North Jersey Asians reel after California dance hall shooting leaves 11 dead, 9 injured

While Los Angeles-area authorities searched for the gunman responsible for a mass shooting that left 11 dead and at least nine wounded at a Monterey Park, California, dance hall — and struggled to identify the shooter's motive — members of North Jersey's Asian communities expressed fear and concern.

The shooting — the deadliest in the United States since the Uvalde massacre — took place at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, a popular dance club, authorities said. It followed a celebration for the eve of the Lunar New Year in Monterey Park, which, like some communities in North Jersey, is home to a surging Asian American population. Here in the Garden State, Asian residents said the attack stung — especially because an intensifying barrage of hate crimes has been directed at Asian Americans since the outbreak of COVID-19.

"It's kind of like when a fire siren goes by the house," said Fort Lee's Amy Ko-Tang, who is a founding member of Fort Lee's Chinese American group. "I am saddened right away."

Ko-Tang said she learned about the mass shooting Sunday morning, when she received a text.

Relatives said the apparent gunman, Huu Can Tran, 72, had once given free lessons at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where the killings took place hours after Lunar New Year celebrations. Tran was found dead Sunday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a white cargo van.

The shooting closely followed an incident last week in which an 18-year-old Asian American student was stabbed several times in the head while she was riding a bus in Bloomington, Indiana. The rapid succession of events prompted mounting worry, Ko-Tang said.

Fort Lee Councilman Paul Yoon said anger and hate levied against Asian Americans is definitely a concern.

"I definitely feel a need to be a bit more vigilant," Yoon said. "Especially when going into New York City."

The concerns expressed by Ko-Tang and Yoon are shared by many. Since the start of the pandemic, 4 in 5 Asian Americans say, violence against them is rising, according to a Pew Research Center study, and almost 1 in 2 say they have personally experienced some kind of anti-Asian bias.

Ko-Tang and Yoon agreed that they and other worried members of their communities needed more facts to calm their fears and concerns.

"We need to let the investigation play out," Yoon said. "There's too many unknowns. We need more facts."

Others, like Assemblywoman Ellen Park, who represents the 37th Legislative District in Bergen County, said the Lunar New Year mass shooting upended what should have been a celebration of a new year and all that it promises by billions around the globe.

"This one ended in tragedy and terror," Park said. "No words can console the victims’ families or wash away the fear that has radiated through the AAPI communities in this country." The acronym refers to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Legislators at every level of government need to reaffirm their commitment to expanding gun control and comprehensive mental health services as well as fighting all forms of bigotry, Park said.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-Wyckoff, who celebrated the Lunar New Year in Fort Lee on Sunday with the Korean Parents Advisory Council and North Jersey families, said it shows the need to take action on a federal level.

“Lunar New Year, a holiday where we should be celebrating peace and longevity for all, has been struck by yet another act of senseless gun violence and hate," Gottheimer said in a statement on Sunday. "I'm heartbroken for the victims and their families. We must continue our work to bring an end to gun violence and we must remain committed to fighting back against hate."

Gottheimer added that he is co-sponsoring legislation that would make the Lunar New Year a federal holiday.

Matt Fagan is a staff writer for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey.

Email: fagan@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Monterey Park shooting 2023: NJ Asians reel as Lunar New Year begins