice, police accountability, and community control in the case of Long Guang Huang, summer, 1985.

The Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project 4. Community leaders should develop an is established to expand upon many of these agenda with law enforcement and other efforts through a coordinated, long-term plan public officials that includes the following for capacity-building and organizing within recommendations: the Asian community. This report should be a. The involvement of city governments, viewed as the first step in developing a long­ through the human rights commissions term strategy; it is directed to all who are and other departments, in developing concerned about the problem, but it is especially long-term preventative measures to targeted to Asian community-based groups who address anti-Asian violence; have dealt with anti-Asian violence cases, and b. Improvement of access for the Asian individuals who have personally experienced community; violence or are severely impacted by the c. Establishment of civil rights units problem. Following are the report's within police departments outside of recommendations for a step-by step approach in Boston and training of police officers capacity-building in the Asian community: about the civil rights laws as well as I. Asian community groups and coalitions need about the Asian American experience; to systematically reach out to and educate d. Community review mechanisms to their communities about civil rights i~sues evaluate police conduct; and legal rights; e. Development of Asian American studies 2. Community education and other programs and multicultural awareness programs in should also concentrate on leadership Greater Boston's public schools. development from within the communi ties; 5. A network of Asian groups and individuals 3. The Asian community must be given the tools from different geographic locations should for organizing on a mass scale around civil be established in order to develop collective rights issues including anti-Asian violence. solutions to common problems.

4 The AARW Civil Rights Capacity­ Building Project · In. December 1985; the AARW established a Throughout its nine-year history, the Asian civil rights project through a grant from the American Resource Workshop has addressed United Methodist Church General Commission many of the crisis issues facing the Asian on Race and Religion. The Project began American community as an issue of community operating full-time in September 1986 when its empowerment. Its struggles have been project director was awarded the 1986 CISP spearheaded by the belief that achievement. of Alumni Public Interest Fellowship from her effective civil rights enforcement and equahty graduating class of Northeastern University begins with the people themselves. Through School of Law. its Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project, the The Civil Rights Capacity-Building Project AARW is increasing its long-term commitment is dedicated to addressing the civil rights needs to addressing racial violence and civil rights of the Asian American community by serving as violations from the perspective of those who a base for civil rights education, advocacy, and are experiencing it. coalition-building. Its activities have included Since the rise in the current wave of anti­ bilingual civil rights education sessions; n~eds Asian violence, the AARW has taken an assessment of incidents of violence agatnst important role in initiating and developing Asians; coalition-building within the Asian community-based coalitions. In 1983, the American community; and networking with AARW initiated the Asians for Justice government agencies and. the civil rights coalition, whose purpose was to promote civil community.- rights for Asian Americans. When Chinese In its second year, the Civil Rights Project immigrant Long Guang Huang was beaten by a plans to intensify outreach and education police officer in Chinatown in May 1985, the efforts to broaden its base within Boston's Asian AARW helped initiate the Committee to American community. Support Long Guang Huang. Most recently, the AARW assisted in forming the Coalition on Violence Against Cambodian Americans in Revere following a Christmas Eve fire which left 21 Cambodians homeless. The AARW has also sponsored educational forums, lobbied to have civil rights information translated into Asian languages, and worked with the media to increase public awareness.

5 II. The Problem: Definition and Root Causes

A Vietnamese in Rambo stands for the same thing as influx of Southeast Asians, the Asian a Toyota in the UAW ritual -- a threat to the population as a whole has doubled. Recent . American way that has to be destroyed.l population data, compiled by the Massachusetts Office of Refugee Resettlement, reveals there are nearly 10,000 Southeast A sians who have settled into Boston's Asians total in Boston, making up half of the neighborhoods have confronted many myths Asian population. Of the population in Boston, and misconceptions about them. They have been Asians make up nearly 4 percent. Unofficial misunderstood and mistreated - as enemies and estimates put the number of Asians in Greater strangers; subhumans and superhumans. In East Boston at approximately 30,000. Boston, some say that Vietnamese and Cambodians eat and cook on the floor and that what they eat are the neighbors' dogs. One day in the summer of 1983, the Boston Police broke into a Cambodian home and searched their refrigerator for dog meat. According to residents in Revere, their new Cambodian neighbors are welfare cheats and are responsible for their economic misfortune. On the most material holiday of the year, Christmas, 21 Cambodians were burned out of their home from an arson. Racial violence is violence committed against an individual because of the individual's race. Racial violence is a social and historical problem; it is neither new to Boston nor to Asians. From the first Chinese immigrants who came to the U.S. as cheap contracted labor to the current influx of Southeast Asian refugees, Asians have been the Courtesy of Visual Communications targets of violence during various periods of American history. (See Appendix A) With the One of many cartoons from the late nineteenth century which promoted anti-Asian violence. lpeter Nien-chu Kiang, "Why the Asians," Boston Phoenix, 18 June 1985.

6 Unlike our early history, the question of Local, national, and international conditions racial violence is now one of civil rights. The contribute to anti-Asian violence. Some of these term civil rights recognizes that acts motivated are: perceived economic competition and by racism are forbidden and if they occur, they scapegoating, racist media images, lingering must be punished. Civil rights are basic racism from the Vietnam War, and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution, based demographic changes. on the principles that all people are to be The 1980s have been a period of economic treated equally regardless of race, religion, turmoil, tension, and trade insecurity. national origin, sex, handicap, and sexual Historically, this climate has led to anti­ preference. Asian violence, where Asians are scapegoated Yet although our Constitution is 200 years because it is believed that they take jobs away old, it was not until the 1960s when government from American workers. The tendency to agencies and society in general became scapegoat Asians continues today in Boston's responsible for enforcing civil rights. The Civil neighborhoods in various forms. Much of the Rights Movement was significant for the scapegoating against Southeast Asian refugees mobilization and activism of Blacks from every is based on myths. One common misconception is walk of life, who forged a new collective spirit that Southeast Asians refugees are welfare that challenged the existing system's freeloaders who receive new cars and houses segregationist practices. This movement from the federal government without having to advanced the causes of all people of color and work for them. In the neighborhoods in which offers inspiration to the Asian community's many refugees are placed, these myths create continued organizing efforts. bitter resentment toward refugees. As a result, As an historic problem, racial violence cars owned by Asians have become symbols of clearly does not begin with a few misguided success, reason for resentment, and targets of individuals; rather, it is rooted in the violence. institutions which we trust to make our laws, and to shape our opinions and our attitudes.

In 1882, the myth that Chinese took jobs away from white workers led to the frrst bill that excluded the Chinese from immigrating to the U.S.

7 Misconceptions and racist attitudes are the 1970s and the desegregation riots of the allowed to survive on the streets due to larger 1970s. The intolerance continues today in some forces such as racist media and anti-Asian of Boston's longtime institutions. One example campaigns. These forces, which virtually is the response of an East Boston newspaper define public opinion, encourage and condone during the summer of 1983 when a series of fires racism and portray Asians only as an enemy or were occurring to the homes of Southeast Asian outsider. One vivid example of the impact of refugees. While the causes of these fires the media is the movie Rambo, released in 1985. varied, the East Boston Times-Leader Free Sylvester Stallone plays a Vietnam veteran Press published an editorial blaming the fires who returns to Vietnam in search of missing on the refugees, bee a use they do not know fire POW s. In the process, he must kill off safety. The article read: "These Vietnamese Vietnamese and Russians who come in his way. refugees who have moved to East Boston Bag This film, which canonized Stallone as the new and Baggage should be given some rules on fire American film hero, sea pegoa ted the safety hazards .... And if they are willing to . Vietnamese for the losses suffered by America take chances in burning themselves into while justifying violence against Asians. oblivion, it's one thing, but when they endanger The film's effects were clearly felt on the the lives of their immediate neighbors, then, streets of Boston that summer. In addition to it's another thing ... that second fire on Meridian the fact that it was one of the worst periods of Street could have been avoided if they had anti-Asian violence, Asian residents recall stuck to the safety rules. "2 being told to go home because Rambo is here or Many Southeast Asians are currently living seeing slurs like "Cambo" (referring to in areas which have been the scenes of racial Cambodians) scrawled on walls in the unrest in the past. The shortsightedness of neighborhoods. refugee resettlement agencies in placing Asians Rambo signifies something larger as well. in such neighborhoods without providing Its popularity derives from a twisted revival of adequate preparation for the neighborhoods or patriotism based on making America feel good their newcomers has allowed the attitudes about itself even at the expense of others. that underlie racial violence to go Another example of this attitude plays itself unchallenged. out in America's trade war with Japan. Recently, the belief that competition with Japan is the cause of America's declining economy and high unemployment has reached a level of hysteria reminiscent of Pearl Harbor. It has also led to scapegoating of Asians who are perceived as taking jobs away from American workers. For example, in June 1982, Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, was bludgeoned to death by two unemployed auto workers in Detroit. While beating Chin with a baseball bat, t~ey yelled, "It's because of you fucking Japs ·. that we're out of work." Not distinguishing between Japanese corporations, Japanese people, and Chinese-Americans, Chin's killers demonstrated the impact that anti-Japan attitudes have in promoting anti­ Asian violence. As stated earlier, Boston's own history of racial intolerance and segregation must be understood as one of the prime contributing causes of violence in the city. Serious incidents of violence have occurred throughout Boston's history, some of the most serious being the 2East Boston Times-Leader Free Press, 23 February series of murders of Black women in Boston in 1984.

8 III. The Findings

This section analyzes the information that Of approximately 250 individuals who the Project gathered as well as the methods attended these sessions, 22 relayed their used to gather it. Statements of victims and case experiences with project staff. Respondents studies should provide some understanding of were asked to fill out survey forms that asked the extent and nature of incidents of violence details of their experiences or to relay the against Asians. Case studies in four areas of information orally to the interviewer. Greater Boston are highlighted: Dorchester, Questions were asked about the type of incident East Boston, Somerville, and Revere. they experienced, the circumstances surrounding it, whether they called the police, and if they A. The Information-Gathering Process did, what their reaction was to the service they received. More time was needed to talk to The goal of the information-gathering these individuals, and in general, we found process was to document the needs and issues many were reluctant to discuss such personal facing victims of anti-Asian violence. This experiences. Furthermore, each class varied in report is a compilation of the information that providing the freedom to discuss such issues project staff have gathered throughout this openly. process. It is based on individual interviews During the same period as these sessions and surveys of members of the community. were being conducted, project staff also were In seeking to reach as many people in the making contacts with other members of the community as possible, the project director, community such as the mutual assistance accompanied by bilingual translators, made associations and community people who knew of guest appearances at English as a Second areas undergoing problems. Taking those leads Language classes with large numbers of Asian as well, staff interviewed victims on an students. The sessions were intended to survey individual basis. These interviews were more members about any incidents they or members of lengthy and involved, and led to more detailed their families have experienced and to educate statements as well as feelings about the impact individuals about their civil rights. Sessions of violence on their lives. were conducted between August and December A final source of information was the 1986, at the Chinese American Civic agencies and individuals who have monitored Association, Bunker Hill Community College, incidents since they began in the particular Jewish Vocational Services, and Jackson Mann communities, as well as newspaper reports on Community School. those incidents. This report looks at many of the same incidents but analyzes them in context of a larger trend. The information is presented in different ways in the following section,

9 therefore, because of the varied forms of data resulted in deaths: the 1981 beating and collection that were used. stabbing death of a Vietnamese refugee in Brighton by two white male teenagers; the 1983 B. Analysis of Findings stabbing death of a Vietnamese refugee in Dorchester by a white marine; and the 1985 Since 1980, Greater Boston has experienced a beating death of a Cambodian refugee on the sharp and documented rise in incidents of Revere Beach Parkway by two white men. violence against Asians. Three of them have

Civil Rights Cases Against Asians 50

40

30

20

10

o;-~--~-r~~~~--,-~--r-~~~~ 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 Year * Based on figures compiled by the Boston Police Department Community Disorders Unit

Civil Rights Cases Against Asians (In Percentage) ~ 30 ~ tiS -bO ~ fll ~ ~ 20 fll ~ u~ ""'Q ~ 10 rc:: ~ ~ ~ ~

1976 1978 1980 lQR? 1984 1986 1988 Year * Based on figures compiled by the Boston Police Department Community Disorders Unit

10 More common to the thousands of Asian Many acts of violence were damage to Americans living throughout Greater Boston, property. Respondents were certain that these especially the Southeast Asian refugees, are acts of violence were not random, but that they the daily stone-throwing, vandalism, physical arose out of racial tension in the neighborhoods. assaults, and harassment within their own Only the neighbors know which houses Asians neighborhoods. Boston police records show live in and which cars belong to Asians. Some nearly a 60 percent increase in resported respondents can identify the assailants, but incidents of violence against Asians since 1982. others cannot. However, many who have In January 1987, Mayor Raymond Flynn experienced vandalism in their homes have issued a report on the progress of the also experienced racial harassment on the Communilty Disorders Unit, the unit within street. the Boston Police Department which Another characteristic that is common to investigates racially-motivated attacks. The many respondents is that they have report reveals what it calls "dramatic experienced a series of violent acts, whether it reductions" in the number of civil rights be broken windows every night or daily violations in Boston, from 607 in 1978 to 157 in harassment. Often the smaller incidents lead 1986. 1 For Asians, however, since 1981, the up to one major and serious incident, which is number of reported civil rights violations has often when the police step in. steadily increased, from 36 in 1983 to 45 in 1985 and 41 in 1986. Incidents against Asians now account for 26% of officially documented racial In the Asian community, most incidents in Boston, while Asians make up only 3% of the city's population. cases of racial violence go Official police statistics do not tell the unreported.... entire story. In the Asian community, most cases of racial violence go unreported due to language barrier, lack of familiarity with the It is clear that the seriousness of racial legal system, cultural barriers, fear of the violence can be measured in different ways. One police, fear of neighborhood retribution, and way is by the quantified amount of damage to other factors. Law enforcement officials property or injury to the person. But for most estimate a severe underreporting in incidents Asian victims of violence, the most serious against Asians, ranging from 5 to 10 unreported aspect of this current crisis is the fear that has incidents for every incident that is reported. been instilled in Asian residents and their The question of whether an incident is racial families, who know that they are targets. This and therefore constitutes a civil rights fear forces them to become prisoners in their violation is difficult to resolve from a law own homes, and threatens their quality of life, enforcement standpoint. However, from the sense of freedom, and peace of mind in ways perspective of the Asian community, most that isolated incidents do not. incidents reflect the racial hostility which The respondents have provided critical Asians must confront daily within their own insights into the limitations of the law neighborhoods. enforcement system. The fact that so many Several similarities between victims' racial incidents occur but that only a handful accounts of incidents support this conclusion. can be condemned as racial illustrates the These accounts indicate: that incidents within inadequacies of the existing response system. In the neighborhoods happen disproportionately most instances, especially the common one of to Asian residents; that most Asians experience rock-throwing, there is little the police and more than one incident to them or their government agencies can do, if they have no property; and that most incidents are leads on who committed the acts. For the most unprovoked and often have no other motive. part, therefore, few cases of violence against Asians have reached the courtroom and even 1 Civil Rights Investigations conducted by the Boston fewer are successfully prosecuted as civil rights Police Department Community Disorders Unit, a convictions. Although some government agen­ report of the Boston Police Department CDU, 7 cies have responded to incidents of anti-Asian January 1987.

