SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A street in San Francisco was renamed Oct. 1 in honor of an 84-year-old Thai grandfather who was killed in a brutal attack that has fueled Asian-American health during the pandemic and a surge in verbal attacks.
A short driveway nearby will be called the “Vicha Ratanapakdee Way” and will be celebrated at an afternoon party that draws hundreds. Speakers included Ratanapakdee’s daughter, Montanus Ratanapakdee, and actor Daniel Dae Kim.
In January 2021, as Vicha Ratanapakdee was on his usual morning walk, authorities said Antoine Watson, then 19, rushed at him, knocking him to the ground . Ratanapakdee died two days later and never regained consciousness.
His death has become a symbol of the national movement to end hatred against Asian Americans. Asians in the U.S. have long suffered from prejudice, but the attacks escalated after the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.
Watson is on trial for murder.
