BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — "She loves to dance, loves to sing. She was very active in the community. Whenever there was a community function, she would join us and dance and do karaoke."
That's how Patrick Leung, a longtime Bakersfield resident and pillar in the local Chinese community as an elder of Ying On Association, says he will remember his friend, one of the victims in the Monterey Park shooting.
"It is sad to see that was her last dance," said Leung.
Officials confirming his friend, Diana Tom, was the 11th death of the Monterey Park shooting.
Leung shares that his friend lived in Bakersfield for a long time until a couple years ago when she moved to Los Angeles. Despite moving, she had kept in touch and was loved by many in the community here.
Like so many Asian Americans, Leung was celebrating the Lunar New Year with his family when he got a call from his son, who teaches kung fu at that dance hall. Leung's son and grandchildren, who live in Monterey Park, said they were okay, but Leung knew his friend would also have been there. When she didn't answer his call, he figured it could not be good.
"Sent a shocking wave to us, and it is a situation we have to cope together. Chinese together is a very close community. We rely on each other, we support each other, and so we will be able to get through this together," said Leung.
In Leung's final text exchanges with his friend, she told him about her new year celebrations. His very last text to her was to warn her that there was a shooting near to where she was, but she never responded.
"This is something that is difficult to accept," said Leung.
Leung and his family, having been at the dance hall and with his son teaching there, also knew the manager of the hall, who also died in the shooting.
"He always greeted me with a smile and said 'How you doing?' and told me how my son's kung fu classes are going," remembers Leung, adding that the studio was much more than just a place to dance.
Another member of the Bakersfield Asian American community, Nina Ha, former president of the Bakersfield Chinese Women's Association, said her father, a musician, played at the hall.
"So this hits really close to home," said Ha, adding that they will continue to pray for the victims and families, but hopes this is the beginning of healing for her community.
"We are just really hopeful that our community can come together, open up the dialogue on mental health, and move forward and beyond things like this," said Ha.
After the last couple years that have seen so many instances of anti-Asian rhetoric and hatred, it is a lot for this community to now have to deal with another tragedy. For those who want to help, the Bakersfield Chinese Women's Club has resources for allies on their Facebook page, as well as a list of available mental health resources for those who need someone to talk to.