11 violence, the needs of Asians are still not being Since January 1987, incidents against Asians addressed in relation to the number of incidents in Dorchester have continued. In January, a which have occurred. Chinese family's home, which had been Whether it is a problem of law enforcement continually vandalized for three years, was ineffectiveness or insensitivity, individuals vandalized twice. Again in January, two Asian attack Asians because they know they can get males were assaulted by three white youths. away with it. The community's powerlessness Another serious incident in January involved makes it more vulnerable to attack. Only by a mentally retarded Chinese man who was mobilizing the people to develop a community beaten up outside a bowling alley in Dorchester voice can powerlessness be defeated. The by three men yelling racial slurs. After the following discussion of how the problem has police arrived, a mob of men approached the affected different communities includes scene. Three people, including two who arrived examples of how communities are slowly in the mob, were arrested. Two of them -were developing this voice. charged with civil rights violations along with assault and battery charges. I. Dorchester: An unyielding problem The trial of the three men took place a week later in Dorchester District Court. All charges Dorchester has had a history of racial were dropped against one defendant, who was a strife. For example, during the summer of 1983, juvenile. Civil rights charges were qropped a Vietnamese family was forced to move out of against a second defendant. The third its house on Melbourne Street - tthe same house defendant received a six month suspended that had been firebombed in 1982 when three sentence. Black families were living there. That same summer of 1983, a Vietnamese refugee was stabbed to death in Dorchester. "If I tell them to stop making Many respondents who had experienced racial violence explained that the frequency of noise, they will break the windows these acts has more of an impact on their lives of my car or house during the than any specific incidents alone. night." One Vietnamese man from Dorchester explained that because of the vandalism to his home, he had to move out: "Every morning, I There were also statements that reflected would have to sweep the bottles thrown to my the level of neighborhood tension. A window. After two months, I moved out."2 Vietnamese woman from Dorchester stated that Several respondents discussed the problems her apartment was continuously harassed of vandalism to their cars in Dorchester, whenever she would tell those making noise emphasizing that cars belonging to the around her to stop. "If I tell them to stop Vietnamese were singled out for vandalism. making noise, they will break the windows of One man stated, "On Dorchester A venue, cars my car or house during the night."6 This are being smashed all the time... 3 problem is common among many we One Vietnamese woman reported that her interviewed. car was vandalized almost every week.4 One of the visible groups working against One Vietnamese man reported what racial violence in Dorchester is the Dorchester happened to a Vietnamese friend of his. He Task Force, which began in 1982, following a said that the man was sitting in his car when stoning death of a black teenager. One ongoing, two men used a baseball bat to smash the long-term project of the task force is its youth windshield and hit him in the eye.5 councils, which operate throughout Dorchester as grassroots community-based neighborhood groups that involve teenagers in neighborhood 2November 1986. activities. Now coordinated through the Bay 3vieblamese man, August 1986. Cove Human Services program, the program is 4August 1986. Translated from Vietnamese. 5August 1986. Translated from Vietnamese. 6 August 1986. Translated from Vietnamese.

12 composed of 10 councils focusing on community precursors of one serious act where a 17-year-old service, social activities, educational and boy invited himself into the family's home, vocational development, and leadership sprayed lighter fluid over the family's development. Nearly 200 young people are belongings and set them on fire. The Police were involved in the program. then called; the individual was warned to stay away and incidents stopped. 2. East Boston: No simple solutions Vandalism to windows and cars was also a frequent occurrence. Asian houses and cars were East Boston is currently home to singled out for violence. At one Cambodian approximately 2,000 Asians, mainly home in East Boston, constant rock-throwing, Vietnamese and Cambodians. Throughout its beginning in the Spring of 1983 and continuing history, it has also experienced a high for a year and a half, forced its three residents incidence of racial violence. For example, to move out. The police could do little in this blacks living in East Boston have been instance because the perpetrators could not be firebombed out of the Maverick Housing identified. Project, the site of many recent racial incidents More serious incidents of violence occurred to against Vietnamese and Chinese living there. homes, namely fires, which have left numerous One resident reports what happened to him in Southeast Asians homeless. Two fires were November 1986, when he was walking home deemed arsons; others were accidental, but from work: their occurrence in Asian homes led neighbors to blame Asians for causing the fires and I was walking home from work at endangering the rest of the neighborhood. approximately 9 p.m. when I was attacked by several men. The men first yelled at me, but I did not understand what they were saying. I thought they were going to rob me, "The people in my neighborhood but they beat me up instead for no reason. hate the Vietnamese, and they They took nothing and left. think that I am Vietnamese The people in my neighborhood hate the Vietnamese, and they think that I am because they cannot distinguish Vietnamese because they cannot distinguish between Chinese and Viet­ between Chinese and Vietnamese. A few namese." months ago, my Vietnamese neighbor's car was vandalized and burned. Once, someone scrawled foul language on my door. The Asians who live in my neighborhood are In the summer of 1984, repeated vandalism of one Cambodian man's car led to a more serious harassed constantly. People would often try to walk in front of us on the street so that we incident. Following an altercation, the cannot walk by. Some people have thrown attacker one day stabbed the man with a screw eggs to our apartment windows and doors, driver. That same summer, a beer bottle was and to our cars. I don't understand why they thrown through a window of a Cambodian hate Asians so much. We never did anything home, at which time the residents came out and a fight started. In a court case in the Spring of to them.7 1985, the court stated that the incident was a brawl and imposed a slight punishment. Many of the incidents in East Boston are part On Memorial Day 1985, a similar series of of a pattern, which begins with smaller incidents took place where four Cambodian men incidents. In December 1982, within a month were attacked by 15 to 20 white men. It began after moving in, one of the first refugee families when one Cambodian victim looked out his to be settled in East Boston began experiencing apartment window and saw a boy kicking the incidents of harassment. Banging on doors, side of his car. He then went outside to confront verbal abuse and similar types of acts were the people near his car. The attackers then chased him down the street where a gang of 25 white men were gathered. One man, with an ?December 1986. Translated from Chinese.

13 injured foot, hit the Cambodian man in the taken by the Police and Public Housing head with his crutch. Three Cambodian men Authority. In fact, the Police repeatedly told who lived with him came out of the house to victims that public housing tenants should help him. Soon the original victim was expect to be attacked. It was difficult for Asian attacked with a lead pipe, while one of his victims of violence to get help from the local friends was hit with a hockey stick in the back. police and public housing authority who did not Three Cambodians were injured and taken to understand the problem as relating to racism. the hospital. A few arrests were made. The During the Spring of 1987, incidents of case was resolved with a financial settlement vandalism became particularly problematic. in August 1986. The following statement describes one resident's September 1985 was the beginning of a experience: Vietnamese family's ordeal with harassment and hostility. Some neighbors had been I have lived in this project for 5 months. harassing and disturbing the residents of the The living room window has been broken four apartment continuously. One person is said to times; the bedroom window has been broken 3 have remarked,"We're not letting any more of times. Almost all the Asian families have them in here." In the summer of 1986, while one had their windows broken, no matter how member of the family was carrying a chest of high up they are. None of the [white] drawers up the stairs, a neighbor pushed her American families have had their windows and the chest of drawers down the stairs. broken. Once, I heard a noise against my Although no injuries resulted, the victim went living room window. I went to take a look to file a complaint in court, and was harassed and the person with the rock saw me. When by the clerk of the court with questions about he saw me, he threw another rock to the whether there were roaches in the chest of window. That time, he broke it.... I am drawers, based on accusations made by the afraid of living here. I can't live in peace.8 attacker. Over the winter of 1986, Cambodian children Within one week during the same period, a were repeatedly harassed while walking to Cambodian family experienced a series of school. Older kids would spit on them or throw incidents of rocks thrown through his window: pebbles at them so as to provoke the older on March 30, April 4, April 6, and April 7. Cambodian kids into a fight. These incidents occurred mainly during the A handicapped Vietnamese man in the night, while the family was sleeping. summer of 1986 was assaulted in his car following repeated vandalism. The car had I am always worried about tomorrow. I been vandalized in different ways from slashed fear th~y w~ll kill me or do something to my tires to sugar in his gas tanks. In the summer of children. All I want is peace for me and my 1986, after he slightly bumped a parked car, a family. I want to be friendly to other man from across the street punched him through people. Here, I am afraid. I just stay home his window. all the time. While East Boston has experienced high Every time something happens, I tell the incidence of anti-Asian violence, it is also an Police and Housing Authority, but they can't area where some of the strongest community­ do very much. I am very angry because no one based initiatives have arisen in response to the can do anything about this problem.9 problem. See Section V for a description of some of these proactive measures. One case of repeated violence over a one­ year period demonstrated the short-term effect 3. The Somerville Mystic Housing Project: of law enforcement solutions. In the summer of Ignoring the problem 1985, a Cambodian family secured a conviction against someone who had been vandalizing its Since the resettlement of nearly 40 families home. The conviction had the effect of into the Mystic Housing Project within the last three to four years, incidents of racial harassment, vandalism, and assaults have 8April 1987. Translated from Vietnamese. risen. But not until recently has action been 9April1987. Translated from Khmer.

14 preventing violence for a year, but it did not violence are daily occurrences for many of the have the staying power to prevent it on a long­ 1,300 Cambodian Americans in Revere. term basis. In the summer of 1986, a youth was One of the most serious incidents against arrested for vandalism of the family's home Cambodians has been the deliberate setting of and car with rocks and a b-b gun. The youth fires in Cambodian homes, a reflection of the received a sentence of probation and community hostility toward the residents for living in service. their neighborhoods. In the summer of 1983, two fires were set at 17 Highland Street and 25 Highland Street where Cambodians lived. "The living room window has Both were begun with newspapers and other inflammatory material being thrown on the been broken four times; the porches of the houses. One significant fact bedroom window has been broken about those incidents is that the residents in three times .... I am afraid of living both houses had experienced harassment in the neighborhood previously. At 17 Highland here. I can't live in peace." Street, children had been harassed and told to leave town. One year later, in 1984, a fire was set at 50- As a result of that and other incidents last 52 Highland Street by a Molotov cocktail. summer, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Although no one was prosecuted for this crime, Rights Under the Law stepped in as did the neighbors observed that it was the same man State Attorney General's office to put pressure who had harassed other Cambodians in on local police and to meet with community Revere. Two of those incidents were: the residents about where to go for help. In beating of a Cambodian husband and wife by addition, the Indochinese Mutual Assistance three white men who stopped the couple's car Association helped to involve the community in as it drove along Highland Ave.; and, in 1984, a demanding action by translating and expressing rock was thrown through the window of 40 their concerns. Highland St., injuring a small Cambodian Last fall, a Cambodian man from East Boston child. was visiting his friend at the project, and became involved in a dispute with another man, who eventually called his friends over. Two had metal sticks and attacked the Cambodian man. The result of this incident was a permanent court order restricting anyone from committing acts of racial violence. As a result of community pressure, the Housing Authority is evicting tenants who are arrested for harassment.

4. Revere: Making a community statement

Since 1981, Cambodians began moving to Revere to find affordable housing. Many went to escape the harassment they were experiencing in Boston. Once the number of Cambodians rose, especially within certain neighborhoods, however, Revere became symptomatic of the racial and cultural misunderstandings commonly faced by Southeast Asiari. refugees throughout Boston. Therese Feng Rocks thrown through windows, assaults on the street, racial slurs, spitting, and other forms of Samath Chap, a victim of the arson at 9 Walnut Place, speaks out about it at a rally in Revere.

15 With racial hostility escalating, problems surrounding the problem as well as the risks of continued. In July 1985, fire destroyed a pursuing law enforcement solutions. Cambodian home at 9 Walnut Place. The fire Following the fire at 9 Walnut Place, Revere left 38 Cambodians homeless and represented Mayor George Colella established Revere's the tragic culmination of six months of first Human Rights Commission to assure the harassment to residents of the house. One rights and protections of its residents. The month earlier,· rocks, bricks and a trash can gesture from the city's highest official were thrown at -the house in the middle of the signified an important step in recognizing the night. A 26-year-old white man led a group of racial nature of the acts that were occurring and youths in breaking into one part of the house acting upon them. and attacked a Cambodian family with sticks The most recent major incident was an arson and other weapons. on Christmas Eve 1986 that left 21 Cambodians Unlike most cases of anti:..Asian violence homeless. After this incident, the Cambodian which have not reached the criminal justice community decided it had to make its own system, a conviction of Robert Stephens for the statement to the public and to government attack at 9 Walnut Place was successfully officials that "Enough is enough." Through the secured in April 1986. The victimized family, rally, the community continued placing pressure although originally reluctant to bring charges on city officials to ensure protection for its and go to court, received encouragement and residents. As a result of these acts, the city is support from a local white store owner. working with Cambodian community leaders in However, the day after Stephens was sentenced responding to incidents. The Mayor also plans to 7 to 10 years in prison, the store owner's car to establish an Office for Southeast Asian was firebombed and a Cambodian man was Affairs. (See Section V.A. for specific phases of assaulted with a wooden board. These acts of this effort) retaliation highlight the neighborhood tension

Therese Feng Cambodian children from Revere came out against anti-Asian violence in January 1987.

