'Really Sad & Pissed': Hundreds Gather To Show Solidarity For Asian Community In Denver

DENVER (CBS4) – Hundreds of people gathered at 20th Avenue and Blake Street Saturday evening to show solidarity for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community following the recent deadly spa shootings in Atlanta. Organizers of the candlelight vigil said the event was an opportunity to grieve the lives lost in Atlanta, as well as urge people to come together and understand the fears and concerns Asian Americans have felt for some time now.

Close to a dozen speakers addressed the crowd throughout the event. Many shared the frustrations and fears of their communities, as well as some personal experiences of racism and verbal abuse.

According to a new report released by Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Americans were subjected to nearly 3,800 hate incidents over the last year. Those incidents include reports of harassment and physical violence, as well as shunning.

"Asian Americans have been treated this way for over 100 years," one speaker said to the crowd.

The event happened just across the street from what was once Denver's Chinatown. In 1880, a fight broke out between a group of White men and two Chinese men. It escalated into Denver's first race riot.

In the end, one Chinese man named Look Young was hanged and several others were beaten. Almost all of the Chinese properties were destroyed, according to History Colorado.

"He was lynched on a light post while they shouted, 'stomp out the yellow plague,' one of the speakers said.

Peiying Wen, who is Chinese, came to the vigil to advocate for her community after the events in Atlanta.

"I'm really sad and pissed at what happened this week, but by no means was it a surprise to any of us," Wen said.

Moving forward she hopes more people will have some level of awareness of the hate directed toward her community. Over the past year, she's felt it firsthand.

"People will lower their car window and yell at me, '[expletive] Chinese, go back to your country,'" Wen said.

Pasha Eve, one of the organizers of the event, has experienced it too, and blames the nationwide rhetoric for its sharp increase.

"Every form of racism has been deemed okay it feels like," Eve said. "They've been given permission to come out of the closet."

Throughout Saturday's vigil, speakers urged Asian American community members, as well as allies to start speaking up about incidents of hate or violence.

"It's only by coming together in an intersectional way like this, and speaking up for one another, that we're going to be able to make real progress and move forward," said Eve.