On Saturday, Jan. 21, a gunman fatally shot 11 victims and injured several more at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey. Within 48 hours, another mass shooting took place in Half Moon Bay, taking the lives of seven individuals. Many of the victims were AAPI, as were the shooters; there has been no evidence that these crimes were racially motivated. 

These shootings come at a time of heightened violence against Asian Americans, however. According to AAPI Data, since the start of the pandemic about one in six Asian Americans experienced some form of hate incident, rising 339% from 2020 to 2021, reported the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Historically, violence breeds violence.

According to AAPI Data, since the start of the pandemic about one in six Asian Americans experienced some form of hate incident, rising 339% from 2020 to 2021.

“This is not a hate crime. It’s a crime that was violent against Americans,” said Rabbi Mira Rivera. Rivera is a part of Lunar Collective, an organization for Asian-American Jews. As a Filipino American who is Jewish, Rivera had respect for the diverse community of Queens, who she says has stood up for each other, whether that be for the Latin American or LGBTQ+ communities. 

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