A remembrance was held for Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old Thai American immigrant who was violently shoved to the ground and died three years ago.
The commemoration took place at the Wat Thai of Los Angeles Jan. 27, a Buddhist temple located in North Hollywood, to honor him and other victims of anti-Asian hate.
“We’re remembering hundreds of victims of anti-Asian violence and thousands of persons subjected to anti-Asian hate, but [also] any other form of hate,” said Chancee Martorell, executive director of the Thai Community Development Center. “The fact that we live in these trying times when hate threatens to undermine our society and all the values at its very core, we need to remember that we cannot allow hate to enter into our hearts.”
On Jan. 28, 2021, Ratanapakdee – also known as “Grandpa Vicha” to activists and his local community – was exercising in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco when he was shoved to the ground. His head struck the pavement and he died of a brain hemorrhage two days later.
The incident was captured by a CCTV camera across the street. The suspect, Antoine Watson, was arrested shortly after the incident. He has been charged with murder and elder abuse, but he has yet to be convicted.
Assault Not Charged as Hate Crime
Ratanapakdee’s family has been trying to get justice for the past three years but has instead encountered a long series of delays. The last court date was on Dec. 8, 2023, and will reconvene on Feb. 7 to set a trial date.
“The court hearings’ varying delays have been challenging,” said Monthanus Ratanapakdee, Vicha’s daughter. “For me, it has been very frustrating … both of us [the defendant and I] need a fair trial.”
She also questioned why her father’s death is not being tried as a hate crime and why her case has taken so long.
“I feel like the victims of hate crimes never get victim’s rights,” Monthanus Ratanapakdee said. “We never get justice … and the justice system has been [continuously] delayed. We need to reform the justice system in California.
“We urge everyone to speak up and raise their voice against injustice,” she continued. “This is what we have to continue to do.”
And that’s what several officials and community activists did at the remembrance, as one by one they came up to the podium to speak.
In Solidarity Against Hate
One of the first was LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham, the first Filipino American to be appointed to that position in the department’s history. Graham said when he was 18 years old, his grandmother was thrown to the ground by a group of young people for no apparent reason. He said he still remembers walking into her room and seeing her covered in cuts and bruises.
He encouraged everyone who was a victim of a hate-motivated incident to report it to the LAPD’s online reporting system, as that category was recently added at the beginning of the year.
“A crime motivated by hate or bias is still a crime,” Graham said. “Let us know because we don’t have to be powerless. … Please let the Los Angeles Police Department amplify your voice in standing up to hate and standing up to bias.”
Rosalyn Vasquez, president of the Thai American Chamber of Commerce of California (TCCC), said in addition to advocating and supporting the Asian community, the TCCC has dealt with businesses being vandalized and employees living in fear of being attacked going to and from work. And that fear extends to Asian customers.
Vasquez recounted an incident that occurred two years ago. She was waiting in line outside a restaurant when someone drove by and threw something at her. At first, she didn’t think much of it, but the driver came back around to throw water at her. Vasquez was the only Asian person in line. That incident galvanized her and the TCCC to start taking action.
“In conjunction with the Thai Consul General’s Office, we work and produce video to explain to our community the difference between a hate crime and hate incidents, and to relieve their fear that there would be repercussions upon them for reporting and working with law enforcement,” Vasquez said. “The next thing is to advocate. We take action by standing shoulder to shoulder with our AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander] community organizations.”
She added that the last thing is to build community relationships and alleviate the distrust people have in the police, which they’ve worked towards during meet and greets with LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, and asked people to not be afraid to speak out.
“I don’t think that there’s been an increase in hate incidents. I just think people now have a way to speak up, to have their voices heard, and those numbers represent all the voices that would have been silent in the past but now are heard because of the work of all the people here today,” Vasquez said.
A Family Still Struggling
One of the last to speak was Nerissa Roque, whose experience with anti-Asian hate and the justice system bears several similarities to that of the Ratanapakdee family. On May 13, 2022, she was with her daughter, Patricia Roque, in the drive-thru lane of a McDonald’s in North Hollywood when they were rear-ended by Nicholas Weber. He drove up next to them, hurled racial slurs at the Filipino family and drove off before he came back and threatened to kill them.
The pair called both 911 and Patricia Roque’s father, Gabriel Roque, who arrived before the police did. Weber attacked him. Weber pushed him to the ground, breaking his rib and wrapped his hands around Nerissa Roque’s neck. A bystander helped to subdue Weber and stayed at the scene until the police arrived.
From the beginning, the family had a difficult time trying to get help from the LAPD. The arriving officers initially reported the incident as a traffic collision and discouraged the family from pursuing the assault as a hate crime. Despite wide support from Filipino organizations and the community – that joined in a coalition called “Justice for the Roques” – holding several news conferences, the case went through numerous delays. The family had to wait nearly a year after the incident to give their testimony, and the judge presiding over the preliminary hearings dropped the hate crime enhancements from the charges.
Feeling that they would get no justice from the court system, the family opted for a plea deal. The family has since become more involved in community organizations – Nerissa Roque is now a community organizer for Migrante LA.
Unfortunately, hardships haven’t ended for the Roques. Just a couple of days before the remembrance, their application with the California Victim Compensation Board – to get their lost wages from the days they had to attend court – was denied.
“Today, I am still committed to ending this violence,” Nerissa Roque said. “I share my story in solidarity with all victims of hate, and even though I did not find justice in the court, I found my justice fighting alongside all of you. To Grandpa Vicha, his family and loved ones, please keep using your voice to keep fighting for justice, and [in] that process we will build a people movement that will truly change our society for the better.”
In next week’s issue, we will report on the latest update on what has since happened to the Roque family.
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org/.
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.