16 IV. The Law and Its Enforcement

the police as well as their perceptions of the The Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, enacted police. in 1978, "protects and promotes the safety, welfare, and freedom of all people of 1. General comments on the police Massachusetts regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, or handicap." A One major problem cited was delay in person who has violated another's civil rights response to calls. Some stated that the police by bodily injury may be imprisoned for as much never came or that they arrived an hour to two as 10 years and/or fined up to $10,000. hours late. One Vietnamese man from The responsibility for enforcing this act lies Dorchester reported an incident he saw through with local, county, and state government a window from his home while his friend was agencies, such as the Police, District Attorney, being beaten. The police did not arrive at the and Attorney General,. These three agencies scene until an hour and a half after he called. have different responsibilities depending on By then, the attackers had long since fled. The the stage of the case. This section will discuss family of the victim was upset about this delay three major stages: Police Response, and consequently lost confidence in the police.l Investigative units, and the Trial stage. There also appears to be a problem with It is apparent from the respondents' follow-up by the police after they have comments that the role of the police is a critical responded to an incident. One Vietnamese factor in determining whether a case will be woman from Dorchester, who was able to responded to appropriately. The police are the identify her attacker and have her arrested, first individuals from the Law Enforcement said she saw her walking free a few days later system that victims come into contact with. A and did not understand why this was allowed. positive response from the police can lead to The police did not contact her about the successful prosecution while an ineffective circumstances of the case. 2 response can discourage the person from ever Some respondents expected the police to take depending on the law enforcement system in the more of an active role in preventing violence. future. One Vietnamese man from Dorchester said he told the police that he and his family had A. Response: Police-Community Relations experienced repeated incidents. His impression was that the officer was not inclined or As stated earlier, not all incidents of interested in taking preventative·action around violence against Asians reach the police due to the incident. 3 factors particular to the Asian community, such as language barrier and cui tural differences. lOctober 1986. Translated from Viemamese. Respondents discussed their experiences with 2actober 1986. Translated from Vietnamese. 3August 1986. Translated from Vietnamese.

17 2. Access problems in the Asian community calling the police because of the language barrier.4 There are problems in police-community A Vietnamese woman from Somerville relations that are particular to the Asian stated, "One day, I'm afraid that someone will community and require critical action and get hurt and I won't be able to talk to the Police. adjustment on the part of law enforcement I need an interpreter."S agencies. First of all, most . of the Asian There are currently 10 Asian police officers community is composed of recent immigrants and out of approximately 1,900 on the Boston Police refugees who have no knowledge of their force. There are 11 bilingual 911 operators. In rights; many do not even know how to call the addition, hotlines in Cantonese and Toisanese police. Secondly, even if people do know to call have been set up for the Chinese community. the police, their inability to speak English Information about these hotlines needs to be prevents them from getting a response. A large disseminated and hotlines in other languages proportion of the Asian community is not fluent should be set up. in English. Thirdly, there are many cultural barriers. Many Southeast Asian refugees avoid 2c. Neighborhood retribution and distrust the police because of their negative conceptions of and experiences with police in In addition to the inability to identify the their native countries. As a result of this lack attacker, other cases are not pursued because of of access, many Asians are denied the protection the risks involved in identifying the person. to which they are entitled. There is a high burden placed on victims to testify against their assailants. In so doing, 2a. Lack of knowledge of laws victims risk the threat of neighborhood retribution not only against their own families In general, many individuals we spoke with but against other Asian families in the had little understanding of their rights in neighborhood. relation to the legal system. Many had The incidents following the April 1986 questions about where they could go for help. conviction of Robert Stephens for civil rights Some common questions asked were: violations against a Cambodian family in Do we have a right to prosecute or not? Revere is an example of the dangers at risk. How much money will we spend if we want (See Section II.C) to hire an attorney? One Vietnamese woman from Dorchester What can I do if the police don't come? stated, "The police came but I dare not tell Is there any ethnic staff working at the them who they [the attackers] are."6 Boston Police Department? The lack of understanding of their rights B. Investigative Units reinforces within the community a sense o'f powerlessness. Individuals often feel inhibited 1. The Community Disorders Unit of the Boston from speaking up, demanding their rights, and Police Department believing that they have a role in determining the quality of service provided to them. When a racial incident occurs in Boston, it must be referred to the Community Disorders 2b. Language barrier Unit (CDU), a special unit in the Boston Police Department established in 1978 to investigate A second major problem in police-community racially motivated crime. The only body of its relations is communication. The language kind in Massachusetts, the CDU currently barrier was frequently cited as a major obstacle employs 11 police detectives, representing four to receiving an appropriate response from the ethnic groups and providing interpreters in five police. Some respondents said that even if they call, the problems in communicating their problem over the phone presents the major obstacle in getting help. Residents in 4october 1986. Translated from Chinese. Chinatown said they were intimidated about 5 April 1987. Translated from Vietnamese. 6August 1986. Translated from Vietnamese.

18 different languages (Vietnamese, Cambodian, 20,088 Asians.? Effective prosecution of civil Laotian, Thai and Spanish). rights violators is questionable with odds such The CDU has been particularly interested in as these. learning how and why racially motivated crimes differ from other types of crime; the special perception of victims of racial incidents, particularly regarding police response; and how C lV\L atG~'tS ------the Department actually addresses the growing \)"!)ttl ------5 problem. From its initial investigations the "" ~ s ,. cllu st'f'f ~,.,..,. CDU uncovered what it called a "persistent and compelling pattern of racial violence" which led to a reprioritization of policies within the Department, placing racial incidents within the "priority one" classification for investigation and response. QUl~~t ·ntEO \...U~'f.. Other programs of the CDU include civil rights training programs for police officers and academy recruits; community outreach programs which inform neighborhoods of problems and Civil rights booklets translated into Vietnamese, attempt to stop the problems before they occur; Khmer, and Laotian are important educational tools and coordination of an interagency task force of for the Asian communnity. local, state and federal enforcement agencies to pool resources as well as establish call-in systems where problems in certain areas are 2. The Civil Rights Division of the Attorney especially anticipated. Tactically, the CDU General's Office has sought to protect victims once an incident has occurred through injunctions and restraining The Attorney General (AG) is a publicly orders in conjunction with the state Attorney elected official, who serves as the chief law General's office. (see following section). enforcement officer of the state government. Although no one can estimate the true effect The office's main function is to ensure the proper of the existence of the CDU on the reduction of enforcement of state laws. Issues such as reported racial incidents since its formation ( a consumer protection, the environment, and recent report on the unit notes that the decline racial discrimination require monitoring, in reported racial incidents is proportionate to assistance, and investigation from this office. the general decline of street crime), it is clear The Attorney General's Civil Rights Division, that its creation has provided a resource which although small in size, has played a is seriously needed in the Boston neighborhoods significant role in improving the law plagued by racial tension and intolerance. As enforcement system's ability to respond to cases can be ascertained from many of our respondents' of anti-Asian violence. commentary, however, this resource can only be The AG office is responsible for enforcing the as effective as its availability and part of the civil rights law that allows victims accessibility to the communities which are most to seek a court order against their attackers to in need. With a growing number of racial and prevent them from continuing to commit violent ethnic minorities in the neighborhoods of acts. This court order is called an injunction. Boston who are not English-proficient nor Since the civil rights law came into effect in comfortable with the legal, political or 1979, the injunction has been used frequently. In enforcement agencies as they exist, more Revere, three injunctions were issued within concentration must be placed on education, outreach and availability of bilingual 7Yohel Camayd-Freixas, "Apportioning 1980-1985 resources. Consider this fact: there are 11 Population Growth to Boston Wards and Precincts: A police detectives and six interpreters who focus Methodological Correction to the Decennial Census on civil rights violations within the city of Commission Report," a report of the Latino Political Boston and 139,155 Blacks, 46,890 Hispanics and Action Committee (based on the updated 1985 census), 11 June 1987.

19 two years, 1984 and 1985, within the same -inadequacies in the current response systems neighborhood. throughout the state. Further, the office must The office also plays a role in criminal work to ensure long-term accountability on the prosecutions. Prior to bringing charges, the AG part of police departments and other public office assists in investigations into the civil officials who have not yet developed an rights aspects of the case. In Commonwealth v. ability to address anti-Asian violence. Robert StephensL which went on trial in 1986, Civil Rights Division staff participated 3. The District Attorneys heavily in all phases of the case up to the conviction. The efforts led to one of the Each county has a district attorney, who is a harshest sentences under the civil rights law. publicly-elected official responsible for In the day to day rumblings on the street, the prosecuting criminal cases. This office seeks office's presence is felt, especially in cities punishment and public condemnation for the which do not have civil rights units within wrongs committed against the victim. Such their police departments. These cities, crime is seen not only as an offense to the including Revere, Chelsea, and Somerville, are individual, but also a crime against the people. less equipped to respond to cases of racial Therefore, a public official is responsible for violence. In these instances, Civil Rights the case. The District Attorney has much Division staff have stepped in to ensure decision-making power in how the case will be adequate protection and to investigate cases handled and whether to bring charges or with civil rights implications. These efforts dismiss the case. may be partially attributed to the dedication When an attacker is arrested, an Assistant and commitment of the Division's Asian District Attorney is assigned to prosecute the American staff. In many ways, these staff case. Monitoring a case from the community's members have helped to sensitize this office perspective involves working with this and make the office effective in serving the prosecutor closely. In the past, community community. It can also be said that the office organizing efforts have involved sending has gone beyond its usual mandate in monitoring petitions, meeting regularly with the office the actions of various police departments and in staff, and discussing the handling of race issues aggressively pushing for action. in the courtroom from racist stereotyping to jury The Attorney General Civil Rights Division selection issues. must become more visible in the Asian community~ in aiding victims and in spotting

TATIERED DREAMS ;;:; :1: Om:e in A mcri<~, some Asians find bigotry, violence u a: l ~y Grc~o ry Wilcher Cambodia during four years of < 1 :l': ! • • ,J ;·: Staff forced labor unckr the Khmt:r ~~~ia~ a;o~p':_~~on;, a~~;y~=~~ Neallg Nou. the wife of slalu Rouge. h endured two years In a Som. were returning home to g L uubodla n refugee Dun Vong, r e fugee camp In Thailand. Lowell on Revere Beach Park- z .::,;J t · · • · • • • • • ~ mh,...,.,. th,-i r rt ~ nc1ht pr c;: K:lnlk~ 0 ht•t l1 l !l\\1 tl w ;d:-:;11 II grar Judge: Race can't be used as murder motive a nd By L. KIM TAN Stat. aenault, both 2t. the judge's ruling to af- be separated from the have happened," she A MIDDLESEX Super· The two men are ac- · feet the outcome of the whole Incident," coali· said. "That's my gut t"lld lor Court judge ruled cuaed of manslaughter trial, which will begin lion member Elaine feeling." yesterday that race and aasault and battery after jury selection Ia Song said. l'clgro said he had no cannot be used as a mo­ In the att'ack on Bun completed today. Jamie Factor. com· evidence that race was tive in the trial of two Vong, 3~. and a friend, Nonetheless, at least munlty liaison for the Involved in the Aug. t Somerville men ac· Bunyoeun Som, 26, fol- 10 membero and sup· Cambodian Commun IIH.: i .1cnt. cuscd of killing a Cam­ lowing a traffic dispute porters of the Asians ity of Massachuscll5, Vnng·~ c1cath rlrrw bodian refugee. In Medford last Augu3t for Justice coalition. a aid she was convinced ,,·i ll •· pul.llicily last year Judge Robert Barton as the Cambodians who attended the court the killing would not wht·n Gov. Michael Ou· made the ruling follow­ were returning to proceedings yesterday, have happened had kalds rcpo rtr.ctly said, ; ng a motion by defense L.owell on Revere believe Vong died In a Vong been of the same "This is one In a series ., ,. ..., , ..... n"• Alhl'rl RtPittY. Bear.h Parkw11v ...... ,,..,"'•'"" In- race as the nccuscd. of Incide nt• in which

The Bun Vong manslaughter case raised many issues around the effectiveness of the civil rights law.

