Monterey Park’s Asian American History | Monterey Park’s State Representatives | Paradise-opoly

A conversation with a journalist about the parallels between Sacramento and Monterey Park’s vibrant Asian-American history and culture. Monterey Park’s state representatives tell us about the community and how they’re coping with the tragedy. A board game based on the classic “monopoly” is helping Paradise rebuild and heal from the Camp Fire.

Monterey Park's Asian American history

Like many cities in California, Monterey Park has a thriving Asian-American community with a legacy to the fabric of California. But many are learning about Monterey Park this week through the aftermath of violence and loss following a mass shooting that has claimed the lives of at least 11 people at a dance hall following Lunar New Year celebrations. This city to the east of downtown Los Angeles is home to some 60,000 residents, roughly two-thirds of whom identify as Asian, according to the recent Census. Jeong Park is the Asian American communities reporter for the Los Angeles Times and a former Sacramento Bee reporter. Park joined Insight to explain why Monterey Park is significant for the Asian American community, and the parallels he sees with the Sacramento region's flourishing Asian-American community.

Monterey Park's state representatives

Insight continued its conversation about the mass shooting in Monterey Park by inviting two of its elected leaders to share about this community and how they are beginning to process and heal from this latest act of senseless violence. State Senator Susan Rubio and State Assemblymember Mike Fong, both of whom were in Monterey Park celebrating the Lunar New Year’s just hours before the tragedy began, joined Insight to tell us more about Monterey Park, it's people, and how they hope to lead their community through this tragedy.

Paradise-opoly

The Reading Railroad. St. James Place. Marvin Gardens, and of course, Boardwalk.  These names are synonymous with the classic century-old board game “Monopoly”. Over the decades the game has inspired countless thematic spinoffs including even “Sacramento-opoly”.  One of these thematic inspirations has risen out of the ashes of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County. Paradise-opoly was created with the goal of helping those impacted by the fire heal from emotional wounds as well as raise funds to help them rebuild the foothill community. Insight spoke with the game’s creator Tanner Stauss, a Paradise native who hopes to share the history and culture of his hometown and leave a lasting legacy for years to come.