Sonney Chong, leader in Sacramento’s Asian American community, dies at 76
Sonney Chong, a dentist by trade who devoted his life in Sacramento to the Asian American community, died just before Christmas, at the age of 76.
A cause for the sudden death was not available, Chong’s daughter Kimberly Chong said.
“He loved the community so much,” said Kimberly Chong. “Everyone says it, but he also really loved helping not just the API community, but people in general.”
In many ways, he was like the “unofficial mayor” of Sacramento’s Asian American community, said Bill Wong, a well-known Sacramento political consultant. Chong was known to extend a helping hand with community efforts, like the creation of Council of Asian Pacific Islanders Together for Advocacy and Leadership, which united more than 90 AAPI groups in Sacramento through events. He was seen as the glue that held everybody together, Wong said.
“He was such a unique and inspiring leader who was humble and generous,” Wong said. “He had put so many other people ahead of himself with regards to lifting communities up. I don’t know if there’s anybody that could ever take that place.”
Chong, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1971, was regarded as selfless by many of his closest friends. He was known for his kindness and dedication to uplifting those around him. Joyce Eng, who was longtime friends with Chong will always remember him for this smile that lit up every room he walked into. Eng also served with Chong on the Chinese American Council of Sacramento.
“He got along with everybody,” Eng said. “He just had that magnetic personality that attracts people to talk to him. He was a likable person and was very compassionate in whatever he pursued.”
Chong moved to Sacramento in the 1980s, after receiving a dentistry degree from the Washington School of Dental Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri. When he arrived in Sacramento, Chong volunteered and became active in the Asian community, serving decades with the Chinese American Council of Sacramento.
Chong was seen as an icon in the Sacramento community, said Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove. You’d think he was a celebrity because everyone would stop to greet him, she said.
“He made it his goal to help people out if that’s what they wanted to do,” Nguyen said. “He loved building connections. He loved introducing people. That was one of his strong points. It was connecting us all together in whatever way possible.”
If you wanted to get involved in helping Sacramento become better, you went to Chong, Nguyen said. He spent his career in Sacramento advising the city’s leaders on how to serve their constituents, taking an active role in bettering the region. It had been that way for decades.
“He elevated all of our communities so that we can work with one another, but also fight the good fight together,” Nguyen said. “He did that not just because he saw that it was needed, but because he felt that it was the right thing to do.”
Sonney Chong’s leadership in Sacramento
Chong, born on Feb. 13, 1948, in San Francisco’s Chinatown, was described by his family and colleagues as someone who dedicated his life to helping others.
In 1987, Chong played an instrumental role in the Chinese American Council of Sacramento and was honored with The Frank Fat Founder’s Award.
When he created CAPITAL in 1997, the council served as an umbrella organization that helped Sacramento’s Asian groups collaborate and work together on responding to emergencies like hate crimes. The organization was described as a forum for organizations to meet “in a spirit of unity, friendship and mutual support.” CAPITAL was about empowerment and civic engagement for Sacramento’s Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Chong brought so many different Asian communities together, creating a space to be unified as a consolidated Asian American community, Wong said. Former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said CAPITAL was at the forefront of many important events in the region, always working on community efforts to respond to hate crimes that didn’t just affect Asian communities, but many underrepresented groups in the area.
“Sonney and CAPITAL were always present. They were always leading, always organizing to make sure that the community’s voice against any kind of hate was heard loud and clear,” Steinberg said.
Chong’s leadership expanded across Sacramento, serving the president of the board of directors for Asian Resources Inc.
He was also a board member for the California State Fair, Cal Expo Board of Directors, Sacramento State’s University Foundation, and was an active member of the Sacramento Outreach Community Advisory Board with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.
“Dr. Chong’s leadership extended beyond our boardroom—he was a mentor, friend and steadfast ally to all who had the privilege of working alongside him,” Asian Resources Inc. stated in a news release. “His passing leaves a void that will be deeply felt by the ARI family and the countless individuals whose lives he touched.”
Sonney’s son, Steven Chong, shared the news in a Dec. 24 Facebook post “with heartbreak and great sadness.”
“He is one of the great ones and is gone far too soon,” Steven said. “This comes as a devastating shock to the family, especially before Christmas. He always kept a positive attitude in the face of adversity and, in that spirit, we are trying to do the best we can during this difficult time. We ask that you give us some time and space to grieve and we will have more details when they become available.”