20 Each District Attorney has one assistant not fall on the legal system and the law district attorney in charge of overseeing civil enforcement system only, but on public officials, rights cases. This year, several counties policy makers, human rights commissions, and throughout the commonwealth sponsored a the community as a whole. One Chinese conference on civil rights. Participating District respondent from East Boston expressed the issue Attorneys affirmed their commitment to this way: vigorously prosecuting those who commit acts of racial violence. These commitments need to be We need to prevent the problem as a whole, actively affirmed in practice. not only those people who commit the acts. Even if we put those people into jail, other C. Access Problems in the Criminal Justice people will do the same thing. The System problem is caused by racism. I was attacked because I am Asian, and that is why I am The most recent racially-motivated murder afraid that it can happen again. If I wasn't case against an Asian, Commonwealth v. Scott Asian, I know this attack would happen just Arsenault and John FebbiL for the 1985 beating this time, but because I know that people death of Bun Vong, a Cambodian refugee, are racist, I am afraid that it will happen illustrates how difficult it is to enforce the continuously. 8 civil rights law due to the high standards required to convict someone. To prove that the criminal act was racially motivated, evidence is limited to past acts or racial slurs. The incident leading to the murder of Bun Vong began as a car chase by the two assailants who were screaming out their windows at the ~ictims. Vong's friend who was traveling with him and who survived the attacks, could not understand English well enough to testify that they had yelled racial epithets. Therefore, no ci vii rights charges were brought against the defendants. Given that a large portion of the Asian population is not proficient in English, this is a recurring problem that prevents effective enforcement of the civil rights law. In the Arsenault and Febbi case, the decision not to bring civil rights charges had particularly dangerous consequences. Due to the absence of civil rights charges, the defense attorney motioned that race be eliminated as a factor in the case and that no reference be made to race. The presiding judge granted that motion. The prosecutor then motioned for questioning of the jurors regarding racial bias, yet because the judge had granted the previous motion, even this issue -- most central to ensuring jurors' unbiased decision-making -- was disallowed in questioning. The impact of the cases where civil rights charges are brought underscores the importance of vigorous enforcement of the laws. Yet the many requirements of the law, that are not often easy to meet, underscores the fact that the responsibility for reducing racial violence does 8necember 1986. Translated from Chinese.

21 V. Empowerment in the A·sian Community

Empowerment in the Asian community refers Where anti-Asian violence is concerned, to a process of enabling the community to community-wide organizing has been extremely increase its collective influence and effective in achieving protection and attention participation in the political system. Its from state and city officials, as well as in principles further American democratic ideals allowing those who are most affected by the of exercising one's rights to speak and assemble problem to speak out against the injustices freely. Over the last decade, different Asian happening to them. communities have exercised these rights Three factors have proved to be significant through community-wide movements and in strengthening the capacity of the Asian organizing efforts, and achieved positive community to organize: (1) identification of results. One result is that these movements common issues and concerns as Asians in have improved the accountability of elected America; (2) broad-based participation and officials to the Asian community and unity despite political, social, economic, and strengthened the community's capacity to voice nationality differences, and (3) effective its needs and to establish its political presence. lea~ership that is representative of the Community organizing, coalition-building, community. In its organizing experience, the and development of community-based Asian community has recognized the common organizations have proven to be vital for the treatment and experiences that Asians in Asian community, and can play an integral part America share, despite differences in in shaping the community's future. This section nationality, generation, and background. From details the many community-wide movements this process, a new understanding about each around anti-Asian violence as models for other has developed, increasing the potential potential organizing efforts. for stronger, unified efforts. Unity has also been achieved. Often groups A. What is Community Organizing ? which have historically disagreed on most issues have come together around a single issue Community organizing is a people-based, because it has broad implications for the democratic process of bringing about change. community as a whole. Anti-Asian violence The strength of community organizing derives has been one such issue. One man we surveyed from the participation of people who lack explained the importance of unity throughout individual power, and come together out of the Asian community: shared interests and concerns. Through the process of working together, they develop Many of us are outsiders and newcomers. common goals and affirm a commitment to Therefore, we don't feel like we can do much. achieving those goals. We feel we can't make waves. But people

22 need to work together to protect themselves. The first step in what turned out to be a four­ In Cambodia, we were not unified. So other to-six month community-wide process was to people took advantage of that. Learning inform the community about the incident and to from past experience, I feel that unity is the call them together to discuss their concerns. solution. I Two days after the assault, community members distributed a bilingual flyer detailing the One form of organizing has been the incident and inviting the community to a formation of coalitions. Coalitions are meeting. With one day's notice, 300 Chinatown composed of groups and individuals from residents packed the local public school different sectors of the community to unite auditorium. The result of this meeting was a \ around common goals and issues. The premise list of eight demands ranging from dropping all behind coalitions is that collaboration with charges against Huang to institutional changes J diverse groups and individuals strengthens that would guarantee the safety and protection overall efforts around an issue. Participants of Chinatown's community. come together based on mutual respect, commitment to common goals, and a willingness to pursue change through a democratic working process. People within the community take responsibility for providing leadership to this process where people work together as social equals to arrive at common solutions to collective problems.2

I. The case of Long Guang Huang: A community organizing victory

The May 1, 1985 assault and false arrest of a Chinatown resident by a plainclothes Boston police detective demonstrated the capacity of the Asian community to organize against injustice and violence. More than any other single issue in the last decade, the case of the beating of Long Guang Huang by Detective Francis Kelly mobilized broad sectors of Boston's Asian community in defense of Huang, and stands as a model for resistance and empowerment on behalf of a community. For Chinatown residents, the incident aroused the resentment and bitterness that had been building up for years regarding various forms of real estate development and encroachment of the Combat Zone into \ Chinatown without the approval of the AARW Photo community. The issue in the Huang case, Chinatown's elderly were among many who attended a 1 therefore centered around political power on a citywide rally for Long Guang Huang. mass scale.

tchinatown man, August 1986. 2Peter Nien-chu Kiang, "Capacity Building and the Asian American Community: Planning Organizational Development for the Asian American Resource Workshop," Community Fellows Program. Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 4 July 1985.

23 Out of this meeting, the Committee to with representation from many groups and Support Long Guang Huang was formed. It was communities. On August 23, Huang was found chaired by two groups who had traditionally innocent of all charges. differed politically on many issues. However, Community activism also forced the Boston the seriousness of the issue and the need for Police Department to hold an internal police unity brought these groups together for the first misconduct hearing on August 29. It became the time and allowed it to maintain a broad base of first such hearing open to the public. The support. What strengthened the effort the Support Committee mobilized individuals to most, however, was the underlying approach: attend the hearings daily. With daily to respect and proceed from the strength and coverage in the press as well, the hearing was imagination of the community people.3 closely scrutinized by the public at large, The Committee served as the negotiating ensuring accountability of the appropriate team with city officials and the Police officials and a level of fairness within the Department. Due to the community pressure, hearing. Police Commissioner Roache was willing to The result of the hearing was a one-year meet and work with the Committee. Within suspension without pay, which is rare for such one week after the incident occurred, Roache an act. The unprecedented punishment of Kelly promised an internal investigation into Kelly's set a new standard condemning police brutality. misconduct. Much of the pressure over the next Due to the widespread support around this case few months focused on ensuring that Roache from different sectors of the Asian community as lived up to his promise. well as from different communities of color, the The Committee met close to every day to case's results had widespread implications strategize around getting their demands met even beyond the borders of Chinatown. and to discuss the development of events in the The Huang case's impact also was felt case. The Committee developed into various beyond the time period during which it subcommittees which concentrated on the press, occurred. The long-lasting significance of the community outreach, and legal aspects of the case lay in the point that it made about what case. One of its regular duties was to the community can accomplish if organized and continually inform the community about united. Throughout the campaign, the developments in the case. The Committee had approach to achieve broad-based support an information table in the public parks every worked, as the entire community participated weekend and held community meetings at in their own ways. One Chinatown activist critical points. What resulted from these involved in the Campaign writes in an Asian democratically-run meetings were decisions American quarterly: such as staging a citywide demonstration, marches to the police hearings on Kelly's Workers in the coffee shops followed the conduct, and organized groups to attend Huang's developments in the newspapers closely. trial. Small crowds would gather to read the On June 18, around the time that a trial date daily information posters put up outside was announced for Huang's case, 300 people the CPA even as the signs were being put marched and rallied at City Hall for justice, up. The weekend informatiort tables in the accountability, and community control. The community were very popular. Restaurants rally drew widespread support from the Black donated food for fundraisers cooked by and Latino communities, whose communities kitchen workers wearing red "Justice for had also been victimized by police brutality, as Long Guang Huang" buttons.4 well as from other community organizations and concerned citizens. When Huang's trial began on August 20, the courtroom was packed daily

3Robert Chien-chuan Chu and Hei Wai Chan, "Building a People's Movement: Grassroots Organizing in the Boston Asian Community," 4Michael Liu, "Campaign for Justice: The Case of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 21 November Long Guang Huang, East Wind, Spring-Summer 1985. 1987, pp. 33-35.

24 2. "Enough is Enough": Revere's solution to Day. Cambodian leaders also sent flyers door­ violence to-door throughout Revere to alert neighbors about the rally. The 1986 Christmas Eve fire at 52 Shirley In the Garfield Scho9l, students from all Avenue in Revere sparked the outrage of the communities made signs for the rally during Cambodian community about racial violence, class hours. These children and their parents and spurred it into action. Within two weeks, made up a significant contingent of the rally. In Cambodian community leaders, following the addition, several school board officials spoke wishes of the victims, planned and o .. ganized at the rally about education as the key Revere's first citywide rally around racial preventative measure to fighting racism. The violence. The message, which had been felt for heavy participation of the school system was too long, could finally be articulated: "Enough extremely significant, given the importance is Enough." The Coalition on Violence Against placed upon it for developing the attitudes and Cambodian-Americans in Revere, made up of opinions of children. The rally itself, held two four organizations, called for measures that weeks after the incident, drew over 200 people, would not only react to the problem but prevent Asian and non-Asian, reflecting the importance it, by demanding a program to educate public of this issue to the community as a whole. officials against misconceptions of the Months following the rally, leaders from the Cambodian community as a key to ending Cambodian community developed a monitoring violence. system with the Revere Human Rights Mobilizing for the January 10 rally took Commission around further incidents. The place on several levels within the community. development of more proactive measures can be The Christmas fire in Revere stirred the achieved through continued organizing efforts. outrage and passion not only of the city's During the summer of 1987, the Garfield School Cambodian American community, but of the in Revere conducted an education program for entire Revere community. The incident became first and second graders that focused on racial a prime agenda item for the next meeting of the harmony and language arts. The Garfield Ward 2 Civic Association, the neighborhood School also was the site of a series of summer group in Revere. The meeting brought together workshops focusing on designing and creating a representatives from the Fire Marshal's office, mural for the community. The mural, unveiled the School Board, and many concerned citizens. in September 1987, is a symbol of cultural pride Support for the upcoming rally was in the Cambodian community. consolidated and discussions took place about holding a neighborhood dance on Valentine's

Demonstrators came from all parts of Revere to make a united statement against anti-Asian violence.

Therese Feng

25 . when the Our Savior Lutheran Church, where the group is based, decided to sponsor a refugee family in 1982. Once violence began, the I. community had no one else to tum to. Little by little, EBECC did what it could to meet the immediate service needs of members of the community by calling the police on their behalf. accompanying them to court, and sponsoring violence prevention workshops with the Community Disorders Unit to inform individuals about their rights. By initiating these actions, EBECC developed a relationship of trust and cooperation with many members of the community. To bolster its service and organizing efforts, EBECC hired two Asian staff in 1985, a Cambodian and Vietnamese, to head associations based in EBECC. The effort was Courtesy of East Boston Vietnamese Association called Project Welcome. These staff members became a critical link with the community. One The East Boston Vietnamese Association hosts the turning point in strengthening this relationship 1987 August Moon celebration. was the 1987 New Years Day celebration, which activated close to 200 people not only to B. Building Ongoing Institutions attend the event, but also to coordinate and prepare for it. This gathering revealed that 1. From service to organizing: Meeting needs in EBECC had developed into a gathering place East Boston for the community. It is also in keeping with EBECC's past philosophy of sponsoring T~e sp.on.taneous struggles following positive activities that involve different particular Incidents have laid the foundation ~ctors of the community. Since it began in 1978, for longstanding organizational efforts. A It has sponsored, in conjunction with other unique program in East Boston has deveioped groups, an annual celebration known as the into an important model for empowerment Festival of Unity, which brings together the throu?~ service and long-term advocacy and different cultures in East Boston. organiZing. July 1987, EBECC added two part-time "I think we've made a lot of progress," said !n ~sian .staff and will implement a plan for Bounthay Phath, coordinator of the Cambodian Increasing the organized strength of the Asian ~ssociation in East Boston. "At first, people community. Weekly outreach to Asian did not want to tell us their problems. Now, residents, development and training of new they are beginning to speak out."At the East leaders, and community-wide meetings are some Boston Ecumenical Community Council, a small forms of empowerment on EBECC's agenda. community-based organization in East Boston, Vietnamese, Cambodians, and other Americans 2. The MAAs and BARCO: Unifying Southeast work together to address the pressing problems Asi~s . of ~heir conu1~.unity. Begun in 1978 following a senes of racially-motivated firebombings in One of the primary advocates, resources, and the Maverick Housing Project against the · representatives of the refugee community has homes of black families, EBECC has become a become the Southeast Asian mutual assistance model for self-help, community service, and asso~iations. Established in 1984 as refugee-run leadership development in the Asian community. · service centers, the MAAs have addressed issues ~nd assisted the community in everything EBECC's main goal was to improve racial from JOb counseling, finding an apartment, attitu~es in its neighborhoods. Its reputation as providing interpreter services, to participating a service center for the Asian community began In development of long-term strategies that

. 26 have broad impact for the community. Within acts of racial violence against Boston-area the Boston area, the Southeast Asian MAAs are Asian MAA communities. BARCO attempted to the Cambodian Community of Massachusetts, join the Southeast Asian refugee community into the Massachusetts Association of Chinese from a stronger, united voice. Recognizing the Indochina, the Vietnamese American Civic increased victimization of refugees and the Association, the Laotian American Cultural similar cultural, linguistic, and other barriers Association of Boston, the ·Kmhmu Family between all refugees and the law enforcement Association, and the Indochinese Mutual system, the basis of unity became clear. Assistance Association. The Coalition initiated activities such as These organizations have undergone much violence prevention workshops for the _growth and change throughout their short community to improve police-community history. With the increase in violence and the relations and crisis intervention. Other ideas, systemic inadequacies in serving refugees, the such as helping refugees overcome isolation and MAAs quickly began participating in advocacy youth leadership development, were longer­ and organizing activities. In the summer of term projects on its agenda. Although no longer 1985, following several well-publicized a coalition, the MAAs still share information incidents of violence, the Vietnamese American and are supporting each other through meetings Civic Association initiated a day-long and other events. workshop on anti-Asian violence for the MAAs. As these organizations stabilize and become Out of it came a commitment from its financially independent, many can take an participants to meet regularly, -share active role in the movement to enforce civil information and resources, and advocate rights for their communities. In addition, collectively against injustices and inadequate several nonprofit organizations and foundations government responses to incidents of violence. have formed in the Southeast Asian refugee With this commitment, the Boston Asian community. Through the activities of these Refugee Coalition (BARCO) was born, diverse groups, the communities will improve composed of seven MAAs and guided by the and increase their organizing strength. following purpose: to collectively respond to 0' £W?J~13 !l?aolian /!fouend rne L(lof'J(.\n-~rJc. an Cu ltural ~SOCJut ton of Boston •

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Adv~:o er: Ms ./ I- ~ ...; Off l e ers: Mr.; Newsletters produced by the MAAs have become a key source of communication for Southeast Asian communities.

