SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- After more than a year, closure may be near for some Asian American families in San Francisco who say their teenaged sons were victims of a hate crime.

On one side of the courthouse hallway, three of the victims (Jeff Woo, Paul Wong Jr., and Sung Noh) and their families appeared on the the first day of trial in the highly charged assault case.

On the other side, the teenager accused of being one of their attackers and his family waited.

"They crossed paths one fateful night and it was motivated by race," claims victims families' lawyer Edwin Prather.

That's the charge: On June, 2003, at 19th St. and Taraval, a large group of young white males attacked five Asian teenagers after hurling racial taunts.

Police say a mob of about 15 mostly high school aged white males had left Stern Grove after officers broke up a keg party.

At the intersection of 19th St. and Taraval, investigators say they encountered the five asian teenagers. First they say came the taunts, then the violence.

"Some of the victims were knocked to the ground. Some were chased. Some were thrown up against walls and punched. All with racial epithets being said. Different derogatory terms directed against Asian Americans, things like 'ching chong, gook, chinaman,' et cetera," explains attorney Prather.

It became a high profile case with Asian Americans and civil rights groups rallying behind the victims and their families. Last August, Mayor Willie Brown and other elected representatives appeared at a rally at City Hall with the Police Chief, promising a full investigation into the attack.

One juvenile has been charged with felony assault with a hate crime enhancement. Police did not have enough evidence to charge others.

As for the victims families, they would like to send a message. "When people beat other people like that and calling them names, it's just not right," says victim's father Bill Woo.

The defendant's name is being withheld because he's a minor.

Juvenile trials are usually closed to the public but the judge in this case has decided to open it to the media because of the seriousness of the charges.

Alleged Victims of Hate Crime Speak Out

©2004 KRON-TV News (Channel 4)
July 5, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO -- First came the racial insults, then the beatings. The victims: five Asian-American teenagers attacked in San Francisco by a mob. It is an attack that angered members of the Asian community. Now, a year later, the hate crime trial has begun.

The unprovoked attack happened at 19th and Taraval. The young beating victims: Sung Noh, Tim Wen, Jeff Woo, Paul Wong, Jr., and Ken Zeng.

"We just wanted to get some dessert and have a good time," Paul says. "We just graduated and we just wanted to enjoy ourselves, but unfortunately we encountered those guys that night."

"Those guys" were a group of about 15 to 20 mostly high school-aged white males.

Jeff says, "There was a guy who poured beer over my head as he was passing by and there was a whole group of people who were saying racial things to us, like they were calling us Chinaman and this guy was imitating the old chinese music saying, 'ding, dong, ping, pong' kind of stuff."

The racial taunts they say suddenly turned to violence. The five were chased, surrounded and beaten.

Ken says, "I was thrown against the wall and punched in the face and while that was happening they were laughing, calling us names... calling us gooks, imitating our language, saying, 'ching, chong' things like that."

It has been more than a year now. The trial started last week, but only one juvenile suspect is on trial. Police did not have enough evidence to charge others.

Unlike many other hate crimes, all five victims -- with the support of their parents -- are testifying.

"They're so strong and I'm so tremendously proud of them," their lawyer Edwin Prather says. "They've had to deal with it 365 days-plus and to go through this ordeal is a tremendous victory in a sense for them."

But the alleged racially-based beating has tragically destroyed their wonderful innocence.

"I think about it quite a lot," Ken says. "... The things they said... like when they were beating on you. It makes you feel, it takes your pride away. It makes you feel very, very small. I'm not important, you know... "

None of them thought something like this would happen in San Francisco.

Ken says, "I've always felt safe here. I mean, I've never, I've never, like, had any racial crimes or any prejudice directed toward me."

"It's a pretty diverse place. It's a pretty liberal place, so I guess I just didnt expect something like this to happen," Tim says. "I always thought people could be equal and could live together... but you know, it definately brings up an equality question in your thoughts in the back of your mind."

Paul says, "To act upon that feeling that you hate someone because of their ethnicity and it's just scary out there that people would actually do something like that."