Asian American Organizations and Hmong Community Dispute Omission of Hate Crimes Charge in Wisconsin Murder

by Tracker
2/19/07

Wisconsin Prosecutors declined to charge James Nichols with hate crimes despite the brutal circumstances of the death of his victim, Cha Vang, a Hmong hunter. National Asian American organizations reported that "the autopsy revealed that Vang, who was murdered while hunting in Peshtigo, Wisconsin last month, had been shot once and stabbed six times in the neck, severing his jugular vein. According to the criminal complaint, a wooden stick was found protruding from his mouth, and his body was found hidden beneath a log and small debris of leaves and sticks." Nichols had also previously expressed prejorative judgments against the Hmong.

Cha Vang was thirty and had five children

Many in the Hmong community believe that hate was involved given the historic tensions between Hmong and long-time, white hunters and last years' killings of white hunters by a Hmong hunter, who is now serving life in prison. Hmong community members have also been harassed and their homes vandalized over the years.

The organizations are the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND) and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) and expressed disappointment that law enforcement authorities did not charge James Nichols with a hate crime.