Say their names: Number of Filipino Americans who have died at the hads of police is shocking

OPINION

It was the video of George Floyd that allowed America to watch a man gasp his last breathe that spurred a summer of demonstrations and calls for police reform and even "defund" law enforcement.

Floyd's death also reminded America of other African Americans who died at the hands of the police, starting with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dion Johnson, and so many more.

Now we can add the names of Filipino Americans Laudemer Arboleda, Warren Ragudo, Bernie Villegas,  AJ Devillena, Mharloun Vverdejo Saycon, Mylene de Leon, and the latest victim, Angelo Quinto.

EJR David and Kevin Nadal wrote an article in Medium about the race-based violence and the death of Quinto who died after an Antioch, CA police officer placed his knee on his neck, the same technique that killed George Floyd. The authors compiled the list of Filipino American victims of recent police violence.

They wrote:

"Recent examples include 33 year-old Laudemer Arboleda, whose “suspiciousness” caused Danville, CA residents to call 911. Though he was not engaging in any criminal activity, nor was he armed, police chased him and shot him while in his car without any verbal warning. Warren Ragudo was a 34 year-old man in Daly City, CA, whose family called 911 after he began acting strangely. Upon using a taser gun on him twice, Ragudo stopped breathing and died. Family members say the officers did not even perform CPR on him. In Anaheim, CA, 36 year-old Bernie Villegas was killed by police after reports of a “suspected drug dealer” wielding a shotgun; after killing him, it was discovered that Villegas was carrying a BB gun. Then there were AJ Devillena (a 22 year-old war veteran in Palm Springs, CA) — who was believed to be drunk — and Mharloun Verdejo Saycon (a 39 year-old in Long Beach, CA) — a person diagnosed with schizophrenia described as “acting erratically” — who were both shot and killed by police officers. There was also Mylene de Leon Scott, a 38 year-old Filipina American from Virginia who was shot by police after her coworkers called 911 for her “strange” behavior."

This blog wrote about some of their individual deaths and other news outlets wrote about the incidents that caused their deaths. However, when put together in one paragraph, it becomes evident that Filipino Americans have become victimized by police force much in the way African Americans have been telling us for -- well, for centuries.

Perhaps, because the Filipino victims are Asians, no one, -- mainstream media, included, -- could believe police were acting out their racial biases when they confront the Filipino Americans.

I hate to say racism may be behind the way Antioch police responded to Quinto's crisis, or the fact it took a month before APD issued a press release about Quinto's death, or that it has been almost three months and no cause of death has been determined. But can we be blamed for wondering? 

I want to thank David and Nadal for putting the names of the Filipino American victims of police violence together. Individually, their stories are sad for family, friends and coworkers. But when listed together, it's shocking and should ring alarm bells with all AAPI communities.

Is their something more sinister at play?

Critics might say using the the "race card" in these incidents is an overreaction. Use of the term "race card" is a way of minimalizing very real concerns and pain.

Seeing the names of the Filipino American victims of police violence should make AAPI see the parallels with the Black Lives Matter movement. In fact, as the surge in anti-Asian hate incidents have shown, we have plenty in common with Black Lives Matter and more reason to strengthen the bonds between communities of color.