Southeast Asians complain of racial profiling

PROVIDENCE — Protesters gathered inside City Hall on Thursday to protest what they say is increased racial profiling of Southeast Asians by Providence police.

"I was dropping off my sister" and had a cousin in the car as well, said Athan Seng, 18, who said police pulled him over without justification April 4. "The first thing they asked me was if I had a weapon."

Seng said he was wearing a Toronto Blue Jays jersey and driving a blue 2004 Acura RSX. It was the blue — associated with the Crips, an association of violent street gangs — that Seng and the dozens rallying with him said was probably the reason he was pulled over. The incident involved six officers that lasted about 15 minutes, he said.

"[The officer] said he put 'two and two together,'" Seng said. The police searched his car, finding only a laptop computer and school workbooks. "I was not really that surprised it happened."

"This is my child's first time interacting with police and it was terrifying," Seng's mother, Sian Oum-Seng, said, her voice wobbly with emotion. "They left my baby in the cold, shivering. Shivering! How dare you do that!"

In an email, Providence police defended their conduct in the case and offered the group an avenue to air their grievances.

"At this time, the PPD maintains that this car stop was predicated on probable cause," department spokeswoman Lindsay Lague wrote. "But as well we will cooperate fully with the civilian complaint process."

The Community Defense Project, a group associated with the Providence Youth Student Movement and the rally's organizers, says racial profiling has been on the rise during April, when many Southeast Asian communities — including Cambodians — celebrate their New Year.

"Southeast Asian New Year is a time for people to celebrate pride for their culture and practice religious traditions," CDP said in a news release. "Instead of honoring this time, Providence Police have used it as an opportunity to further criminalize Southeast Asians as threats, suppressing the way they celebrate, pray, and thrive in their own communities."

"I am tired of police violence continuing to happen in our communities," said Daniel Chhum, program coordinator for CDP. "There is no type of accountability."

The group, which included City Councilwoman Rachel Miller, took the opportunity to call attention to the rising number of deportations hitting Southeast Asian communities.

"Authorities have been targeting us since we were babies, and I am tired of it," said Linda Heng, a Soros Justice Fellow. "This is devastating us as a community, and all of us need to say not one more."

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, deportations of Cambodians nationally increased by 279% in fiscal 2018.

After the speaking program, protesters marched to the office of Mayor Jorge O. Elorza and attempted to turn in a petition calling for a full investigation into the incident and a full apology from the police. Elorza was not in his office, so the group said it would deliver its petition by email.

— kandrade@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @Kevprojo