27 3. Asians for Justice Action, in addition to the many campus-based Asian American student organizations. The Asians for Justice coalition formed in These organizations and others are 1983 to do support work for the Vincent Chin recognizing the importance of working with case. The effort did not arise out of any one community-based service and advocacy groups. geographic community, but was begun by The contributions of professionals, especially in concerned Asian individuals, who recognized the law and public policy areas, can make the severity of the problem and saw it as one inroads in providing the community with the that affected all Asians. tools to determine its future. One potential for Taking its warning from the Vincent Chin improving this relationship is the legal case, the coalition began mobilizing around the assistance fund established by the Asian case involving the stabbing death of Anh Mai, American Lawyers Association in memory of a Vietnamese refugee in Dorchester in the Harry H. Dow, the first Asian American summer of 1983. The coalition began meeting lawyer in Massachusetts. Harry Dow's strong with prosecutors and attracting media attention belief in community empowerment was matched to the case. When the trial finally started in by his highly active role in various oppressed April 1985, members attended the trial to show communities, including communities of color. support for the victims and to ensure a fair, The fund currently encourages legal assistance unbiased proceeding. On May 1, 1985, a first­ within the Asian community through degree murder conviction and life sentence were internships and fellowships. This past year, it handed down. set up an anti-Asian violence project which On the same day that the verdict was focused on advocating for national hearings in announced in the Anh Mai case, Long Guang the U.S. Congress. The Dow Fund will also Huang, a Chinese immigrant, was beaten by a stimulate and support locally-based activity police officer in Chinatown. Asians for Justice that has a direct impact on Boston's Asian helped form the Committee to Support Long community. Guang Huang. The four-month effort became one of the most significant Asian community 5. Activism and roots: Asian student groups organizing efforts. Asians for Justice also organized in 1986 in Students have always played a critical role the case of Cambodian refugee, Bun Vong, who in the Asian American movement. Since the was beaten to death by two white men on the late 60s, Asian American students became Revere Beach Parkway. (See Section II. B.) active on campuses throughout the country, The first trial resulted in an acquittal of one organizing around issues such as minority defendant and a mistrial against the other. admissions policies and Asian American studies Through the advocacy of Asians for Justice, a curricula. In Boston, many students took part in second trial against the defendant who was not community-based activities such as teaching acquitted, was held, resulting in a 7-12 year English classes and assisting social service sentence for manslaughter. agencies. In fact, the activities and initiatives of students planted the seed for several ongoing 4. The role of pan-Asian organizations organizations to serve the Chinatown community. Recent establishment of Asian American Currently, there are several Asian student organizations, with pan-Asian consciousness, groups throughout the Boston area campuses. has served as an important starting point in These groups, which formed for social, cultural, developing a community-wide unity. In educational, and political reasons, have addition to the Asian American Resource enabled students to become key voices for Asians Workshop, established in 1978, other and other minorities on Boston's college organizations have grown in strength and campuses. Many students have recently become membership since their inception in the early involved in various organizing struggles. They 80s. They include the Asian American Lawyers have become involved by organizing petition Association, the Massachusetts Asian American drives, attending rallies, and attending trials Forum, the National Association of Young for many cases of anti-Asian violence. Asian Professio.nals, and Asian Sisters in

28 As student activism grows in strength, reveal~d the high level of concern around this numbers, and diversity, the potential increases issue. Its support and solidarity with the Asian for students to do more ongoing, direct work community placed even more pressure on the with the community. Internships and work­ city to meet the community's demands. At the study positions in community organizations as same time, the recognition by Huang Support well as encouragement of educational Committee members that the issue had workshops on campuses to develop Asian significance throughout other communities was American consciousness are some ways to a motivating factor in pursuing its demands. improve the relationship between students and Recent issues involving the movement to the community. make English the official language and the fight over land control provide further C. Consolidating Asian American and Third examples of common issues that can lead to World Unity common struggles. The bill to make English the official language in Massachusetts has severe Few issues have united broad sectors of the negative impact on linguistic minorities from Asian American community the way that anti­ all racial backgrounds. Solidarity around this Asian violence has. All Asians are subject to issue and related issues such as bilingual attack, regardless of culture, language, or education and immigration rights has helped to nationality. Vietnamese have been attacked bring togehter Asians, Latinos, and Haitian and told to go back to China; Chinese have been groups. The closing of the Orange Line in May attacked because they look Japanese. 1987 brought the Chinatown and Roxbury Likewise, racist media stereotypes and myths communities closer together. Both recognized of economic success have negative impact on all the importance of community input in Asians. developing alternate transportation systems Asians who have involved themselves in · and to work together to develop a unified stand. the various struggles against anti-Asian Working together dispelled previous claims violence have recognized the racist roots of that the communities cannot agree and cannot violence. Struggling against racist forces get along. requires resistance to common perceptions and Improving bonds with other communities of attitudes about Asians in favor of those based color can help prevent many of the tensions that on the community's own perceptions. The act of have occurred between communities. Violence consciously identifying as an Asian American is between Hispanics and Asians in Chelsea in itself a significant act of resistance. The term May 1987 reveals the powerlessness placed Asian American arose out of the ethnic pride upon both groups who are forced to compete over movements of the 1960s which gave birth to the same scarce resources. Similar problems are terms such as "African-American" instead of occurring between Blacks and Koreans in New "Negro" and "Asian American" instead of York City and Blacks and Asians in "Oriental." Identifying as such is an Philadelphia. In addition to the common affirmation of our relationship to the social, oppression and scarce resources plaguing both cultural, and historical experience of Asians in communities, many conflicts have arisen due to America. It places our personal experiences in misunderstandings and-lack of education about context of the collective.5 At the same time, it each other's community. Community groups underscores the common treatment of all racial need to take responsibility for developing minorities in America and leads to cooperative and harmonious interracial identification with other people of color as relations so that communities can unite rather well. than fight over common problems. Common bonds and common issues also exist between Asians and other communities of color, because communities are often affected by issues in similar ways. During the Huang case, the support from leaders in the Black community

5Kiang, "Capacity Building."

29 VI. Conclusions/Recommendations

The extent and seriousness of incidents of A. General Recommendations anti-Asian violence reflects a steadily worsening anti-Asian climate and a warning Prevention can take place in many ways. that civil rights violations will continue. Both Following are some critical areas that the government agencies and the community have AARW Civil Rights Project has identified over important roles to play in preventing the the past year. problem and in achieving long-lasting change. Local and state governments can initiate • Improvement of the Asian community's measures that would help meet the immediate access to the law enforcement and criminal and long-term needs of the Asian community. justice systems through court interpreters, The community's responsibility lies in voicing bilingual emergency opera tors, Asian police its needs to the appropriate officials and officers,· and other measures which would agencies, and ensuring that those needs are met. address the linguistic and cultural barriers This report has attempted to provide one between the community and the legal kind of voice and perspective that is rooted in system; the community. It also marks a beginning of a • Involvement of city governments, through long-term effort by the AARW Civil Rights human rights commissions and other Project to help develop a community-based departments, in developing long-term, approach to anti-Asian violence and other civil preventive measures to address anti-Asian rights issues. violence; The many successful organizing efforts • Establishment of civil rights units within undertaken in the Asian community thus far can police departments outside of Boston and be seen as models for organizing in the education and training of police officers on community. Although all of the efforts civil rights laws and on the history and outlined in this report focus on racial violence, experiences of Asians in America; the community can also draw lessons from them • Integration of community input on the in organizing around other civil rights progress of the above efforts and injustices, such as housing, education, and establishment of community review employment. mechanisms on police misconduct; At the same time, government agencies need • Development of multicultural education and to recognize the value of community Asian American studies courses in Greater involvement and input in developing more Boston's public school systems. effective long-term solutions that meet the community's needs. Following are recommenda­ 1. Improving access tions which require the participation and cooperation of all parties discussed in this To break the barriers between government report. agencies such as the police, and the Asian community, Asian victims need to feel

30 comfortable in seeking assistance from these civil rights laws as part of approximately 250 agencies. One of the most serious problem now is hours of training overall. Being able to analyze the language barrier. Not only should systems a ci vii rights case will make a difference in be put into place such as more bilingual whether the victim's civil rights are protected. emergency operators, but the community must be Training should focus not only on how to made a ware of these services. identify a civil rights case, but how to Law enforcement officials need to reach out anticipate one. Police officers should also be to the community through means such as trained on working with minority communities. bilingual resource materials and education Regarding the Asian community, police officers sessions. Visibility in the community is critical need to understand their duty to inform the in order to develop a stronger sense of trust on community about their rights and to continue the part of the community and to confront many communication and follow-through. of their negative perceptions of the police. 4. Community review mechanisms 2. The role of human rights commissions A community review mechanism to monitor Human rights commissions in Boston, Revere, police behavior is based on the premise that and other parts of Greater Boston can take the police are accountable to the community. significant roles in developing and Such a board is vital because of the recommending policies that would address the longstanding record of police brutality, problem on a long-term level. Activities such particularly in communities of color. For as further documentation of needs around racial several years, advocacy and community-based violence and other civil rights issues can be groups have been exploring possibilities for undertaken by these commissions. Further data developing a ci viii an review board for collecting and analysis can better define the monitoring the activities of the Boston Police _ needs of the community. In cities with serious Department. Although several models have incidents of anti-Asian violence, such as Los been explored, through the efforts of the Angeles and Philadelphia, the human rights Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and other commissions have sponsored public hearings as groups, no concrete steps have been taken to a way of documenting- the experiences of Asian establish one. victims and to · make recommendations applicable to different institutions, including 5. Multicultural awareness schools and police departments. Locally-based hearings by human rights commissions should Many acts of racial violence stem from be considered. misunderstandings and misconceptions about Asians. Without education and cultural 3. Civil rights units and civil rights training awareness in the school systems, children get most of their knowledge and understanding of Boston's Community Disorders Unit provides Asians through distorted media images and a model for effectiveness in combating racial stereotypes. Multicultural awareness allows violence. The quality of service has differed children from different ethnic backgrounds to greatly in areas that did not have CDUs, such share their unique cultures with others. as Somerville. Using the model of the CDU in Having multicultural awareness built into other cities throughout Greater Boston would existing school curriculum would accomplish improve the responsiveness of police three goals for young people: developing their departments in civil rights cases. The Attorney knowledge of their cultures as well as of the General and District Attorneys can take a role cultures of their classmates; acquiring a in seeking the creation of such units. positive attitude of respect and challenge in On a long-term level, cities need to make dealing with people from different cultures; commitments to implementing civil rights and enabling them to relate comfortably on an policies that work for the Asian community and interpersonal level with others from the same to ensuring proper training for its police officers. or another culture. As Boston's ethnic Police departments throughout the state are required to provide only two hours of training on

31 community grows in diversity and size, so does locations in order to develop collective the need for multicultural awareness.l solutions to common problems. Asian American studies should also be integrated into the mainstream curriculum. 1. Education This education helps to defeat the common perception that Asians are foreigners and do not Developing the community's knowledge belong in America. Teaching the long and about their rights is one of the first steps varied history of Asians in this country toward self-sufficiency, self-esteem, and increases the understanding of Asians as citizenship participation. Existing Americans equally entitled to constitutional organizations and coalitions can work jointly and civil rights guaranteed to everyone. Asian with government and law enforcement officials American studies courses provide an in providing education that informs the understanding of the nation's discriminatory community about their rights while also past and unfair treatment of Asians, stories informing government officials about the needs which have been left out of most major particular to that community. The ultimate textbooks. goal, however, of this education, would be to enable members of the Asian community to draw B. Building an agenda for the Asian community upon these tools in dealing with and confronting civil rights problems through community The process of organizing around racial organizing and other forms of expression. violence can involve all members of the Asian Many Asians in the community are confused community. Yet in the information-gathering about what rights they have. The pamphlets process which led to this report, the Civil prepared by the Attorney General's Civil Rights Project has met many people reluctant to Rights Division in Asian languages can be an voice their concerns about such issues. important tool to empowering the community. Capacity-building in the Asian community can These booklets were not available to the Asian be viewed as a step by step process, involving community this year. They should be made education, communication, and leadership. To available through programs and activities begin this process, the community must develop which serve Asians, including English as a a sense of confidence in itself as having a voice Second Language classes, employment and and a right to be heard. Community leaders can training classes, and service agencies. play a critical role in ensuring that that is Possibilities for integrating civil rights done. education into the regular curriculum of some of The Civil Rights Project recommends the these programs should also be explored. following priorities for capacity-building in the Asian community: 2. Leadership development

• ~treach and education by Asian community In any organizing efforts, leaders have been leaders around civil rights issues and legal key to success. Leaders need to clearly rights; understand the needs of the community on a • Developing leadership from within the personal and a political level. Leaders must Asian community to represent the views of also be respected by the community they serve. various constituencies and to remain Many leaders have experienced injustice informed about issues facing their personally and are willing to coordinate efforts communities; to bring the community together around them. • Building upon current organizing initiatives Identifying such leaders can improve the that work for the people within the development of educational programs that suit community; the particular community's needs. Community • Establishing a network of Asian groups and leaders and service workers should educate individuals from different geographic their own communities about what they can do about the problem. Workshops should be initiated within the community through 1Catherine A. Wong, Asian American Resource churches and community-based organizations, Workshop Newsletter, June 1986. advocacy groups, and legal organizations. In

