False racism allegations become political weapon against Elk Grove’s Sikh mayor
Bobbie Singh-Allen made history last year when she became the first Sikh American to get elected mayor of Elk Grove. She defeated Steve Ly, an incumbent who made history as America’s first Hmong mayor in 2016.
Ly’s supporters waged a bitter campaign against Singh-Allen, with some labeling her as a racist and making threats. “Hope you die slow,” wrote one Ly supporter in a Facebook message.
Beating Ly only intensified the attacks. On Friday, a group calling itself Elk Grove Hmong Americans issued a public letter accusing the mayor of “anti-Asian attacks on Hmong Americans” and threatening a recall campaign unless she resigns.
The allegations are completely unfounded. They are also absurd since Singh-Allen is south Asian. Being a member of a minority group, however, doesn’t protect you from false accusations by those determined to use racism as a political weapon.
I’m familiar with the tactic. After I criticized Sacramento City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela for remaining silent about a violent attack on Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s home in February, some of her defenders suggested I was motivated by racism.
Of course, Valenzuela and I both share Latino heritage. As a journalist, it’s my job to hold politicians accountable regardless of their ethnicity. I’ve also written critically about Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Sen. Alex Padilla and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.
“What’s the use of having a Latino editor?” asked one former legislator on Twitter after I criticized Padilla and endorsed the idea that Gov. Gavin Newsom should have appointed a Black woman to fill Kamala Harris’ vacant senate seat.
I believe it’s my job to do good journalism. If I were to write only positive things about Latino politicians, I’d fail. Being Chicano makes me more sensitive to issues affecting communities of color, but it’s ridiculous to suggest that I should always agree with other Latinos.
A diversity of beliefs exist within diverse communities and identity doesn’t always equal destiny in politics. Some Latinos voted for Donald Trump. When Kamala Harris defeated Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 U.S. Senate race, she did so with support from Latino voters. In the 2020 election, Black voters preferred Joe Biden to Harris.
Racism remains a serious and systemic problem. In a state where Latino, Black and Asian leaders increasingly hold positions of power, however, not every critique is rooted in prejudice.
Last month, a group of Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders wrote a letter accusing The Sacramento Bee of using “negative stereotypes” in a story about an Asian American community leader. The alleged offense? The Bee, along with the Center for Investigative Reporting, had examined how nonprofits connected to Speaker Rendon’s wife, Annie Lam, have raked in donations from Rendon’s political donors.
The story was fair, yet Lam’s defenders tried to tie the story to an “unprecedented spike in hate crimes directed at” Asians.
Please. When a powerful politician’s spouse appears to be profiting from his status, newspapers will write about it, regardless of their race. It’s offensive to use false allegations of racism as a shield against legitimate criticism — or as a weapon against political opponents.
This is especially true when the person being accused is a woman of color like Singh-Allen.
“I’m an Asian American woman and I’m a champion for communities of color and for immigrants — because I am one,” said Singh-Allen, who immigrated from India. “We need to be tackling real racism in the community and not spreading these lies.”
Yes, it’s possible for people of color to be racist. In January, for example, I wrote about a Latino jiujitsu instructor in Sacramento who left a racist voicemail for a Black man. Mayor Singh-Allen’s only offense, however, was defeating a Hmong politician in an election.
Shame on those who can’t tell the difference between bigotry and accountability — or who purposely conflate the two for political gain.
This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.