Slaying spurs reforms
For local Vietnamese, July 13, 2003, is more than the date when Bich Cau Thi Tran died. It symbolizes the day they emerged as a power to be reckoned with at San Jose City Hall. That evening, a San Jose police officer fatally shot the 25-year-old mother of two as she waved a vegetable peeler that was mistaken for a cleaver. The tragedy united Vietnamese as never before, leading the community to exert a newfound political influence. A year later, San Jose's Vietnamese are more vocal about police conduct, and a pan-minority coalition has been created to seek reforms. [more]