SAN FRANCISCO – CAA released the following statement in response to the fatal shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, a mass shooting took the lives of 11 Asian Americans and injured another 10 at Star Dance Studio Ballroom in Monterey Park. Last night, another shooter took the lives of 7 and injured 1 in Half Moon Bay. We send our sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives.

In the midst of celebrating the Year of the Water Rabbit, these disturbing murders are a continuing reminder that we must do more to address America’s gun violence epidemic. Since 2022, there have been over 19,000 gun deaths, and over 175 mass shootings where there have been four or more people shot in one incident. In 2023, there have been 39 mass shootings so far. 

Gun ownership in the AAPI community in the U.S. has been historically low. Last summer, CAA partnered with Moms Rising, Newtown Action Alliance, Hope and Heal Fund, and AAPI Victory Alliance to organize the first national gathering of Asian American and gun violence prevention advocates. With more than five million people becoming first-time gun owners during the pandemic, advocates discussed the need to reframe the national conversation around guns to include often marginalized communities, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

CAA’s Co-Executive Director Cynthia Choi says, “While details continue to emerge, one thing is certain and that is none of us are safe until we address the gun violence epidemic in this country. This incident has exacerbated the collective hurt and trauma our community has been feeling for years — and the motive or identity of the attacker doesn’t change that.” 

CAA’s Co-Executive Director Vincent Pan says, “400 million civilian-owned guns in America have not made us safer. We call on lawmakers at all levels to act immediately to address the proliferation of guns in our communities, and we demand that they do more to keep them out of the wrong hands.” 

Through our coalition, Chinese for Affirmative Action will continue to address the need for gun violence prevention and its impact on the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Gun control and violence prevention does not conflict with the 2nd Amendment and the U.S. Constitution. Our lawmakers must be held accountable for their failure to regulate guns for every second a life is taken at the hands of a mass shooter in the United States. 

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Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice. You can learn more about us at caasf.org.