Westborough High School graduate Ryan Doan Nguyen speaks from the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common during a protest he organized earlier this year.
By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer
WESTBOROUGH – One of Westborough’s own will soon be honored at a Boston Red Sox game, Friday, May 28 for his work demanding an end to anti-Asian hate.
Ryan Doan Nguyen grew up in Dorchester and Westborough, graduating from Westborough High School.
He was involved in the Westborough Cultural Council and the Youth Commission. He is currently on a ‘gap year’ and traveling with four others across the country attempting to visit every state. In the fall, he will begin his first semester at Harvard.
Doan Nguyen followed recent news on a surge in attacks and hate crimes against Asian Americans. He was incredibly sad and took it personally.
Having never organized such an event before, Doan Nguyen, Harvard classmate Janet Hernandez and Manny Chong, a graduate student from Northeastern, came together to help organize one the state’s biggest rallies for change on the Boston Common amid a recent surge of organizing to end anti-Asian hate.
A crowd of supporters crush towards Westborough’s Ryan Doan during a protest against Asian Hate in Boston on March 13.
That event was held on March 13 and was well attended with between 800 and 1,000 participants from diverse backgrounds coming together to show support.
“Looking out into the crowd, I felt very hopeful and optimistic,” Doan Nguyen said in a recent interview with the Community Advocate. “It was like a rainbow of unity and togetherness. This communal effort was also incredibly humbling and I will never forget it.”
Doan Nguyen credits the Founder of the Chinese American Foundation in Boston, Wilson Lee, for insightful help and guidance throughout the process of getting the rally organized. Beyond providing that guidance, Lee also donated cardboard for signs, beverages and over three hundred snacks in the form of sticky buns or “char siu bao.”
Asian Americans have faced an increased threat of violence particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Though there have been a number of recent high profile crimes, one attack that particularly struck Doan Nguyen was a case earlier this year involving a 78-year-old Thai American grandfather named Vicha Ratanapakdee. Ratanapakdee was out for his morning walk when a man violently slammed him to the ground. Ratanapakdee later died of a brain hemorrhage caused by the attack.
“This hit me personally,” Doan Nguyen said. “He looked just like my ‘ong-noi’ [grandfather]. All of these people are my own people. They might wear different faces but they are the same nonetheless.”
He added, “I am always thinking of ways to help and bring about change. The rally for me was a great way to bring people together in one way. I knew it would be impactful.”
Westborough High School graduate Ryan Doan Nguyen stands alongside fellow activists on the steps of the Massachusetts State House on March 13.
As he held his event, one thing that surprised Doan Nguyen was that he had never seen such a large physical Asian presence.
He wanted to show that this community is capable of having a big voice and was happy to see that on full display.
Instead of going to bed listening to fairytale stories, Doan Nguyen, indeed, grew up listening to stories of war and the struggles his elder family members endured as refugees from the Vietnam War.
As the son of Vietnamese parents, Doan Nguyen said feels a moral obligation to fight for change. People shouldn’t have to worry about their relatives getting hurt simply while going about their day, he said.
While this is not a new phenomenon, Ryan acknowledges that society has a lot of progress to make.
“Both his dad, Chanh Nguyen and I are extremely proud of him for taking the initiative and recognizing what is going on in the world and taking action,” said Le Doan, his mom. “I am always inspired by him wanting to make the community better.”
There will be another rally on the Boston Common’s Parkman Bandstand on Monday, May 31, to mark AAPI Heritage Month. Anyone wanting more information can go to https://solidarityagainstaapihate.org/boston.
In the meantime, the Boston Red Sox have been in contact with Doan Nguyen. Impressed by his activism, they’ve invited Doan Nguyen to be honored as a “community hero” in connection with their broader “Hats Off to Heroes” initiative.
He’ll now appear at the team’s May 28 game against the Miami Marlins, where he will receive recognition in the middle of the third inning.
