Slaughtered Thai grandfather celebrated in street sign

A thoroughfare in San Francisco was renamed last weekend in commemoration of the 84-year-old Thai grandfather who was killed in a brutal attack last year that spurred the Asian-American community into action against increased physical and verbal assaults during the pandemic.

According to usnews.com a short lane in Sonora, close to the University of San Francisco was renamed “Vicha Ratanapakdee Way″ at an afternoon gathering that attracted hundreds of people. Speakers included Vicha’s daughter, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, and actor Daniel Dae Kim.

Vicha was taking his usual morning walk in January 2021 when Antoine Watson, 19 years old at the time, knocked him to the ground. Vicha died two days later, without regaining consciousness. His death became symbolic of the national movement to end hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Asians in America had long been the subject of extreme prejudice, and attacks escalated when the coronavirus appeared in late 2019, dubbed “Chinese flu” by then-US President Donald Trump. Watson is on trial for murder.

The US artist behind a portrait of Vicha voiced his disgust and sadness at the rise in anti-Asian sentiment in the US. Los Angeles artist Jonathan D. Chang drew the portrait of 84 year old Vicha and posted it on Instagram as a tribute to the murder victim saying the entire Asian-American community had been made a scapegoat for growing Anti-Chinese sentiment. “My condolences to the family of Vicha Ratanapakdee. I hope justice will be served.”

After multiple incidents of violence against Asian Americans in the US, last year President Joe Biden signed a hate crime law, acting against “…an ugly poison that has long plagued our nation.”

“Too many Asian Americans have been waking up this past year genuinely fearing for their safety, just opening their door and walking down the street,” said Biden.