Tragedy in Monterey Park

On January 21, 2023, a gunman opened fire in a dance hall during Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, a predominantly Asian American community. Ten people were killed and 10 more were injured. The gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday. We don’t yet know the motive or of the identities of all the victims, but we do know that there is unspeakable pain left in the aftermath.

The new year is often a hopeful time, where we can look forward to new possibilities, second chances and growth in our lives. Lunar New Year—celebrated in many Asian American communities—welcomes the coming of spring, when life grows anew and wishes for good fortune and abundance are made on behalf of loved ones. I am deeply saddened that these celebrations were marred by violence and anguish this weekend. This incident only compounds the grief, loss and trauma the community has been holding due to increased anti-Asian violence. It is understandable to feel hopeless in the face of such frequent mass shootings, but we continue to believe in our communities’ capacity for healing.

It’s important to recognize why communities like Monterey Park are special. As activist, scholar and SoCal native Bianca Mabute-Louie said in the Los Angeles Times, Monterey Park, “is the first Asian ethnoburb… that thrives [because] it refuses to assimilate, instead unapologetically catering to its own immigrant community.” California is a place where diasporas of people find one another either by choice or by necessity due to histories of war, forced migration and colonization. These diasporas form enclaves, like Monterey Park, where they can find community, resilience and healing in their shared histories.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Asian Americans face many systemic barriers to accessing mental health care and quality treatment, including stigma and lack of culturally or linguistically relevant care that addresses mental health in a more holistic way. If you or a family you work with is struggling in the wake of this event, please look into some of the culturally relevant resources provided below.

Everyone—regardless of where they come from and who has harmed them—deserves to be happy, healthy and safe. Let’s lean on one another during these difficult times and hope for healing.

Asian American Mental Health Resources

• Pacific Asian Counseling Services
• Asian Mental Health Collective
• Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Centers
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice
• LA Times: Asian Americans discuss how they talk about mental health with friend and family

• Coping After Mass Violence
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After Mass Violence
• Talking to Children about Mass Violence
• Psychological Impact of Mass Violence
• Helping Youth After a Community Trauma: Tips for Educators (En Español, Mandarin)
• Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting (American Counseling Association)  
• Trauma and Disaster Mental Health (American Counseling Association) 
• Gun Violence: Prediction, Prevention, And Policy
• Stop Blaming Shootings on Mental Illness
• Resources and Manuals on Psychological First Aid