CFA Statement on Lunar New Year Mass Murders in Monterey Park

Today, our hearts are with the families and loved ones of the victims and with survivors of the mass shooting in Monterey Park on Lunar New Year.

The holiday is a joyous one for many of our Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi American members, signifying the birth of spring, and wishes for a new year filled with love, good health, and good luck.

A gunman intruded into a dance studio, a safe space of dance and joy. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hate crimes against our Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi American communities have surged – and as a society, we must continue to push back on hateful and targeted acts.

Make no mistake: this violent act taken by one man is terrorism against our APIDA community during a day of hope; an act that happens far too frequently throughout this country. The new year is weeks old, and this was the 33rd mass shooting in the United States, according to Gun Violence Archive.

Instead of “thoughts and prayers”, we invite politicians, pundits, and the broader community into a conversation about concretely addressing gun violence, intimate partner violence, and real healing for the physical and mental trauma of survivors of gun violence.