CNN
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A road in San Francisco will now be renamed after a 84-year-old man whose dying introduced nationwide consideration to the rise of anti-Asian hate final 12 months.
Metropolis officers authorised a decision to rename Sonora Lane as “Vicha Ratanapakdee Lane” earlier this 12 months. The brand new road signal was put in final week – however an official ceremony organized by his household and supporters might be held on Saturday.
Vicha Ratanapakdee was strolling within the Anza Vista neighborhood the morning of January 28, 2021, when a person ran throughout the road and violently shoved him to the bottom. He by no means regained consciousness after the assault, his household stated.
Ratanapakdee had moved to the US from Thailand to assist elevate his two grandsons years in the past. He was well-known within the neighborhood as a result of he walked outside for hours every morning.
The incident that led to Ratanapakdee’s dying was one in every of quite a few assaults in opposition to Asian Individuals reported throughout the nation lately and amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The assault, which was captured by surveillance video, brought about public outrage, prompted artists to color murals and portraits of Ratanapakdee, and activists made his title a rallying cry.
“This horrific incident was one in every of a number of mindless assaults in opposition to members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander neighborhood right here within the San Francisco — our buddies and neighbors mustn’t should worry the unthinkable once they stroll our streets,” stated Catherine Stefani, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors whose district contains the Anza Vista neighborhood.
A 19-year-old man has been charged with homicide and elder abuse in reference to Ratanapakdee’s dying. He has pleaded not responsible and the case stays pending.
Ratanapakdee’s household and Asian American activists have referred to as the assault a hate crime and stated it was a part of the spike in hate and violence in opposition to the neighborhood. However the case was not charged as a hate crime by San Francisco District Lawyer Chesa Boudin.
“It’s my hope, our hope that the Vicha Ratanapakdee Method reminds future generations that violence in opposition to our Asian neighborhood, particularly the elders, has no extra place in our society,” Ratanapakdee’s daughter, Monthanus, instructed CNN. “We would like everybody to return collectively, collect collectively and encourage leaders to cease Asian hate.”
Monthanus Ratanapakdee stated the road renaming may be very significant for her household, particularly for her 70-year-old mom who continues to be afraid to stroll on the road.
Since her father’s dying, she has devoted a lot of her time to share his story within the hopes that it may assist people who find themselves afraid to report assaults come ahead and get Asian Individuals equal rights.
“My father’s legacy must be that Asian Individuals deserve equal rights,” Monthanus Ratanapakdee stated. “I’m so proud that my father’s story has impressed a brand new technology of Asian American activism.”