Written by Nancy Lin
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Anna Sipek
On January 5, 2024, Tzu Chi Northwest Region volunteers in Oakland, CA assisted the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce in organizing a memorial service for Officer Tuan Le, a Vietnamese American police officer who was killed December 29th, 2020 in the line of duty. Officer Le, 36, was shot and killed during a standoff with a shoplifter on Oakland’s Fifth Street. When the news reached the local community, many were shocked and saddened by the loss of a dedicated police officer.
Officer Le was a member of the Oakland Police Department’s 24-hour patrols in the Little Saigon neighborhood. Having often been on patrol near the Tzu Chi Oakland Service Center, it gave Tzu Chi volunteers a bit of comfort during service activities. They also developed positive rapport with him in the process.
Tzu Chi volunteer Jennifer Thai recalled, “In the restaurants and supermarkets near the Oakland office, there have been several times that I met Officer Le, who always greeted me cordially.” After receiving the news of Officer Le’s death, Tzu Chi immediately contacted community representatives and organizations in Oakland, with the hopes that they might assist in organizing his memorial service.
Tzu Chi Volunteers Memorialize a Fallen Officer
Tzu Chi Oakland volunteers worked diligently that day to clean up the memorial service site which was an old shopping plaza, set up the venue, and host the people and reporters who came to pay their respects. This would have been a kind enough gesture, but the volunteers wanted to go above and beyond for the man that had meant so much to their community.
Volunteer Annita Xu worked all night the night before to complete a signature book in memory of Officer Le, which was ready at the entrance of the memorial service early in the morning for the community members to sign. Tzu Chi Oakland volunteers prepared a special donation box at the memorial service, hoping to collect donations from the community to help Officer Le’s family.
From across the city, Oakland government officials and community representatives came to the memorial service to pay tribute to Officer Le, including Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce President Carl Chan, Alameda County Supervisor Ms. Lena Tam and her husband David Haubert, Oakland City Council representative Mr. Noel Gallo, and representatives from the Oakland Police Department. All delivered speeches to express their deepest condolences for the loss of not only a police officer, but a good father, husband, and co-worker.
What Officer Le Meant to the Community
As Oakland community members shuffled in and out of the service, they shared with each other the touching stories of Officer Tuan Le’s dedication to the community in the past.
“There were often people wandering around in front of the Oakland Office, and on two occasions when we called the police, Officer Tuan Le came to handle the situation,” confided Tzu Chi volunteer Jennifer Thai. “Officer Tuan Le is a warm and humble person, he would patiently persuade the homeless to leave, and sometimes he would take them away and help them to find a shelter”.
Chinatown Chamber of Commerce President Carl Chan Xi-Peng said said the loss of Officer Le is heartbreaking, and explained how the tragedy has had a significant impact on Officer Le’s family and the community as a whole:
Many immigrants from Asia are wary of authority figures. When they come to the U.S., they are afraid of the police. But Officer Le was able to navigate this with a big smile and a caring attitude. Because he understands Asian culture and is bilingual, he was able to serve the community.
Collecting Love and Blessings
As Tzu Chi volunteers continued to hold food distributions using the drive-thru method, volunteers noticed the number of Asian residents in need of food had increased compared to the previous month. More than half of the population within the Rowland Unified School District are of Asian descent and are mostly Chinese-speaking. In the past, Tzu Chi’s food distributions predominantly served beneficiaries from the local Hispanic community.
Ingrid Chen, the volunteer in charge at the distribution site, explained that as the pandemic worsened, more residents were left with fewer choices. The Rowland Unified School District is home to a large number of low-income families. As the pandemic worsened and continues to put a strain on those who struggle, more and more families require assistance. Many families who lived comfortably in the past have also begun to seek help due to the economic downturn.
As Officer Tuan Le’s family are Buddhists, the memorial service was a Buddhist ceremony, with Venerable Xin Xin and two disciples from Oakland’s Fa Yun Chan Temple holding a transcendence ceremony for Officer Le. Together Tzu Chi volunteers chanted Buddhist sutras, giving thanks for Officer Tuan Le’s dedication to the community and wishing Officer Tuan Le a good journey.