32 addition to informing the community about organizing and communication base of the Asian their rights, these leaders need to tell the community. community that they also have the right to To build the community as a unit of action, it speak up when they feel they are not being is important to identify common interests and to served and demand protection. consolidate an Asian American consciousness. The model of East Boston's Project Welcome Communities need to continue to seek support stands as a successful model in capacity­ and assistance from each other, and to share building. After having conducted several information on issues, strategies, and plans for education sessions and developed close developing collective solutions to common connections with the community, it is now problems. Community organizations, pan-Asian concentrating on developing the leaders who groups, and student groups all have important have arisen from the community for service to roles to play in building the community's the community. capacity. Out of this information-sharing process, 3. Developing organizing initiatives community representatives can develop priorities as to the critical issues facing the As communities have experienced Asian American community, and to design a heightened levels of violence and found there plan for advocacy and coalition-building were no satisfactory solutions anywhere, they toward long-term, institutional change. turned to each other for self-help and support. This base of support is the most important C. Capacity-Building and the Role of the factor in community organizing. Communities AARW who have developed this base can increase their effectiveness in meeting both short-term The AARW has led and assisted many and long-term goals. community struggles around civil rights. Its Communities can also seek assistance in long-term commitment to institutionalize this organizing by networking with other groups and work indicates its interest in building a strong by consulting with organizations who provide base that facilitates community action and that assistance, such as the AARW Civil Rights advocates for institutional change. Its long­ Project. Assistance and guidance in working term goal is to increase the organized strength with government officials and in publicizing of the Asian community in addressing civil issues in the media are some areas of its rights issues and to provide the community experience. In addition, the Center for with the tools to advocate and organize on its Community Action, which began in July 1987 to own behalf. assist organizing efforts especially in As the Civil Rights Project begins its second communities of color, has resources which are year, it will continue to assist community available to the Asian community. The Center organizing efforts and coalitions as well as to can provide training to community organizers work closely with community-based and acts as an important base for networking organizations. It has also designed a program with other groups. of outreach and education within select communities of Greater Boston. Regular 4. Ongoing, community-wide networking updates with members of the community and follow-up civil rights eduction sessions are some The organizing and institution-building of the activities planned as its next steps. As a efforts outlined in this report reveal that many possible model of community empowerment, the successful organizing efforts have been locally­ results and progress of the civil rights education based, grassroots initiatives with clear program will be disseminated to interested neighborhood and nationality boundaries, such individuals and organizations. as the Chinese community in Chinatown and This report will be one of the major the Cambodian community in Revere. Once educational tools used in this program. From having established these roots, it is important this report, it is hoped that members of the to recognize the similarities across different community will feel encouraged to express their communities as well, in an effort to increase the views and experiences to Civil Right~ Project staff. The AARW would like to know what the

33 community's perspectives are on important issues so as to increase communication throughout our community and to be able to advocate effectively on its behalf. The Project will also develop its research and information base into other civil rights issues from a legal and policy standpoint in areas such as education, housing, and employment. These efforts can better assist community coalitions and individuals in the future. Combining legal resources and a commitment to community empowerment and community organizing, the Civil Rights Project encourages active participation of all members of the Asian community to enable it to develop a system that contributes to the empowerment of the Asian community.

34 Appendix A

The Rise in Anti-Asian Sentiment

Excerpted from Japanese American Citizens' League, "A Report on Anti-Asian Violence in the United States."

The resurgence of anti-Asian sentiments in Many barriers excluding Asian Americans the United States over the past few years has from full participation in American society been documented in a growing number of have been reduced. In 1947, the Federal Alien incidents reported in both ethnic community Land Law, prohibiting persons not eligible for vernacular press and in the mainstream media. citizenship from owning land, was repealed. In The vicious bludgeon murder of Vincent Chin in 1952, the Japanese American Citizens League t982, in the economically distressed city of achieved a major campaign victory by Detroit, has been the centerpiece story which supporting legislation that made citizenship has brought much attention to this unfortunate available to the first generation (Issei) as well trend. The inventory of incidents and events as other new immigrant Asians. The t956 related to this phenomena that are included in initiative known as Proposition t3, finally this report are indicative of this significant removed the Alien Land Law statutes in and growing problem. California. Court challenges, legislative Discrimination and violence against persons campaigns and direct initiatives were of Asian ancestry in the United States has had implemented to erode the historical barriers an extensive history. Early immigrants were imposed on persons of Asian ancestry in the required to endure hardships, not only of social United States. In t959, after 2t years in the adjustment and social condition, but of racial Congress, a bill providing Hawaii Statehood hatred directed at them. Over 600 pieces of was finally realized when ethnic population legislation directed against persons of Asian considerations were diminished. ancestry were enacted between t800s and the The post war period reflected a gradual early t900s. Sanctions and prohibitions were improvement in anti-Asian sentiment. i.he imposed, limiting or excluding Asian Americans American Chinese, Filipino and Japanese from citizenship, intermarriage, land populations served with distinction during ownership, employment and other forms of WWII. In particular, the tOOth/ 442nd participation in American life. The intensity of Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit anti-Asian sentiments culminated during World composed of Japanese Americans, became the War II. ihe highest levels of all three most decorated unit in American military branches of the Federal Government acted to history for its size and length of service. The exclude persons of Japanese ancestry from their record of the tOOth/ 442nd dramatically homes on the West Coast and placed over demonstrated the loyalty of Japanese 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry in inland Americans to the United States. This record camps surrounded by barbed wires and guarded provided a foundation from which the anti­ by armed military without any charges filed, Asian attitudes of many Americans, who raised and without any due process of law. skepticism about the ability of Asian

35 Americans to assimilate into American society, maturity. Educational achievement, per capita were eased. To a large extent it was this record income and other measures reflected this that facilitated the passage of legislation to growth. make Hawaii the 50th State. There had been The initial emergence of the economies of considerable opposition in the Congress to Pacific Rim nations became visible during this admit the territory because of reservations same period. Increase in trade relationships, as regarding Hawaii's large Asian population. well as strategic military fies, placed a U.S. involvement in the Korean War and in growing national focus on Asian countries. By Vietnam, continued a history that maintain 1981, the trans-Pacific trade volume exceeded Asian people and nations as the "enemy." The the volume across the Atlantic for the first time continuation of military encounters in Asia in in the over 200 years of the nation's history, the post World War II period, maintained an further emphasizing the public attention on the ongoing focus upon one or another Asian people Pacific Rim. Taking place in the context of a as an enemy of the United States. The public global change in economic relationships, the perception of Asian people as enemies, with all United States, especially in key, traditional the vilification accorded enemies, was industry sectors was, and is currently, in a reinforced over time. period of recession, high inflation and high By 1960, the population of Asian Americans unemployment. The agitation stemming from an in the United States reached a total of a half environment of international trade conflicts million, less than 0.5% of the total population. touches the lives of Americans of Asian The movement for expansion of civil rights was ancestry. an item on the national agenda. Asian Americansparticipated in, and were impacted by this national movement. One effect of the civil rights movement was the expansion and liberalization of immigration quotas to Pacific Rim nations. By 1970, the population of Asian Americans reached 1.5 million, a 300% increase, largely due to greater equity in the allocation of quotas for immigration from pacific Rim nations and the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The 1980 census records 3.5 million persons of Asian ancestry, 1.6% of the total U.S. population. The geographic concentration is in the West Coast of the United States, resulting in only part of the country familiar with Asian Americans on a first hand basis. With persons of Asian ancestry according for 40% of the immigration to the United States, compared to 6% in 1965, and over one third of these declaring an intent to reside in California, the continued expansion of Asian American communities must be anticipated. Concurrent with the increase in Asian immigration, the third and fourth generations of Americans of Asian ancestry, particularly in the Chinese and Japanese communities were reaching their majority; a generation of Asian Americans impacted by the civil rights and peace movements. A marked interest in ethnic identity and pride characterized this period, reflected in the development of Ethnic Studies Departments in various universities. The early . Asian immigrant communities were reaching

36 Appendix B

Massachusetts Civil Rights Laws

37 GENERAL LAWS c. 265, ~ 37

No person, \\·hether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force. \\'illfully injure, intimidate or interfere \\·ith, or attempt to injure, intimidate, or interfere with. or Jppress or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment c r" any right or pri'vilege secured to him by the constitution or la~·s of the Commonv•ealth or by the constitution or la\\·s of the United States. Any person con'victed of vio­ lating this provision shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year .or both: and if bodily injury results. shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both.

If no boclily injury results. violation of trus statue ~ s a misdemeanor \.\ith no statutory riaht of arrest. If could. however, be arrestable if :1 breach of the peace ~akes place in the officer's presence.

38 GENERAL LAWS c. 265, ~ 39

. \\ noever commits an assault or a battery upon a person or damages the real or personal property of another for the t= ·Jrpose of intimidation because of said person's race, color, religion, .or national origin, shall be purushed by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or not more than three times the value of the property destroy-!d or damaged, "'·hich­ ever is greater. or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than t~· o and one-half years, or both.

Violation of this statute is a misdemeanor. There is r.o statutory right of ar~~st for this offense. If. of course, the act is committed in th~ vffi cer ·s presence and it constitutes a breach of the peace, it 'Will be an arrestable offer. ;~ .

39 40 Appendix C

News Articles

41 r-T.!.;H~E...:;B;:,:;O;:,:;S~T~O~N~G:.=L:.:::O:.:;B::;E:..,__-=.M~O~N~D:.!.!A:.;;Y..1..!!M.!!A..:.:R;.!.:C:;:;H~3~1..:.-,.:..:19::.,:8;:,:;6=-..- ______TATTERED DREAMS Once in Americ.a., some ·Asians find bigotry~ .,v~olen ce By Gregory Witcher Cambodia during four years of Aug. 4, m; Bun Vong and a Cam­ Globe Staff forced labor under the Khmer b o di::n ~ :·:ornpa nion, Bunyoeun Neang Nou, the wife of slain Rouge. It endured two years in a :_;::.:m, were returning home to Cam bod ian refugee Bun Vong, refugee camp in Thailand, Lowell 0 11 Revere Beach Park- sat weeping in the k1tcl1en of \Vhere their daughters, Kanika 1,l/;l.y . her three-room apartment in and Anny, were born after they What started as an argu­ Lowell as she mourned not only fled their homeland in 1979. ment about whether one pass­ the death of her husband but The family entered the Unit­ ing car r. nt too closely in front of . also the death of their dream. ed States in October 1981 and a JJolh:.. \ ~ -·· !ded in a beating that It was a dream of two immi­ settled in Revere. Bun Vong left Bun Vong with a cracked grants for freedom, opportunity found work as a hotel steward skull. I l<. lapsed into a coma and a nd ·prosperity in the United in Cambridge. died 10 ctays later in a Boston States. The dream came to an In August 1984, the family hospital. end in what many Asian-Ameri­ moved to Lowell to be closer to a Seated now in the kitchen of can activists say is an emerging Billerica firm, where Bun Vong a Uw:;:~· ·d ec ker on Walker Street in Lowell, Neang Nou, 35, is un­ pattern of racially motivated got a high~r-paying job assem· anti-Asian violence in metro­ bling medical equipment. employed, physically disabled. politan Boston. The end of the dream began and despairing. The couple's dream began in with a 2 a.m. traffic dispute last VONG, Page 8 ·-·-·-·- .. --.. ·------....J

