Filipino hate crime victims in S. California still seeking justice

Participants of the Stop Asian Hate symposium gather at Veterans Park in Carson for a photo after the event. SIKLAB

More than a hundred community members and local elected officials recently held a #StopAsianHate forum at Veterans Park in Carson, California to give Filipino American hate crime victims the opportunity to share how the attacks have affected their lives.

Survivors of anti-Asian hate crime Nerissa Roque, Gabriel Roque, Nicanor Arriola and Julienne Ochengco also expressed their frustration with several governmental bodies for alleged unfair treatment or lack of support, while they also thanked the community for its overwhelming support.

Members of Kabataan Alliance, the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), and Filipino Migrant Center have continued to give them support in their quest to bring perpetrators to justice.

The Roque family was verbally and physically attacked in a drive-thru in the San Fernando Valley over a year ago, while Nicanor Arriola, a photojournalist who had been covering the Roque case, and his wife Julienne Ochengo, were also brutally attacked in Sacramento in February.

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Gabriel Roque, 63, shared his dismay at the court’s decision to drop the hate crime charge against suspect Nicholas Webber. Gabriel’s wife, Nerissa, criticized the Philippine Consulate and US authorities for not helping them.

Nicanor Arriola, President of the Asian American Press Club, described his and his wife, Julienne’s, experience during their recovery from the attack in Sacramento.

“It was hard to stand up from the bed, with six broken ribs, and lots of abrasions and bruises. It was hard for me; especially for Julienne, who had difficulty walking around the house due to her injuries,” Arriola revealed.

“Julienne would often cry out of fear, worried that our assailants would find our home and attack us once again.”

Panelists decried the lack of support and resources for victims who are often faced with navigating complicated systems on their own to receive help.

The Roques and Arriola-Ochengos thanked grassroots community support from across California.