'Silence Is Not Acceptable:' City Leaders Condemn Anti-Asian Hate, Rally Around South Sacramento Business Owner
SOUTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — There's new support for the Asian community after the discovery of a dead cat in a South Sacramento butcher's parking lot.
There were defiant chants outside Mad Butcher Meat Company in South Sacramento Tuesday morning as elected officials and church leaders rallied around business owner, Kelly Shum.
"Asian Americans have always been talking about what's been happening to us. We just needed you to listen," Shum said.
Last week surveillance cameras captured a man dumping a dead mangled cat on their property. That man, who has not been named a suspect by police in the case, was later seen inside the store.
Shum says the racial jokes and inappropriate comments during the pandemic have been overwhelming.
"Obviously the last year has been very, very difficult and it is now escalated, unfortunately, to this level," Shum said.
Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra joined councilwoman Mai Vang to address this attack and others.
"We see this happen way too often and that's why we have to confront it head-on," Guerra said.
Vang is proposing a resolution to condemn Anti-Asian hate that promises to fight racism as a city and community.
"In the wake of ongoing protests for racial justice, our communities in the city and across the state are demanding change from institutions," Vang said.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg agreed, adding "The message of silence is not acceptable. We speak up and we speak out."
Steinberg and other council members apologized to Shum and her family and had this message: "You attack the Asian Pacific Islander community, you attack all of us."
A show of solidarity that Shum says will provide healing
"Thank you so much for listening to us and thank you for listening to me and supporting me through this. It has meant everything," said Shum.
The resolution will be brought up at Tuesday's city council meeting but not formally voted on until next week's meeting. The hate crime incident is still under investigation by Sacramento Police, with no suspects being named yet.
