Authorities aren't calling the drowning of a Vietnamese fisherman a hate crime, but members of the Asian-American community who gathered at a vigil on Saturday said they believe he was targeted because of his race.

"There were a lot of people out at the harbor early that morning from different backgrounds. Why did the alleged perpetrator pick on those individuals?" said Ben Lumicao, an adviser on the city's Commission on Human Relations. "Everyone in the Asian-American community had the same reaction: That could have been me or my uncle or my grandfather."

About 50 people attended the vigil at Montrose Harbor that was put together by a broad coalition of advocacy groups, including organizations representing Cambodian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean residents. After a musical performance on the sunny afternoon, there was a silent prayer for the family of the victim, Du Doan, 62, of the Far Northwest Side.

It is important for everyone to come together to talk about the fear and outrage people are feeling, said Sharmila Kanagalingham, a leader of Apna Ghar, a domestic violence shelter for Asian women.

"As Asian-Americans, we have always been viewed as a silent, model community," she told the crowd. "We will not be silent about this."

Doan, a father of three, was a Vietnamese immigrant. A private funeral service was held Saturday on the Northwest Side.

The Asian-American Institute has been in contact with Doan's family and collected donations for them at the vigil. A poster board reading, "We remember, We grieve, We hope," was filled with condolences for his family in English and Vietnamese.

Vigil organizers said they were relieved that a man was charged last week in the Sept. 1 killing of Doan, who was pushed into the water. But the fact that the suspect allegedly targeted two other men who appeared to be Asian seems more than a coincidence, said people at Saturday's vigil.

"We do think this should be labeled a hate crime," said Myron Dean Quon, legal director of the Asian-American Institute. "Our organization has gotten lots of calls from concerned residents. This has left the Asian-American community on edge and wary."

John J. Haley, 31, of Chicago was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in Doan's drowning and aggravated battery for a similar incident on July 31 at Montrose Harbor that involved a man who appeared to be Asian.

Authorities allege that Haley was behaving erratically last weekend when he confronted another Asian fisherman and later shoved Doan into the water. Doan could not swim and died within seconds, police said.

Because the Illinois Hate Crimes Statute applies to misdemeanors, it did not apply to Haley's felony charges, Quon said.

Prosecutors use the law to upgrade a misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony if the offender acted because of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability.

It is important for police to continue to investigate whether discrimination played a part in the crime, Quon said.

"Not calling it a hate crime could make people think there is no such thing as discrimination against Asians in Chicago, and that just isn't true," he said.

Doan's death has been on everyone's mind and the constant topic of conversation, especially in Vietnamese neighborhoods on the North Side that surround a strip of businesses and restaurants along Argyle Street.

"It's been very scary for us, especially because fishing is the pastime of our community," said Ha Nguyen, an accountant from Uptown and a contributor to a local Vietnamese magazine.

Nguyen advised readers to be careful at the harbor and to fish in pairs, but he told them not to stop doing something they love because of one incident.

The drowning has been particularly tragic because they know what Doan must have endured in Vietnam and how difficult it can be to move to the United States, Lumicao said.

"Like any immigrant experience, we have had to traverse thousands of miles just for a chance to be here," he said. "There are so many obstacles and struggles, and it is difficult adjusting to a new language and culture. On top of all that, no one should have to worry about being the target of a crime as awful as this."

Trang Luu and her two daughters drove from Morton Grove to attend the vigil. Her daughters have been sad all week and can't understand why someone would hurt an old man, she said.

"I don't know what to say to them," she said. "We're just here to share and feel the sadness."

Her 12-year-old daughter, Vi-Vien Bui, read newspaper articles about Doan at the vigil.

"We're Vietnamese just like him," she said. "If the anger is directed at Asian fishermen, that is pretty racist."