Hate Crime at Lake Tahoe (2 of 2)

“It took significant courage and integrity for this victim and his family to step forward and insist that their attackers be brought to justice, not only for his sake but for the sake of the entire community of potential hate crime victims,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, an attorney and Chair of the Civil Rights Committee of the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, which assists hate crime and civil rights victims in the South Asian community to assert their legal rights.  “Crimes of this nature not only cause life-threatening injuries to the physical victim, but they strike at the very heart of an entire community’s identity, feelings of safety, self-worth, and belonging in the tapestry of American society, leaving emotional and mental scars far beyond the original victim. By pursuing justice, the victim’s family is helping to make our communities safer for all.”

Joseph Silva faces felony charges of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and a “special allegation” that he did indeed inflict bodily injury on the victim, and misdemeanor battery. Both Silvas face two counts of a misdemeanor charge of violation of civil rights. They are also charged with hate crimes.

There have been a string of violent hate crimes against Asian Americans recently. This most recent has been what the community suspects as an anti-Muslim motivated arson attack on the Antioch, CA Islamic Center of East Bay on August 12, 2007. On July 1, 2007 Satendar Singh, a 25-year old Sikh man of Fijian Indian descent was severly beaten by a group shouting racist and homophobic slurs at Lake Natoma in the Sacramento, CA area. He died from a massive head injury a few days later.

The Asian Law Caucus, a nonprofit legal organization that helps victims of hate crimes obtain redress has been working on all three of the cases. According to Attorney Shirin Sinnar, the family of the Lake Tahoe victim asked the Asian Law Caucus to make sure that the Silvas are charged with a hate crime. “Hate has no place in our communiteis,” said Shirin Sinnar, staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, “We commend the district attorney’s office for what we expect will be a vigorous prosecution of those responsible.”

A family member of the victim stated, “Despite the law-abiding and productive nature of the Indian American community, since 9/11 many innocent members have become the victims of misguided hate because of their appearances and beliefs. Our family is undergoing a horrific ordeal. Such violent acts of hate crimes violence can not be tolearted, and must be punished to the full extent of the law.”

Attorney for the victim, Edwin Prather of San Francisco, declined to name his client, saying the man feared retribution.

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