Sacramento volunteers protect neighborhood elders on errands amid spike in anti-Asian hate

Volunteers assembled on Stockton Boulevard on a clear Thursday afternoon to keep an eye out for Sacramento’s Asian American and Pacific Islander residents as they did their daily shopping in Sacramento’s Little Saigon.

Working in pairs, the volunteers were part of the program launched Thursday by the Stockton Boulevard Association called “Safety on Stockton.” Community members can sign up to walk up and down the street, accompany elder Asians from the grocery store to their cars or simply greet residents at bus stops and outside stores, acting as an extra set of eyes for law enforcement in light of the recent spike in anti-Asian violence and attacks.

The idea, organizers said, is to proactively protect the city’s Asian residents and ease their anxieties about going out.

“We shouldn’t have to do it, but unfortunately the time has come where there’s a lot of violence against our minorities,” program leader Vincene Jones said. “I want to stop it before it starts.”

Volunteers can sign up for three-hour shifts from noon to 8:30 p.m. on SBA’s website. All volunteers work in pairs and are outfitted with whistles, walkie talkies and bright vests reading “SOS” for Safety on Stockton.

The program will run every Thursday through Saturday until June 26, with foot protection extending across the Little Saigon area of Stockton Boulevard bordered by 65th Street and Fruitridge Road.

It’s one of several similar programs that have popped up in Oakland and San Francisco’s Chinatown in recent weeks. Elk Grove is also preparing to launch a buddy program of its own, announced by Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen last month.

All serve the same purpose — to keep the most vulnerable Asian American residents, particularly the elderly, protected and with more peace of mind in their daily errands.

“Hopefully it gives someone a comfort level, the mom who shops at 7 (and says), ‘Oh, it’s getting late.’ If they want to come to the grocery market, they’ll know there’s someone on the lookout,” Jones said.

Patrolling Little Saigon’s supermarkets

Outside Wing Wa Supermarket, Sacramento State student and longtime SBA volunteer Selena Zuniga strolled around the parking lot with fellow volunteer Ernest Maharaj, greeting customers as they walked in. A toddler entered the store hand-in-hand with his mother, waving at Zuniga enthusiastically as he passed.

“What really brought me out here was, I’m from south Sacramento,” said Zuniga, who’s been trying to drum up more volunteers during her Zoom classes. “This is a really easy way for me to help out.”

Alex Hua, manager of Wing Wa Supermarket, said the community patrols are a “great start.” He’s been heartened to see Sacramento community members showing up for the AAPI community.

He’s not sure if any Asian residents will actually ask volunteers to accompany them, especially if English isn’t their first language, but he thinks patrolling will at least ease their minds and deter potential perpetrators.

“I think it’s going to be effective as long as we do it for a good period of time,” Hua said. “(Seeing attacks on elderly Asians) has been hurting us the most .... so for (SBA) to step up this fast is great.”

In addition to the buddy program, the SBA has installed security measures over the past few weeks such as more Police Operated Devices, which send security footage straight to the SBA.

Community-driven efforts are preferable to increased policing, said volunteer and Iu-Mien Community Services executive director Kao Saephanh. For one thing, some Asians tend to be wary of law enforcement and residents could feel more uncomfortable than protected if multiple officers patrolled their neighborhoods, Saephanh said.

He and SBA board member Marlon Lara made slow loops around Vinh Phat Supermarket, striking up conversation with shoppers outside. The point, both said, is to show AAPI residents that there are people in the community looking out for them and standing against hate simply by acting as a visible line of defense.

“This is my neighborhood. My family still lives here,” Saephanh said. “Violence in our community is not a new thing. Many look at our community as easy targets ... so it’s good to have allies.

“We’re not crime fighters. But if it deters one person from being a victim, it’s worth it.”

This story was originally published April 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM.