Amid Tragedies, Hope Is Emerging For Older AAPI/Chinese Americans
A Message from Amanda Lee,
CEO and Co-Founder of Happy 50 Plus Foundation
On Saturday 1/21/2023 night, right at the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebration, a gunman entered a dance studio in Monterey Park, CA and opened fire, killing 11 individuals and wounding at least 9 others.
The shooting occurred in a prosperous community of which the majority of the population identify as Asian American. Monterey Park is the hometown for many members of Happy 50 Plus. They live in Monterey Park or neighboring cities, many frequent the dance studio.
Fortunately, none of our members was hurt, but many knew the victims, wounded or deceased.
One of Happy 50 plus’ members, Connie C, shared, “I have lived in Monterey Park for over 20 years. I live just a few minutes from the dance studio, and I went there two to three times a week to meet with friends. On the night of the tragic shooting, I planned to meet with a girlfriend, but she changed her mind last minute. So, I decided to go to a concert in Pasadena instead. I was shocked when I learned about the shooting late that night. While I felt lucky that I was not there, I knew most of the people who were deceased or wounded and I am still in shock and sadden after so many days.”
Connie also posted several videos and pictures when she was dancing with friends at the studio, reminding us a happier times.
While we grieve for the victims of the mass shooting in Monterey Park, we are also mourning the seven victims of the shooting in Half Moon Bay.
To better facilitate the recovery of our community, Happy 50 plus’ immediate focus is tightening our collaboration with community organizations, Federal and State government agencies, city governments and mental health clinicians to help support the victims, their families, our members and the communities.
The hurt is heartfelt. The pain is real. But, as our Rep. Judy Chu said on January 22, 2022, “We’re A Resilient Community!”
If there is anything we’ve learned from our long history of resilience, we know in our hearts that we can get through tragedy when we stand together, supporting each other where it’s needed the most.
And, just like many challenges we’ve faced before, we will get through this.
After the shooting incident in Monterey Park, Happy 50 Plus immediately referred our members to the Chinese-speaking clinicians from the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department. We also shared various resource directories compiled by Governor Newsom’s office, California Department of Aging, AAPI Equity Alliance, and other organizations.
From immediate support for victims, mental health resources, legal services, resources for victims of domestic violence, anti-AAPI hate, to many other types of assistance available to heal our community.
Moving forward, Happy 50 Plus shall continue to be the one-stop portal to help address the mental health and social determinants of health needs among older AAPI/Chinese Americans.
With the two recent mass shootings and the one in Laguna Woods, CA in May 2022, on top of numerous hideous hate crimes committed against elderly Asian Americans before and during the pandemic, we can no longer overlook the need and severe lack of mental health support, particularly among older Asian immigrants.
Experts have long noted that there are limited, if any, culturally competent, language-friendly mental health services available to help Asian immigrants recognize, cope, or simply discuss their unique concerns.
We would like to take the matter into our hands, now better and more important than ever, by continuing our innovative, language-friendly and culturally competent engagement methods.
Happy 50 plus will continue to assist our 10,000+ members and the broader, elderly Chinese American communities, building up awareness for mental health and providing further access to solutions and other useful resources for their aging and daily living. All hands are on deck.
Happy 50 Plus sincerely invites legislators, healthcare providers, academics, community leaders and nonprofit organizations to work together and see how we can help our AAPI/Chinese American older adults to achieve a healthier, happier and more fulfilling aging experience!