•voNG Continued from Page 1 "I came here to live in freedom with my husband and chiidren,. the same as everyone else," Neang Nou said in K~mer through an in­ ter: preter. while l(anika~ now 5 years old, recited the alphabet in flawless English in her bedroom. · ''Since my husband died and left m.e .- ~nd my two children, what good is freedom now?'. Trfal to start toclay Family photo of Bun Vong and his wife, Neang Nou. · Asians for Justi~e. a coalition ~,Q«\~ · formed in late 1983 after a ations, to halt anti-Asian violence. The Metropolitan Police De­ Y,~ · . ,~arine fatally . stabbed Anh • The Boston Police Department partment, which conducted the M~h~ a Vietnamese refugee, outside denies the assertion by advocacy 10-day investigati~n that led to llt~ ': home, in Dorchester, . plans to groups such as Asians for Justice th~ nrr<"sf: of Arseri~n.ilt and Febbi, .~onitot the trial of Scott S. Arsen­ and the Boston Asian Refugee Co­ said the a ttack on Bun yang and aull~nd John M. Febbi. aUtion that anti-Asian violence is Bunyoeun Som was not ractallv The two 24-year-old Somerville· increasing. motivated- as did the defendants' men . ar~ charged wtth'nianslaugh2 However, statistics show that relatives and attorneys - and no ter,.&.nd assault and battery in the cases investigated under the state civil righ t.s charges were filed. &ttack on Bun Vong, 35, and Bun­ ~ivil rights law involving Asian­ .yoeun Sam, now 26. The trial was Americans grew 59 percent from '.'In the Bun :\'ong case, it's ap­ due to sta.rt today in Middlesex Su-· 1982 to 1985, from 27 to 46, and pa rent that Febbi and Arsenault · perlor Court in Cambrtdge. ·now account for one-quarter of shouted words at the Cambo­ · Bun Vong's death probably the annual caseload of the depart­ dians. but the surviving Cambo­ would not have attracted so much ment's Community Disorders dian doesn't understand English, news media interest if Gov. Duka· Unit. ··: r- 11r ''~ " ' ·! t"'s t ify as to whether or kis had not attended his wake and Sgt. Williarrt Johnston, who not the.'· were racial, so the pros­ ~ e,nounced crimes of racial intoler­ heads the uni.t, estimated that ecutor 0- nrl the police won't apply ance. one-half of the cases 'they investi­ the c ivil rights law," said Peter The attack cllmaxed a series of: gate for possible civil rights viola­ [\:ian g. ~ - founder of Asians for well-publicized assaults that led to· tions are racially motivated. He ' • 1c;ti cr. "When the civi1 rights th;e. establishment in late July of said that more .than 90 perceiit of Ia w i~' so strictly tied to the use of the' Boston Asian Refugee Coall­ the cases prosecuted for criminal racial epithets in an attack, that tion, a group of seven Southeast· and/or civil violations of the civi1 makes fits enforcement] really Asian mutual assistance associ- rights law lead to convictions. problematic for the Asian commu­ nity." 42 In 1984 four of 1 1 of the re­ Boston's Asian-American pop­ soldiers in Vietriam ... and th ~ y straining arden~ issued under the ulation grew 40 percent, from see us as a whole as the enemy." civil rights law were aimed at pro-· ·15,000 in 1980 to 25,000 in 1985,. Ratha Yem saJd. "It also stems tecting Vietna mese refugees in according to a state census and from jealousy. They suspect tha t Dorchester and Wnru::::: ter and the Boston Redevelopment Au·­ Asians are buying new· cars and Cambodian refu gees in Revere thority. Asian-Americans now ac­ houses with welfare benefits tht \' and Lowell. count for 4 percent of the city's are riot entitled to." · 621,000 residents, the census . The perce11 tage climbed to 57 showed. . . Negative film portrayals percent last ye- ar, when Asian­ Of the city's 25,000 Asian­ Americans ill f\/1;... t i..apa1:.. , East Bos­ American residents, approximate- · The portrayal of all Asians as ton, South Boston and Revere ly one of every three enterep the : "the enemy" in films. such as were alleged to be the targets of de­ United States after 1980 from "Rambo" and "Year of the Draf~ ­ fendants in fou r of the seven civil Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos, ac- . on," contributes to persisting neg­ injunctions issued. ative racial stereotypes, Kiang cording to the state Office of Refu- . sci.id. Boston Police Commissioner gee Resettlement. · Francis M. Roache said he's not The myth of Asians as a "mod­ overlooking the fact that violence lJnprepared for hostility el minority" also helps create re·· against Asian-Americans, par­ sentment, Ratha Yem said. Thb ticularly Southeast Asians, is a se­ U_sually, these people first lived myth surfaced in the '60s to help rious problem. in white working-class neighbor­ defuse black protests for equality hoods, such as Dorchester, East . Roache said H1 a recent inter­ by portraying Asian-Americans Boston and Brighton, that ~ere as people who "work hard, don't view, however, that statistics pur~ poorly equipped, socially or .i psy­ porting to show a rise in anti-. complain, take care of their ow1 t chologically, to receive them, problems, ~on't prote~t~~"nd_ don'ti Asian violence reflect instead in­ Kiang said. creases in reporting as new Asian Barriers of language and cul-:­ riot- so why can't you blacks be; immigrants learn how the Ameri­ ture aside, the refugees were·also ltke them," he said. It reemerged: can criminal justice system works :unprepared for the .hostility that in the '80s when blacks wen~ and how to use it. outsiders frequently encounter in again pitted against other minor-· He attributed the increases to Boston's turf-conscious neigh bar­ ities and portrayed· as\ a · group outreach efforts by the depart­ hoods, he said. - . that "made it without needing af­ ment and the state attorney gen- Asian~Amertcan community firmative action." activists cite several factors that "All these things togeth~:r en­ eral's office, and to public condem­ fuel anti-Asian sentiment. . courage acts of violence or inflame nations of racial bigotry by Duka­ One is anti-Japanese rhetoric. racist acts against Asiall~·" said kis and Mayor Flynn. by us politicians and btistrie8s Julian Low, administrative ~' 'direc ­ "They're all talking about and labor leaders. For tp.stance, tor ·of Asian American · Resource what a wonderful job they,'re do­ when House Speaker· ·Thomas · P. Workshop . . ing. If they were doing so many O'Neill Jr. (D-Mass.) was in Detroit Kiang, referring to today's trial · wonderful thing~; these problems in 1982 to discuss the crisis facJng in Cambridge, said: "We will be wouldn't exist," said Jacot American automakers from for­ there in the courtroom becati.se, :we Schlitt, director of the regional of eign competitors, · he told report­ feel the killing of Bun Vong is.re ­ flee of the US Commission on Civil ers. referring to imports from Ja­ lated to the larger context of anti-· ·.Rights. . pan, that if he were president, he Asi.an viol~nce, locally and nation-- Kiang, who is also program di­ would "fix the Japanes.e Hke ally. · rector at the Asian American Re­ · they'~e never been .fixed before.:· .:·out of the Vong case . )V~ . \Yant source· Workshop in Chinatown,, Ratha Yem, who works with ~ clear me~ge to be pu,t out: :vou ' said part of the explanation for · Cam bod ian refugees ·hi Chelsea cannot fa~e an Asian's life cheap­ the · violence lies in the rapid and Revere, suggests it can also be . ly.' " growth of the city's Asian-Ameri­ attributed to lingering racism can population and in the. place­ from the Vietnam War. ment of Southeast Asic;tn refugees "People belteve that Southeast in its neighborhoods. Asians fought aga~!lst Ameri~aE·

43 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL FRIDAY, NDVEMBER 28, 1986 Asia Bashing Incidents of Racism Having It Easier Sparked by economic rl ~ ld : J with Asia Some say Asians generally have it and fueled by an influx of immigrants easier in America than blacks and Hispan­ competing with the poor for scarce re­ ics do, and certainly no worse. And aware­ Bias Against 0riCf 1taJ'~ sources, racism against Asians is worsen­ ness of prejudice directed at Asians is ing around the U.S. In an East Peoria, Ill., ·leading to some changes. Both lawmakers Increases With rtivalry church, parishioners taunt Vietnamese and judges have become tougher on ethnic newcomers. In Washington, D.C., arsonh:ts "hate" crimes, and even Hollywood has firebomb Korean stores. (At least 11 such been cutting blatantly anti-Asian scenes Of Nations' Econornies incidents have occurred in the past two from motion pictures. • years.) And in a play area e1t the San Still, Asian Americans say, verbal and Francisco zoo, a tiny voice tells th r ee ~ year­ physical attacks generally ,are getting Post-Vietnam Immigration old Jay Waka,bayashi, a fourth -generation worse. "It's very sinister.... You're not American, "This sandbo;, i;.; ~., . v>liiLc 1-i-:~: even a second-class citizen, you're a for­ Of the Industrious Poor only. " eigner," says Doris Koo,. the executive di­ Also Brought Resentrnent Bigotry also has been seen in business rector of Asian Americans for Equality. circles. While some blue-collar workers at­ The racism recently directed at Asians tack Asian immigrants in their neighbor­ in the U.S. is hardly unprecedented. An Violent Death of Bun V ong hoods, corporate executives have used ra­ 1870s economic depression led to the 1882 cial slurs in their fight against Asian pe!Je· Exclusion Act, which prohibited immigra­ tration of their markets. tion of Chinese laborers for _10 years, and By JAN W ON(; Japanese-Americans were interned · in ·'What is gmhg on·reflects how powerful Staff Reporter of THE WAL L Snu: 1-:T J o u n N A L camps during World War II. But animosity the economic resurgence is }n' Asia, '· says subsided in the postwar period only to be­ REVERE, Mass.-Sun Mam knows bet­ Ezra Vogel, the director of Harvard Uni­ ter than to walk to work. When he does, he come resurgent tn recent years, according versity's U.S.-Japan program. "At local to Gene N. Levine, a sociologist at the Uni­ runs a gantlet of youths who pelt him with bars, people are talking about it, and rocks and bottles. In winter, th ey have versity of California at Los Angeles. The there's one kind of expression. In board latest wave began in the late 1970s, when hurled chunks of ice. Once, someone tried rooms, it has another kind of expression. to beat him up, but Mr. Mam outran lu.s Asian companies-particularly Japanese­ assailant. · The feelings of competition are very pow­ started to edge out American ones and erful and very deep." Adds Robeit Matsui, large numbers of Southeast Asian refugees "They say, 'Cambodian, you go back a Democratic congressman from Califor­ home,' "says Mr. Mam, a 36-year:old who entered the U.S. in the aftermath of the nia, "There is latent anti-Asian sentiment Vietnam War. · no.w drive~ to his job as a store manager in in this country. The trade imbalance is this working-class suburb o£ Bu.:. ton though merely the trigger." Statistical Evidence he works just a block from home. Vandals ·The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, in slashed his tires, smashed his windshield a report this year; concluded that violence and, one night, flipped his car over on its against Asians is a national problem. The rO(lf. Recently, someone tossed a Molotov Justice Department reports a 62o/o increase cocktail onto his porch, but it failed to ex­ in anti-Asian incidents in 1985 over 1984. In plode immediately and a friend kicked it Los Angeles County, Asians have been the away. · target of 50% of .racial incidents.this year, So far, Mr. Mam hasn't been injured. compared with 15% in 1985, according to His friend, Bun Vong, whom he met five the Los Angeles County Commission on years ago in a refugee camp, was less for­ Human Relations. Anti-Asian incidents tunate. :Last year, after a traffic dispute, a now account for 29% of racial crimes in white electtician punched Mr. Vong, shat­ Boston, up from just 2% five years ago, ac­ tering his face and pushing a facial bone cording to the Boston Police Department, into his brain. Mr. Vong died 10 days later. which has a Special unit to deal with racial Because the only witness, a Cambodian crimes. · friend riding in Mr . . Vong's car, didn 't ''Violence against Asians in this region speak English, it was never established and throughout !he country is the fastest­ whether racial epithets-a key indication growing area of discrimination," says of racial motivation-had been used in the Martin A. Walsh •. a Jtistice Department of­ altercation. But Asian groups protested the ficial in Boston. Though part of the in­ incident and called it racist crease may be the resuit of better report­ ing, he . says, some racially motivated crimes aren't ·classified as such and thus go uncounted . .) Some . Asians partly blame inflamma-

44 Asia Bashing: Racism Directed at Some Orientals Increases in Neighborhoods and Executive Suites

Continued From F'irsl Page Cutlery Inc. of Southb:ridge, Mass., stamps cuts with Universal. Although two refer­ tory rhetoric by American b u ~i lle ss leaders · on its butcher-knife blades dates of World ences to "Chinamen" were kept in, certain for the street violence . War II battles with Japan, including the scel]es were deleted from the videotape. Lee A. Iacocca, the chairman of first air strike on Tokyo; "It's a way of Consciousness Raising identifying that we're fighting enemies," Chrysler Corp .. has cut11pared the Japa­ "The Asian community is becoming bet· uese economic tl1ren t to 'the Soviet military says Edmond A. Neal, the company's chief executive. He , too, denies that he is foster-­ ter organized, more aware, more vocal, '' threat. "It's not Russi. , iil at's l<1y ing waste says Ruben Estrada, a Universal official. to my business ... it's Japan," he told a ing racism. "In business competition, you fight for your market. There's nothing vi­ " Now, if we make a film where we 'think group of House Democrats last year. While there's going to be a problem, we'll call Ia the U.S. aims missiles at the Soviets in cious or vituperative about that," he adds. community group I and say, 'What do yo~ "the front yard," li e said, ·'ou r friend is think?' " taking over the bacl( yard. '· Some corporations, on the other hand, Last January, Michael Smith . a deputy are sensitive to anti-Asian slurs and oppose But despite such new sensitivity in the U.S. trade representative, reft· ,Ted to the them. At a strategy meeting ·last year a:t movie business, there are few other signs, .Japanese as "Nippers" in an on-the-record Intel Corp., a salesman showe~ a car_toon particularly at the American grass roots, discussion with reporters. His office, asked of World War II bombers with a caption that things are getting better. Sanyo Manu· facturing Corp. learned as much when it ab0ut the remark, s a y ~; Llmt "Ambassador that read: "Beat the Japs." Andrew Smith does I)Ot recollect using the term'' Grove, the president of the semiconductor bought a struggling television and micro· wave factory in Forrest City, Ark. It but that, neverthelcs::. !tP ''d erply regrets company, ordered the slide des~royed. pleased job-hungry workers by tripling the any offense." And Roger B. Smith, the '·we're locked in a bitter competition with chairman of General Motors Corp., told · Japanese manufacturers," says Mr. work force to 1,200. But when workers Fortune magazine in an August issue that . Grove. "But I said, 'Hey, that's tasteless. staged a 21-day strike over wages and ben· his goal was to "beat the hell out of the They're Japanese. Call them Japanese.' efits last Octob~r, the shaky truce quickly Japs" in the auto industry. Mr. Smith Besides, we aren't fighting World War· crumbled. Strikers brandished signs that "really kind of got carried away," says a II." . said: "Japs go home" and "Remember GM spokesman. But, adds the ::; pokesmap, The Chicago Tribune quit using ''Jap.'' Pearl Harbor." auto executives do use the word "Jap" as an abbreviation in its syndicated cross­ With more and more immigrants taking among themselves, though "not with any word puzzle after readers complained last more and more jobs, such tensions an: intent. ·· summer. And, similarly, some movie pro- spilling · over into the neighborhoods . . ducers have become more sensitive. Asians now are·the biggest single group of Invoking Pearl Harhor Louis Mall~s film "Alamo Bay" won an legal immigrants to the U.S. Last year, Some businessmen go beyuud words. award from an Asian-American actors' they account~d for nearly half of immigra· Last November, Henry C. Grover bought ~ group for its sensitive portrayal of Vie~a­ tion, up from one-third a decade ago. Lik E' ads in Texas newspapers to sell bumper mese fishermen harassed by Texans generations of poor European immigrants stickers with the legend "Remember Pearl threatened by the competition. And Uni­ before, the newly arrived Asians· tend to Harbor, Save American Jous." Asked versal Studios Inc. recently edited the vid· work hard and cluster together. In Rhode whether this inflames anti-Asian passions, eotape version of its comedy "Sixteen Can­ Island's Providence County, for instance, , Mr. Grover, who has sold sev e r ~l l thousand dles" after objections were raised about officials estimate that one in 30 residents is of the bumper stickers, !>naps, "Nonsense. the movie. Southeast Asian. The Japanese have never forgiven us for The studips "would have a lot of second Asians' high· visibility and numbers whipping them in Worl d War II. They're thoughts about using ·'nigger' in a script. sometime~ provoke resentment-and evening the score by destroying American But using 'chink' or 'Chinamen,' they just worse. On the West Coast, angry American industry. '' totally miss that,'' says Stewart Kwoh, tihe fishermen fired shots at a Vietnamese boat Other firms use ami-Asian sentiment to executive director of the Asian Pacific last year. "They [the Vietnamese] fish all ~ppeal to customers. Russell Harrington American Legal Center, which negotiated day long," says Chie~ Pham, the executiw

