OAKLAND, California — The 8th annual United Against Hate week launched Oct. 16 morning, with the unveiling of the “Together We Rise” mural in this city’s Chinatown.
The powerful imagery — which can be viewed at 993 Jackson Street in Oakland — was inspired by Chinese mythology. It features a Chinese dragon rising from the water, holding a peace symbol in one claw and the globe in the other. The mural was created by the Illuminaries Artist Collective, which has created large-scale outdoor artwork for other buildings throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego.
Overcoming Adversity
Romali Licudan, one of the four artists who created the mural, spoke about its symbolism. “The dragon represents the strength and honor of the people of our community. The creature rising out of the water represents the power to overcome adversity and hate,” he said.
To tie in the diversity of cultures that call Oakland their home, the artists wrote in different languages at the bottom of the mural and painted a panther within the shoulder of the dragon, a reference to the Black Panther movement.
Artist Tim Hon, another contributor to the mural, noted the roots at the bottom of the image. “Roots seek out water to strengthen a tree,” he said, evoking the symbolism of disparate elements within a community coming together to strengthen its base.
Justin Lock, executive director of Not In Our Town said the mural “stands as a symbol of lifting each other up, despite differences. It shows that we are unafraid to lead.”
Attacks on Asian Seniors
Oakland’s Chinatown has been the epicenter of hate crimes against the elderly. The Asian American community here felt especially vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic when anti-Asian bias spiked. Several incidents sprung up of seniors being knocked to the ground. Two in 2021 were fatal.
Nearly half of all AAPIs in California — 3.1 million — have experienced a hate crime or incident over the past 4 years, noted a report released in July by the organization Stop AAPI Hate. Asian Americans in Chinatown have organized community patrols, volunteers who walk together each evening to ensure the safety of residents.
Oakland city council member Charlene Wang said she has always struggled with fighting the feeling of invisibility. “Will anyone care about the issues of my community,” she queried.
Fomenting Hate
State Sen Jesse Arreguin, former mayor of Berkeley who now represents Oakland in the California state Senate, helped to found United Against Hate Week 8 years ago, when “neo-Nazis were marching on our streets.”
The atmosphere remains the same today, said Arreguin, noting that a “sea of hate” arises across the country, fomented by the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.
”This is not American. We welcome everyone here, and embrace diversity, which makes our communities stronger,” he said. In an interview with American Community Media on the sidelines of the event, Arreguin noted the slow pace at which hate crimes move through the justice system and pledged to devote more resources to prosecutors.
Justice Delayed
As United Against Hate Week is commemorated Oct. 19-25, two women in San Francisco will anxiously await the outcomes of long-delayed trials for family members killed in what appeared to be hate crimes. Keonte Gathron, 25, is on trial for the murder of 88-year-old ‘Grandma’ Yik Oi Huang, who was brutally beaten on Jan. 8, 2019, at a park in San Francisco. Huang’s granddaughter Sasanna Yee has been a fierce advocate for justice in the case.
Monthanus Ratanapakdee is awaiting a trial date in the case of her father, Vicha Ratanapakdee. On Jan. 28, 2021 morning, the elderly man was walking around his neighborhood in San Francisco, when he was forcefully pushed to the ground, allegedly by 19-year-old Antoine Watson. Ratanapakdee was taken to the ER and died two days later from a brain hemorrhage.
Neither case has been charged as a hate crime.
At the Oct. 16 gathering, hip hop artist J Walt shared a powerful spoken word piece written for the commemoration, which can be viewed below.
California vs Hate launched in 2023 as the state’s first multilingual hotline and resource network, providing safe, confidential reporting and connecting victims and witnesses to legal, financial, mental health, and community-based support without requiring engagement with the criminal legal system. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time. Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline.
“Hate isn’t going anywhere, and we also know that far too many people are afraid to speak out,” said California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Secretary Tomiquia Moss before the mural was unveiled. “Whether it’s distrust in law enforcement, fear of retaliation, a concern that nothing will be done, or a lack of language services, people are not necessarily reporting what is happening to them
“But that’s why California vs Hate was built as a tool to help fill that gap,” she said.
