How Asian Americans are coping with the Monterey Park shooting

Published January 23, 2023 at 12:06 PM EST

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Flowers are placed at the entrance to Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Calif., Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. Authorities searched for a motive for the gunman who killed 10 people at the ballroom dance club during Lunar New Year celebrations, slayings that sent a wave of fear through Asian American communities and cast a shadow over festivities nationwide. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

The Lunar New Year is supposed to be a time of joy across Asian cultures, to welcome good luck. But it’s getting off to a somber start this year after a mass shooting over the weekend in Monterey Park, California.

A gunman killed at least 10 people and injured at least 10 others during a celebration at a ballroom dance hall. Investigators say the motive is unclear and that the gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Event organizers in some cities are now canceling Lunar New Year events, or they’re beefing up security as a precaution.

Here & Now‘s Deepa Fernandes speaks with Josie Huang, who reports on Asian American communities in Southern California for KPCC.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.