45 director of the vietnan tese Fisuel'lJWn As­ bought a two-family house in Lynn, Mass. sociation of America in Oakland, Calif. Now, five years after he arrived in this "They don 't go in for a beer. They don 't go country from a refugee camp, he is plan­ in to watch footbnll. Th :-tt makes other peo­ ning to buy a second property. ple mad.' ' Wallace Warfield, tile Justice "For the American poor, it doesn't take Department's acung director of commu­ too much hot weather [before] people are nity relations i1 1 Wash;Hgi.on, says Asians sitting around, drinking beer and feeling own more shrimping boats on the Gulf sorry for themselves," says Jerome Wine­ Coast than whites do. ''The irony is the gar, the headmaster of South Boston High Asians outworhdl ... the Americans, " he School, which, as a result of busing, is 13% adds. Asian in a neighborhood that is 97% white. Harlem :Uu.i . ~ ult "The next thing, they're over kicking the The conflict isu't just with whites. In windows out of the new Pontiac.'' Harlem, in New York City, blacks last Reducing Crimes ' year boycotted several Korean stores, Authorities are looking for ways to re­ charging Umt shopkeefJers were rude and duce ethnic crimes. In part because of vio­ didn't hire blarl re disputes between have passed laws dealing with racial of­ Hispanics and Asians, says Fred Fujioka, fenses. And Rep. Norman Y~ Mineta is co­ a criminal lawyer with the firm Gomez & sponsoring a bill that would require the Fujioka. "Th r poor, " says Mr. Fujioka, Justice Department to compile statistics "are scrambling over the same scarce re­ on "ethnic-hate" crimes. sources.·· Courts also are cracking down. In 1982, In Revere, Mass., Robert Gaber, a two laid-off Detroit auto workers convicted neighbor of Sun Mam's, disapproves of the of fatally clubbing Vincent Chin, a Chinese­ rock-throwing youths. But, he says, "Im­ American, originally were sentenced to migrants used to come from countries three years' probation and fined $3,780 nearly as civilized as the U.S. These people each. After protests over the lir.~~t penalty, come from jungle communities." His one of the men was later convicted of vio­ street, he complains, 'looks like a refugee lating the victim's civil rights and was sen­ camp." Others believe the Asian immi­ tenced to 25 ·years in prison. That convic­ grants win government aid at the expense tion was overturned on appeal, and the of white have- uots. Catherine Penn, a for­ case is to be retried. Last June, Scott Ar­ senault, the electrician who killed Bun mer Revere eity councilor, says refugees 1 enjoy specia I privileges, including drivers' Von·g, was sentenced to seven to 12 years licences obtained without demonstrating in prison. fluency in English. (That isn't a require­ ·Nonetheless, tougher sentencing hasn't; ment.) And she adds, her voice lowered, yet reduced violence against Asians. In Re­ "The rumor, strictly a rumor, is that they vere, youths still menace Sun Mam, Bun eat dogs. ·· Vong's friend. He can do little but try to ln fact, because many of these newest ignm:e them as he drives that one block. to immigrants take two and sometimes three work. "I try to close my eyes. riry to close jobs, they are soon off welfare. The U.S. my ears. Because this is my second coun­ try," he ~ays .... I already lost my first Office of Refugee Resettlement in Wash­ ington considers welfare merely a ''transi­ country to th.e Communists." tional" phase for Southeast Asian refu­ gees. Savuth Sath, 34, has two jobs that make his workweek 70 to 80 hours long. He also finds time to study for a real-estate licens­ ing exam. Last February, the Cambodian

46 A2:1 THE WSW§ SUN!)AY GLOBE JAN. 4. 1987 ;B.olUOU.iunbny <§lob£ Founded 1872

WILLIAM 0. TAYLOR. Chatrman of the Board and Publisher . JOHN P. GIUGGIO, Vtce Chatrrrian JOHNS. DRISCOLL, Executtve Editor . . p td. t MARTIN F. NOLAN, Editor. F:rH:orial Page RICHARD C. OCKERBL00 M. res en

DAVID STANGER. Sentor VP & General Manager THOMAS F. MULVOY JR., Managing Editor Tr asurer ALFRED S. LARKIN JR., Depu.f 1J Managing Editor ARTHUR KINGSBURY. VPa~ket~n & Sales HELEN W. DONOVAN. Deput.y Manaqtng Editor MILLARD G. OWEN, VP M g S J MICCICHE Assistant Executive E clifrJr FRANK E GRUNDSTROM JR., VP Human Resources · · . • .. ROBERT L. HEALY, H. D. S. GREENWAY, Associate Editors

PubliShers WM. DAVIS TAYLOR, 1955-1977 CHA~Ll'~ :. .H. TAYLOR, 1873-1922 · WILLIAM 0 . TAYLOR. 1922-1955 Edttor Fdlto; President T HOMAS WINSHIP. UJ()5-1984 JOHNI. TAYLOH, 1963-1975 L. L. WINSHIP. 1955-1965 ------~~~-~--:--.;..._-----~--·"' ·"" " - " ·-"""""""'""'_ __ _

Uniting against bigotry A suspicious fire on Christmas Eve in Re- tton in order to deprive othe:n:; of their holiday vere left 22 .CambOdian refugees homeless and What is certain is that the building was looted Christmasless. The same night four Vietnam- after the fire. · ese men were beaten in a restaurant parking In Stoughton. three young white men have lot in Stoughton. been charged in the beating of four Vietnam- Where are the usual expressions of public ese waiters who were leaving work at the Man­ indignation? More important,. where is the dartn House restaurant. The police say the at­ show of unity and support that could demon- tack was unprovoked. strate that theSe communities will not tolerate Violence against lndochin~se refugees con- racial violence and bigotry? tinues without the outcry that would be raised Indochinese refugees have had a cold wei- if another minority population were forced to com~ ·ln Greater Boston. They are the victims · li:ve in fear. Perhaps it does not seem so much of racial insults. beatings an'd more subtle . like bigotry if discrimination is not based on forins of discrimination. In America they.have something as obvious as skin color. faced some of the same abuses that they fled Or perhaps it is because many Indochinese tlieir .own countries to escape. . speak different la~guages. Or maybe the Rea- . After suff~ring more hardship in refugee gan administration's hostility to civil rights camps. the refugees arrived expecting to find has given thugs the idea that they can victim­ the freedom and justice that they believed were 1ze racial minorities at will. enjoyed by all in America. Instead. it is Ameri- . Discrimination against any group for any. ca's ugliest face that has been presented to reason Is abhorrent; and it is the responsibil­ them. · tty of every decent, just citizen to actively op-· .:The Revere fire is still u~der investig~tion. pose mindless violence. If Indochinese are al­ Bu~ constant friction between Cambodian and lowed to be victimized today. it will be another wQ.tte residents iri:the neighborhood has led of- group tomorrow. \: ftCials to think the fire was set. The police can do·,only so much. buta unit- ' ·· It would be·the worst cruelty if it turns out ed .stand aga:inst bigotry by people·ln commu~ that someone left his ·own Chrtst.ritas celebra- nities can make a difference.

47 SUNDAY, JANUJ\RY 11. 198'7

Revere Mayor George V. Colella speaks at rally yesterday. At right is Ratha Yem, one of the organizers of the demonstration. 300 march in Revere against violence toward Cambodians By Doris Sue Wong son" and "Prejudice hurts," the men, women and Globe Staff children trudged through the morning snowstorm REVERE - Cam hod ian leaders-made a plea for from City Hall to the burned house at ·50-52 Shirley peace and friend::::.!H.i:J yesknJay from the steps ofa Ave., where they ta-cked up a red, white and blue charred wood-frame house they say is the latest evi­ banner ·with the message, "We want peace in our dence of a pattern of harassment and violence direct­ neighborhood." . ed against members of the Cambodian community Twenty-two Cambodian refugees were left home­ here. less on Christmas Eve when a blaze, which fire in­ "We want to be good neighbors and to share in vestigators say was deliberately set, destroyed the the life of the Revere commlulity," said Kowith Kvet, two-story house on Shirley Avenue. It was the second a member of the week-old Coalition on Racial Vto.:­ suspicious house fire i~ two. years in the neigh bar­ lence against Cambodian-Americans in Revere. '"We hood, which is home to most of Revere's estimated • will not tolcrrt te acl o ol violence against us." 2,000 Cambodian refugees. A July 1985 blate left Police estimated :300 people, Asian, black and three dozen Cambodians homeless. white, took part i,-, . >wtJ· l h') tn' demonstration orga­ The house fires, however, were only two among a nized by the coalition to denounce acts of bigotry. series of problems Cambodian refugees have encoun- Bearing placard~ that read, "No mort> racist ar- REVERE, Page 27

48 300 rnarch in Revere to protest acts (yf violence against Cambodians

• REVERE "We are doing this because we out a strong message incidents Continued from Page 2b need help. People do not under­ such as [the Christmas Eve arson l tered since t he early 1980s stand why we came here and we . will not be tolerated." - when they began re._-..: Li.ling in get a lot of trouble. We don't want Ratha Yem, a former commu­ large numbers in this city, accord­ another fire and have people get nity activist and a member of the ing to organizers of the demon­ killed." state office of public safety, stration . The coalition is asking the city ·blamed the troubles faced by the "We have a ::.1t of discrimina­ to establish ·a police department Cambodian community on a tion, a s sa ult ~ : .. ,s b ur;led du·..vr1, unit to investigate civil rights vio­ "handful of perpetrators" ~nd broken windshield ~~ and houses lations and racially motivated urged others in the city to work burned down," Sarrtath Chap said crimes and a training program for jointly to achieve racial harmony. in an interview. police and other public offi~ials Rally organizer Sunna Sam: Samath Chap, a th ree-year about attitudes and st,ereotypes said. that since he resettled in Re- resident of Revere later · told t.he the public holds about the Cambo­ . vere in 1982, "I have heard many demonstrators, ··1 fl eci J'i_y country dian community. times 'Cambodjan. ·go home.' It is because of th<·: viulen ce. I hoped to In addition, the coalition wants depressing to me. We are hungry find peace here.'' the Revere Fire Department to to seek peace in our neighbor- But Sa math c: ;.p did not find adopt arson prevention measures hood." · tranquility. He vv as one of three and the Revere Housing Authority W11liani Waxman, a member of Cambodians ~ : • • ::i:J r crl outside to . develop emergency response the governor's advisory council on their home at 8 Walnut Place in procedures for fire victims and to refugees and co-principal of the 1985. Last year Robert Lee Ste­ help those displaced by the Christ­ nearby Garfield Elementary phens. a former Revere resider.t, mas Eve fire find new homes. School, said, ''I'm worried for the, threatened reta li otio:. : when he Vowing to assist the Cambo­ children." was convicted of the attack and dian community in its "quest for At the Garfield, there is no ra­ sentenced to up to I 0 years in peace, harmony and love," Mayor cial disharmony among Cambo­ prison on ass<-IUl ! and civil rights George V. Colella said, "We will dian, Spanish. Chinese and white charges. not tolerate what has happened students because teachers and ad­ After the court sentencing, a over the past couple weeks. ministrators w111 not tolerate it, he fire broke out in his home, Sa­ . "We empathize with your said; math Chap said. He said fire offi­ "The children can get along cials have deternJ ined the fire was plight. We will work together with you to make sure your life is a bet­ well if only the adults can learn · accidental, but he remains con­ to," Waxman said, directing his vinced it was not. He added that ter life, not only in this country but in the city of Revere." comments at parents. "Children harassment and violence are not can learn a better lesson than this · only directed at Cambodians in Secretary of Public Safety kind of bigotry and hatred. Revere, but other Southeast Asian Charles Barry promised· that the "Please think when you are refugees living in Chelsea, Lowell state fire marshal's office and home and around the dinner table and Boston. State Police would work with local and you talk about a child's name "We want peace and we want officials ''to make sure there is a or color, what you're doing is fes- . to be left alone," Samath Chap vigorous investigation and a vi­ tering a cancer in your own said. "We want to be good friends. gorous prosecution and to send child."

49 Appendix D

Asian American Resource Workshop organizational structure September 1, 1986 to September 30, 1987

AARW Staff Administrative Director: Carlton Sagara Program Director: Shirley Mark Yuen Civil Rights Project Director: Elaine Song Office Manager: Har Yee Wong

AARW Steering Committee Chair: Kevin Fong Margaret Chin RobertChu Frank Mark Jeffrey Moy Suzanne Pan Jason Tong

The Steering Committee was the governing and policymaking body of the AARW. It reviewed and approved this report prior to publication.

AARW Board of Directors Chair: Vivian Lee George Cha Gloria Chun Frederick Dow Vic Lai Albert Lau Tunney Lee Ramsay Liem Michael Liu Steve Ning David Sakura Liz Ahn Toupin

The Board of Directors served in an advisory capacity to the Steering Committee and Staff.

50