How birthright citizenship shaped Bruce Lee’s path

When Bruce Lee was born at San Francisco’s Chinese Hospital in 1940, his citizenship was guaranteed under the 14th Amendment at a time when Asian immigrants were still barred by exclusion laws...

The Rebel Yellow - Issue #125

The long-delayed trial of a man accused of fatally beating 88-year-old San Francisco grandmother Yik Oi Huang is now underway, with the defendant representing himself and denying charges prosecutors say are backed by surveillance and DNA evidence. His case comes as Asian communities continue grappling with targeted violence, immigration crackdowns and shifting global politics — from South Korean workers alleging abuse in U.S. detention to Japan signaling eventual recognition of Palestine, and the International Criminal Court filing crimes against humanity charges against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.

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Trial begins for SF man accused of fatally beating 88-year-old Asian woman

After nearly seven years, the trial of a man accused of killing an elderly Asian American woman began Monday with the defendant representing himself and claiming surveillance videos showing him near multiple crime scenes were “intentionally altered by artificial intelligence.”

Catch up: Keonte Gathron, now 25, is charged with 25 counts stemming from a January 2019 crime wave that prosecutors say deliberately targeted vulnerable Asian immigrants with limited English proficiency. The charges span seven separate incidents including murder, kidnapping, carjacking and elder abuse, with the most serious involving 88-year-old Yik Oi Huang.

Huang, a grandmother and 30-year neighborhood resident who had immigrated from China, was practicing traditional qigong exercises at Visitacion Valley Playground when she was brutally beaten and left to fend for herself in a sandbox. She succumbed to her injuries that included brain damage nearly 12 months after the attack, prompting prosecutors to pursue a life sentence.

Video “altered”: Representing himself in court Tuesday, Gathron addressed the jury with materials pulled from folders in a plastic bag, systematically denying all charges and claiming surveillance evidence was fabricated. “I don’t want you all to be deceived,” he said in response to Muni camera footage prosecutors had presented, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, adding, “That video was altered. Sorry.” He further asserted that he never consented to genetic testing and that forensic materials were “manipulated.” He also displayed Huang’s death certificate to jurors, claiming it remained incomplete after nearly six years as part of an alleged plot to classify her death as homicide if he were found guilty.

In stark contrast, prosecutors laid out what they characterized as overwhelming evidence, connecting Gathron to crime scenes through numerous surveillance videos and forensic DNA evidence. Bodycam footage showing Huang’s bloodied form near a blue recycling bin reportedly prompted gasps from spectators, who then left the courtroom in stunned silence. The day’s proceedings featured testimony from three witnesses, including 69-year-old carjacking victim Phuong My Chung, who needed Vietnamese translation as Gathron repeatedly pressed her for the name of a person who helped her call police — information she said she did not have.

Fears persist: While authorities have not classified Gathron’s charges as hate crimes, the alleged attacks have created widespread fear in San Francisco’s Asian American community due to their targeted nature. Charles Jung, an organizer with the Asian Justice Movement, told KQED that “when someone allegedly victimizes multiple people of the same ethnicity in rapid succession,” the result is “terrorizing a community and making people feel unsafe because of who they are.”

Beyond the immediate impact, the 2019 incidents foreshadow the surge in anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and after. Community members renamed the attack site “Yik Oi Peace & Friendship Park” last June to honor Huang’s memory.

What’s next: Witness testimony continues with prosecutors expected to call forensic DNA analysts whom Gathron says he is prepared to cross-examine. The trial is expected to continue into October, marking over 2,440 days since the initial attack for victims’ families and community members who have endured more than six years waiting for justice.

Given Gathron’s self-representation, judges typically grant defendants greater leeway than licensed attorneys, though courts must balance this against ensuring effective counsel to avoid future appeals for ineffective assistance.

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South Koreans detail alleged mistreatment during ICE detention

South Korean workers detained in the largest-ever Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) enforcement operation at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia are increasingly speaking up with disturbing claims of mistreatment, furthering tensions between Seoul and Washington.