Following the shooting tragedy in Monterey Park, California, last month, victims’ families say they will use their spotlight as guests at the State of the Union to discuss the impact of gun violence on their Asian American community.
Brandon Tsay, who is attending as President Biden’s guest and who disarmed a mass shooter at a packed dance hall, said he’s had to contend with subsequent trauma from the incident.
“I still live in an anxious, fearful state where I want to project my feelings and emotions to connect with other human beings. And currently, I found the strength to find some professional help,” Tsay, 26, told NBC News, saying that he has attended several therapy sessions since the tragedy.
Tsay said that seeking help isn’t common in the Asian American community, but the shooting has changed his perspective.
“In my environment, growing up, I feel that I was reinforced [with] the idea that I should … be strong, keep your feelings bottled up and try to be the male, dominant person in your house,” Tsay said. “But now that I have somewhat had time to process, I know now that I need to seek professional help because these feelings that came about with this situation are too much of a burden to bear by myself.”
Juily Phun, niece of Muoi Dai Ung, who was killed in the Jan. 21 shooting, will be a guest of Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., and said her message is to not overlook the Asian American community’s needs.
“What we can do is to advocate, and to advocate on behalf of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders so that this doesn’t happen,” Phun told NBC News. “This is a beautiful city. But the way that it can be more beautiful, the way that it can be more wonderful and diverse, is that there are resources for the kind of complex community that we have.”
It’s been roughly two weeks since the shooting that left 11 people dead, and processing the tragedy has been difficult for both State of the Union guests. Tsay opened up about his…
Read the full article here
