Categories
PostNews

‘We are really saddened and angered’: Asian-American community in WNY outraged over mass shootings in California

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The mass shootings in California have rattled the Asian-American community here in Buffalo.

Jian Feng is the chair of the Chinese Club of Western New York and says it’s hard to even put into words how they’re feeling about this, but they’re sad.

“It really brings a lot of feeling that it’s very hard for us to articulate,” he told News 4. “How come we come so far across the ocean in this country which has so many great things, but such tragic things happen?”

Feng says acts of violence destroys families and a sense of peace, and it should not be the norm. Feng moved here to Buffalo 30 years ago for a better life and better opportunities. He says that’s what a lot of people do, and the last thing they expect is to be put in unsafe situations,

One of the shootings happened right after a Lunar New Year celebration at a ballroom in Monterey Park, California. Feng says that was supposed to be a joyful time, with music and dancing, not an event where people had to fear for their life.

“It’s really a place of happiness, and for such a thing to happen on the New Years Eve basically, the Chinese New Years Eve, it’s really really bad,” he said. “People in our community have been shocked and we are really saddened and angered.”

Less than two years ago, there was a mass shooting at an Atlanta spa where six of the eight victims were of Asian decent. That sparked rallies and vigils across Western New York where people demanded an end to violence and hate crimes.

Feng wants to see more people step up to try and solve the problem of gun violence in this country. He says talking about this is important but there needs to be more action.

Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *