The Community Mourns as Violence Erupts in A-Town in East San Jose

Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil in memory of Vincent Tran Le.

The piercing sounds of police sirens scream across the dark streets of East San Jose. Frantic phone calls, late night knocks bang on at the doors. Neighbors gasp at what just happened on the streets of their neighborhood. Hours later red tape and forensic markers cover the neighborhood “blocc” of A-Town, a region of small apartments spread around Avalani Drive. Over twenty police officers surround the streets as other community members slowly wake up to police siren lights and the chatter of Cambodian and Latino neighbors.

The San Jose Mercury News diligently blasts word of the homicide only hours afterwards on the internet. This was a week of violence, multiple homicides and shootings over a span of four days. The police walk around interrogating onlookers. Some were kind, many were rude.

Saturday May 28, 2011, marks the death of a loved member of the community – Vincent Tran Le. This was the day I lost a friend, a mentee, a little brother, and a homie. The community mourns as a young person in the neighborhood was stabbed to death. Just turned 18 and graduated from high school, a bright future lied ahead for this young individual.

In the pouring rain, the community floods together in a sea of candles held in their hands. Flowers placed at the site; a glowing picture of a recent graduation photo - everyone takes turns lighting incense and sending a prayer to our fallen friend. A single mother mourns as her first son's life was tragically cut short and stolen from her. Cambodian adults and elders gather and send prayers in Khmer. Vietnamese adults stand in shock that one of their own was slain right in the backyard of their community. Smoke and lights light up the sky as fireworks are launched in his memory. The following evenings, the neighborhood echoed with gunfire. Children and elders in the neighborhood worry, the police don't always respond to the gunfire. It occurred so many times that many wouldn't call the police or assumed someone else already called.

The following days SJPD presence can be clearly seen, yet they still didn't prevent the gunfire that occurred each night. Instead, they have been constantly pulling over and harassing members of the victim's community. There has been a good hand full of officers that are giving SJPD a really bad name -- treating the victim's community like criminals. The past few days some of SJPD have racially profiled and pulled over residents, illegally searched residents cars, forced the community to remove the altar of flowers and candles for the victim, insulted residents for being poor - for being on government support, insulted the victim that had just passed away, threw away people's belongings, and harassed and pulled over the victim’s younger brother.

In my eyes, SJPD looks a lot like a gang right now (now legally described as a group of three or more with a similar identifying symbol, sign or color engaging in a pattern of criminal activity).

Many outsiders often see neighborhoods in the Eastside as dangerous areas infested with gangs. What most don't understand is many are born into these communities, but do they understand the complexity of the violence. There are some areas where children grow up and witness homicides and rival neighborhoods run up on their blocc and randomly shoot or stab people. Many victims are often young or just have friends in gangs. This is the reality and struggle of the streets. Almost all street gangs were formed due to protection from racism, surviving in poverty and a failing education system. A person has fewer choices of places to live growing up in poverty.

To Vincent: you will never be forgotten. The children of the neighborhood will always remember your smile and the countless times you spent your money buying them food and candy from street vendors. Your family will never forget you. The community came together and put up an altar in your memory. Candles were lit for days, thousands of prayers and incense sticks burned in your memory. We pulled together to raise money for your family through candlelight vigils, BBQs, marches through the streets, store donation boxes, school donation boxes, car washes, and the list keeps going. We are a family, and family takes care of each other. It is clear that you are loved.

May your soul be at rest in paradise.