🤝相互扶持挺過悲痛 亞裔社區希望萌芽🌱
樂活50加共同創辦人及執行長 Amanda Lee 給亞裔社區的關懷和祝福 籲重視中老齡移民的身心健康：
2023年1月21日，正當農曆春節的慶祝活動熱鬧展開，一位年逾七旬的槍手闖入蒙特利公園市的舞蹈教室，冷血奪去11條寶貴的性命，造成至少9位舞友受傷。
一向和平友善的南加亞裔社區傳出槍擊案，震驚全美。蒙特利公園市是許多樂活50加會員定居的城市，許多會員長年居住在此、或鄰近的城市，也時常光顧發生不幸事件的舞蹈教室。
所幸，樂活50加的會員皆平安無事。但許多人都認識死者或受傷的舞友，也與我們分享案發後的心路歷程。
在此，樂活50加向蒙特利公園市與北加半月灣槍擊案的死傷者及其家屬致上最誠摯的追悼與關懷。
槍擊案對社區造成長期的後續效應。但就如代表蒙特利公園市的國會議員趙美心所說，「我們的社區堅毅不屈！」從我們離鄉背井的移民奮鬥史就能體會到：當我們站在一起，在最需要的時候相互支持，不論多艱難的考驗我們都能攜手克服。
樂活50加第一時間提供洛杉磯縣心理健康部門的中文諮詢資訊，以及其他機構提供的服務，包括來自州長辦公室、加州老齡部門、亞裔平權組織等，他們提供我們的社區非常多元服務，有受害者心理照護、法律服務、家暴受害者資源、亞裔仇視犯罪等。
我們也將繼續提供亞裔中老齡社區一站式的資源服務，幫助大家挺過各種困難，不論是心理療癒、健康老化等各種挑戰。
今年兩起加上去年5月在拉古納伍茲的槍擊案，以及疫情前後接連發生的亞裔仇恨犯罪，讓我們知道不能再忽視亞裔中老齡社區的心理健康。專家也多次點出社會上嚴重缺乏懂亞裔文化、語言的心理諮商服務，有效幫助亞裔中老齡朋友認識、接受治療、甚至討論他們獨特背景帶來的巨大壓力。
不幸悲劇接連發生，是時候站出來正視亞裔年長社區的心理健康，並提供文化及語言適當的諮商服務。
樂活50加將持續協助我們逾萬名的會員、以及廣大的華裔年長社區， 正確認識並重視心理健康的重要，連結政府、社區既有的資源，大家齊心協力，全體出動。
我們也將邀請立法人員、醫療服務人員、研究學者、社區領袖與各大非營利組織，共同合作照顧亞裔年長社區，打造更健康、更快樂的退休生活。
祝福大家平安健康，新年快樂！
Amanda
Immediate Resources for Victims
GoFundMe: Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims Fund
This campaign is organized by AAPI-serving community-based organizations to support the victims of the Monterey Park shooting. Donate at gofund.me/f804bb72
Victim and Survivor Resource Center-
Operated by LA County, City of Monterey Park, American Red Cross, and others to provide on-the-ground mental health services, crisis response teams, and victim services. Mandarin
and Cantonese interpretation available. Open daily 8am-7pm at the
Langley Senior Citizen Center, 400 W Emerson Ave, Monterey Park, CA. (626) 307-1388
Mandarin-Speaking Funeral Homes
● Rose Hills-Alhambra, 550 E Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801, (626) 299-3000
● Forest Lawn, 11 East Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91006, 1 (888) 689-8888
● Universal Chung Wah Funeral, 225 N Garfield Ave, Alhambra, CA 91801, (626)
281-7887
Mental Health
Chinatown Service Center
The nonprofit, which provides services for immigrants and other communities in LA County, offers trauma counseling to community members.
(213) 808-1700; https://www.cscla.org/
Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Centers
Mental health center in LA County meeting the needs of Asian Pacific immigrants and refugees. Services available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Spanish.
Behavioral health and outpatient clinical services provided at Alhambra location: 1635 West Main St., Suite 100, Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 248-1800, M-F 8:30am-5:00pm; https://www.apctc.org/
Pacific Asian Counseling Services
PACS provides culturally sensitive and language specific mental health and other services, with expertise in immigrant Asian Pacific Islander populations. Their mental health program, Renewal Spaces, offer listening sessions after traumatic events and are led by trained API co-facilitators. Renewal Spaces is offered in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean,
Japanese, Khmer, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
(310) 259-7604; https://pacsla.org/
St. Mary Medical Center – Families in Good Health
FiGH builds capacity within the community to enable informed and knowledgeable choices, in order to prevent and/or delay the onset of disease and/or social dysfunction; to access needed health and social services; and to improve quality of life. Service included: mental health, education, home visitation, case management, and support groups. Service in English, Spanish, and Khmer. (562) 491-9100;
https://www.dignityhealth.org/socal/locations/stmarymedical/about-us/community-benefit
s/families-in-good-health
Asian Mental Health Collective
If you have been directly affected by the shootings and are in need of emotional support,
please reach out to therapy@asianmhc.org so AMHC may connect you with a mental health
provider. If you are an Asian mental health provider interested in offering your support to
those impacted, please contact AMHC at therapy@asianmhc.org for more info on how to
help.
