A wall of Sacramento Buddhist Church as it appeared on Feb. 21. The white supremacist language had already been painted over.
Rafu Staff Report
SACRAMENTO — White nationalist graffiti was spray-painted on an exterior wall of Buddhist Church of Sacramento after midnight on Feb. 20.
The incident may have been connected to the fact that Feb. 19 marked the 84th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast.
According to CapRadio, the graffiti included 88, a hate symbol denoting the eight letter of the alphabet twice, standing for “Heil Hitler.”
Another symbol, NS/WP, may stand for “National Socialism/White Power,” the name of a Russian white nationalist group.
George Warren, a church member who is married to former local news anchor Sharon Ito, posted photos of the vandalism on Feb. 22 with the following comments: “I saw this mess at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento Saturday morning when I arrived early to work on a project there. The original white supremacist language had already been painted over in black by a second person or group that was offended by it – and they added messages of support on the sidewalk.
“I sent photos to church leadership, which it turns out was already aware and had filed a police report. As I spoke to some of them later in the day, I got the feeling that I was more upset by the incident than they were. Japanese Americans don’t really ‘do’ outrage.
“Perspective: When the United States government rounded up 120,000 Japanese Americans in 1942 and put them in concentration camps, the vast majority stoically complied because they wanted to prove their loyalty. Sharon’s American-born parents spent more than three years of their childhood in camps. Their families lost everything they’d worked so hard to build. The Buddhist churches were their social support system when they returned home and struggled to get back on their feet. They moved on with their lives with no anger or bitterness.
“When the first Trump Administration started ramping up its anti-Muslim rhetoric, the Buddhist Church of Sacramento expressed solidarity with the local Muslim community because they’d seen this movie before. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Buddhist Church held a fundraising concert – even though some local Ukrainians chose not to participate because it’s not ‘their’ religion. No hard feelings.
“The mere fact that the first Japanese immigrants named their new betsuin (branch temple) a ‘church’ showed their strong desire to assimilate into American society. Today temple/betsuin/church are terms used interchangeably.
“As a relative newcomer, I think of Buddhism as more of a philosophy than a religion. Do your best. Be kind. Take care of others. No one really knows what waits on the ‘other shore’ so there’s no point in worrying about it.
“So, back to the graffiti: The incident has blown up on Reddit and I know members of the church are touched by the outpouring of moral support from the community – but I also feel they might be a little embarrassed if well-intentioned folks showed up with paint brushes. The church has a robust group of volunteers who take care of routine maintenance tasks and painting over graffiti is among them. It’s just another Saturday on the Broadway Corridor!”
The church said in a statement on Feb. 26: “Early Friday after midnight on Feb. 20, the Buddhist Church of Sacramento building was vandalized. Graffiti was sprayed on the front of our temple facing Riverside Boulevard and on the ground surrounding the building.
“By 7:30 a.m., a Sacramento subreddit post had appeared, prompting an outpouring of support from individuals and community organizations throughout Sacramento.
“Later that night, concerned citizens came and spray-painted over the original graffiti in an effort to cover the vandalism. Coincidentally, Saturday, Feb. 21, was our temple’s monthly maintenance and clean-up day, so a team of volunteers was already scheduled. The crew attempted to clean the walls, but the black spray paint could not be removed.
“By Tuesday, a team of Sangha members covered the vandalism and when the weather warms up, we will repaint the walls.
“The temple is deeply moved by the outpouring of support from the Sacramento community, especially from Congregation Beth Shalom and our neighbor Congregation B’nai Israel — both of whom have also experienced acts of hate.
“We have received many messages from Sacramento and beyond asking how to help with the cleanup or how to donate. Thank you for your kind words and for the support we have received. One never fully realizes the strength of community until a time of need.
“We are moving forward.
Rev. Yuki Sugahara said in a video message to the Sacramento community, “When I first heard that our temple wall had been vandalized, my heart ached. It hurt. But in the days that followed, something else became clear.
“Through phone calls, messages, online comments, donations, and offers of support, we were reminded just how deeply this community cares. What was meant to divide instead revealed connection. What was meant to wound instead uncovered compassion. We were reminded that we do not live alone. We live in an interdependent world.
“I will not list the names of those who reached out, nor those who came and cleaned and repainted the wall. But please know this — we are deeply grateful. Truly. Thank you.
“There is a Buddhist teaching that says the world is shaped by the actions of living beings. If you answer hate with hate, the world fills with hate. If you answer anger with anger, anger multiplies. But if we respond with peace, peace grows.
“Just a few weeks ago, Buddhist monks walked from Texas to Washington, embodying peace with every step. That is our path. That is our standard. So let this moment not harden our hearts, but steady our steps. Let this incident remind us who we choose to be with peace in our hearts, with gratitude in our words, with compassion in our actions. Let us continue walking forward together.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) said, “Japanese American Day of Remembrance, observed each February 19, is when our community reflects on the damage caused by fear and racism — and recommits to ensuring that history never repeats itself. To see this hate surface on that day, in a beloved community space, is absolutely reprehensible.
“The Japanese American community knows where this kind of bigotry leads. We have lived through it. And we will not allow it to take hold here.
“I stand with the Buddhist Church of Sacramento and every family who deserves to worship in peace. Sacramento will always be stronger than hate.”
The Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce said in a statement, “The vandalism of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento — particularly on the Day of Remembrance — is a deeply troubling act that seeks to reopen historical wounds within our community. Such actions have no place in Sacramento.
“For more than a century, the Buddhist Church of Sacramento has served our Japanese American neighbors and contributed meaningfully to the cultural and civic fabric of our region. An attack on this long-standing institution is an attack on the values of inclusion, dignity, and respect that define our community.
“The Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce stands firmly against hate and bigotry in all forms. Through our Stop Asian Hate initiative, we remain committed to building a region where discrimination has no home.
“We call for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible, and we reaffirm our unwavering support for the congregation during this time.”
“Our community knows the pain of exclusion and injustice,” added Pat Fong Kushida, president and CEO of SAPCC. “We cannot allow acts of hate to divide us or intimidate our neighbors. We stand in solidarity with the Buddhist Church of Sacramento and the broader Japanese American community. Sacramento must continue to be a place where every community feels safe, valued, and protected.”
Stop AAPI Hate said in a statement, “The Buddhist Church of Sacramento — a place of worship for many Japanese Americans — was vandalized with white supremacist slogans and symbols. To add insult to injury, the vandalism took place on the Day of Remembrance for Japanese Americans who were wrongfully incarcerated during World War II.
“On a day that was meant to honor their bravery and resilience, this Japanese American community was targeted with a racist attack that threatens their safety and sense of belonging in this country.
“Remember: Racist slogans, slurs, and graffiti are forms of anti-Asian hate. We need your help to track them, so we can continue to expose the consequences they have on our communities and fight for meaningful solutions that tackle racism at its root.”
For more information: stopaapihate.org/report-hate