No Place For Hate At Garden Grove District High School, Supes Say

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — Discrimination against Vietnamese American students at a local Garden Grove Unified School District high school will not be tolerated, officials say. The act of hatred at Bolsa Grande High School stemmed from the new coronavirus and fears that have gripped our area, according to Orange County Board of Supervisors.

One week ago, a video (which Patch will not share), was released showing how several Vietnamese American students were harassed for their clothing. One of the harassing students yelled, "Coronavirus!" at Vietnamese American students during the international night assembly.

Though Bolsa Grande is typically known as an accepting and diverse school, both the targeted students and local officials expressed their sadness and disgust at the racism. School administration says that the incident is under review with the Garden Grove Police Department.

"I am appalled by the racist conduct perpetrated against Vietnamese American students," Supervisor Vice Chairman Andrew Do of the First District said. "As a former victim of repeated racist attacks when I was a student at Bolsa Grande, it hurts me deeply to see these same patterns continue decades later. While I condemn those students' acts, I want to commend the Garden Grove Unified School District on their swift and decisive response to this incident. I am proud that they are working closely with the Orange County Human Relations Commission to address issues of racism and discrimination."

The County has zero-tolerance for hate of any kind, and we are dedicated to protecting the safety of all Orange County residents, according to Chairwoman Michelle Steel, Second District.

"We encourage students experiencing discrimination to reach out to their local counselors, teachers or parents so this inappropriate behavior is properly addressed," Steel said.

"It is unacceptable that a few Bolsa Grande High School students added emotional duress to their classmates during our turbulent, emotional climate," said Supervisor Donald Wagner, Third District. "Our next-generation must learn to unite under challenges and exercise extra grace as much as possible. I want to kindly remind that the public that they should act to rally — and not crush — the courage of those facing the stigma around COVID-19; a healthy future depends on it," said Supervisor Wagner.

"This is a stressful time for people," said Supervisor Doug Chaffee, Fourth District. "I want to thank Garden Grove Unified School District for handling this incident appropriately, and I hope this incident prevents possible discrimination in the future."

Asian-Americans make up one-fifth of our County's population, according to Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, Fifth District.

"We encourage those witnessing this type of behavior to stand up for your classmate, neighbor or even a stranger experiencing discrimination related to COVID-19, or any other type of discrimination that is witnessed," she said.

Michael Reynolds, Chair of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, discussed the stigma related to COVID-19 and how it can be avoided if we "stay educated from reliable sources," he said . "The incident at Bolsa Grande High School demonstrates that we must continue to educate and raise awareness of discrimination, and we look forward to working with the Garden Grove Unified School District on this matter."

A petition on Change.org calling for the expulsion of the students who exhibited racist behavior has collected 49,776 signatures as of this report.