What can we do? (to protect/ally with Asian brothers & sisters

​BE AN ALLY TO OUR ASIAN AMERICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS

I joined an incredible rally last Sunday called “Heal Our Communities: A Community Care Space for Asian Americans” in Fremont, and heard a speaker who gave one of the most powerful speeches I have heard in years.  I transcribed much of her speech here.  (I am sorry I cannot give her credit, but will when I get an answer on her name).
Hear her (on FB) answer the question: 
WHAT CAN WE DO?
"#1: Educate yourselves.
Not what you want this country to be, or what you believe it can be.  
Root yourself in reality. 
Learn US History.  

Understand the roots of this country that was founded by Europeans who believed they had a God given right to own land that did not belong to themselves, and enslave humans to build a massive economy.   
Understand that this core belief of exploiting others for profit is the seed 
from which American capitalism was born, and it’s what people mean when they say white supremacy is the root of all socio economic problems in this country.  

And if you don’t understand what that means, ask questions.  
We will educate each other until we can get to a place where we can speak truthfully about white supremacy and recognize the many ways it has affected our laws, policies and social structure.  
Until we can do that, we cannot fix a system that maintains inequality and makes excuses for hate. 
#2: Speak out, and don’t stop.
Evil thrives in the dark.
Evil thrives in silence. 
By having the courage to speak out about the injustice you have personally experienced, and by calling out the injustice we see in the world around us, we are refusing to normalize injustice. 
As long as injustice exists, whether as racism or misogyny, we must hold it up to the light and call it by its name. 
Let the truth educate us on what injustice looks like, and what we should not and will not tolerate. 
A country in which we are equals means there is no hierarchy, no room for some to be more equal than others. There is only room for respect, trust and collaboration.
#3: Refuse to tolerate gaslighting.
America loves gaslighting its own people when it doesn’t want to deal with unpleasant realities.
It makes us doubt our feelings our  thoughts our right to our own identity.
Gaslighting denies a person’s lived reality
It’s not only dehumanizing, its’ dishonest and it can tumble an entire civilization into darkness.
For instance, the Nazi’s came into power because an entire society was evil, but because a small group of people galit an entire nation.
Gaslighting is an attach on reality.
We cannot waste any more time debating whether racism or inequality exists.
Those who cannot recognize the problem need to sit down and listen to the rest of us doing thew work.

#4: Stand up and stand together.
The black community is not our enemy.
Immigrants at our borders are not our enemy. 
Those who practice different religions are not our enemy.
Our enemy is a system that exploits and fight for our survival. 
Our country is diverse, and that diversity is our strength when we stand together. 
When we are mistreated, when we are misled into blaming others who are also mistreated, we are playing into a system that oppresses us all.  
When we do not as Americans tolerate abuse or injustice of any kind towards any people.
We uphold the principles of inequality on which this country was founded.
Any inequality means no equality.
We must stand up and stand together until every single one of us has a seat at the table. 
#5: Reform.  
It’s not enough to only stand up and speak out.
We have to reform a social and legal system that has protected inequality since its birth. 

​The sins of the past only dam us if we do not learn from them and evolve.
​Use your education, your voice, use solidarity to fight for the change that represents who we are today. "

THANK YOU ENGAGE FREMONT FOR HOSTING THIS EVENT.