https://www.asianmhc.org/
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
LACDMH supports the wellbeing of county residents and communities through crisis services, mental health referrals, and emotional support. (800) 854-7771; https://dmh.lacounty.gov/covid-19-information/
National Alliance on Mental Illness
NAMI Urban Los Angeles (NULA) provides education about severe brain disorders, supports
increased funding for research, and advocates for adequate health insurance, housing
rehabilitation, and jobs for people with serious psychiatric illnesses in communities of
color. (323) 294-7814; https://www.namiurbanla.org/resources
Asian Mental Health Collective
Searchable directory of AAPI therapists in US & Canada.
https://www.asianmhc.org/
Open Path Collective
Nonprofit network of mental health professionals providing in-office and online mental
health care. https://openpathcollective.org/
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress and prevention and crisis
resources.
Dial 988 or chat online at https://988lifeline.org/chat/
Legal
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Legal advice, case navigation and direct representation through helplines in 7 Asian languages and dialects, plus referrals to other organizations and government agencies.
https://www.ajsocal.org/
Direct Language Support Lines:
English: (888) 349-9695
普通话/广东话 Chinese: (800) 520-2356
한국어 Korean: (800) 867-3640
TAGALOG: (855) 300-2552
हि न्दी Hindi: (855) 971-2552
ภาษาไทย Thai: (800) 914-9583
TIẾNG VIỆT Vietnamese: (714) 477-2958
Asian Pacific Islander Community Outreach Project | Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)
Free legal assistance through Asian language hotlines providing advice, direct representation, and referrals.
https://lafla.org/get-help/asian-pacific-islander-outreach/
Direct Language Support Lines:
普通话/广东话 | Chinese: (323) 801-7912
Tiếng Việt | Vietnamese: (323) 801-7923
한국어 | Korean: (323) 801-7987
日本語 | Japanese: (323) 801-7913
ភាសាខ្មរ | Khmer: (562) 304-2535
English, español (Spanish), and all other languages: (800) 399-4529
St. Johns Community Health: Legal Services Department
Offers U-Visa assessments to anyone impacted by the Monterey Park shooting, hate crime/hate incident assessments, and law enforcement advocacy. Services offered in-language upon request.
(213) 646-2657 (Vanessa) and (323) 740-2945 (Perla); https://www.wellchild.org/
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
NLSLA provides direct legal services, case management and navigation, and referrals in Asian languages for LA County residents. Services are offered in-language through their
team of advocates and an on-demand language line.
(626) 307-3643 or email stopthehate@nlsla.org; https://nlsla.org/
Domestic Violence
Center for the Pacific Asian Family
CPAF provides domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse services within the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Islander (API) community. A 24-Hour multilingual helpline is available
at 1-800-339-3940. https://nurturingchange.org/
Supported languages:
○ 繁體中文
○ 한국어
○ 日本語
○ Tagalog
○ Tiếng Việt
○ ខ្មរ
○ हि न्दी
○ ไทย
Anti-AAPI Hate
211/LA vs Hate
An LA County initiative, 211 LA is a hotline for victims or witnesses to report acts of bullying or incidents motivated by hate or discrimination, and to be connected with local services.
211; https://211la.org/
311/LA for ALL
Residents of LA City can report hate crimes and hate incidents by calling 3-1-1, visiting myla311.lacity.org, or using the MyLA311 app. You can report anonymously and be provided access to further community-based and crisis care resources.
311; https://civilandhumanrights.lacity.org/laforall
CA vs. Hate Resource Line and Network
A non-emergency hate incident and hate crime reporting hotline and online portal
established by California’s Civil Rights Department to support individuals and communities
across the state targeted for hate.
(833) 866-4283; stophate@calcivilrights.ca.gov; stophate.calcivilrights.ca.gov/s/
● Information for anyone targeted for hate about their legal rights and resources for enforcing their rights: Hate Violence | CRD (ca.gov); https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/hateviolence/
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