May 13, 2009

  • My commute to work involves driving to a light rail station, taking a light rail train to downtown Sacramento, and then walking from the light rail stop to my building, a total of about thirty minutes. The train is usually about half full, and there is plenty of room. Yesterday, however, was very different.

    As drove into the light rail station parking lot, I noticed that the parking lot was almost full. I parked at one of the furthest spots and turned to walk toward the tracks when I noticed hundreds of people with black bottoms and white tops. They appeared to be all Southeast Asian, but I did not want to assume. They were of all ages, from babies to the elderly, all genders, and all shades.

    They stood in lines to purchase light rail tickets, waiting patiently, but intensely. They wanted to get to their destination. When the train came, the line had only shortened a little. The train was soon full anyway, and the other passengers would just have to wait for the next train.

    The train left, and as we approached the next station, the same image could be seen--hundreds of Southeast Asians, waiting to buy light rail tickets and board the train. The third light rail station was no different. At that moment, my curiosity led me to ask one of the black-and-white clad individuals what was going on.

    She responded that they were going to the Sacramento courthouse to march and demand the dropping of charges against Major General Pao Vang and ten other defendants. I was familiar with General Vang, as he is being accused for plotting to overthrow the government in Laos. From what I know of him, he is a leader of the Hmong community and has vocally opposed human rights violations in Laos. In further research, the defense is claiming misconduct by the government to build a case against the defendants.

    It was a privilege to witness first hand the amount of political involvement these individuals have, to see them rally, and to read and hear about them in the news. One article I read commented that the rally was comparable to the civil rights actions led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez during the civil rights era.

    Could it be that we are entering into another one of those eras? In my mind, there has always been people fighting for civil rights, particularly because true equality has not been reached yet. To think that a larger movement is afoot gives me chills.