The Lion

Lion in China indicates safety and luck. In the traditional Chinese lion dance, performers wear lion suits, mimicking the lion’s movement, to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits. Tony Shiu, the leader of the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe, has been performing this dance for the local community since 1988.

He soon realized that performing as a guardian from a cultural perspective is not enough. After witnessing how his people suffer from the rising anti-Asian hate in 2020, he decided to join the local patrol team to protect his community from physical attacks. Although the first team he joined was not right for him - he was told not to engage, but only “observe, record, report” the violence, he later continues this duty as a member of the San Francisco Chinatown patrol team.

“If the only thing I can do is just stand aside and see an elder from my community is beaten to death, then why am I here?” said Shiu, “I won’t allow any of these violence happening right in front of me, never.”