Tag Archives: Allyship & Solidarity

Mobilizing Against Anti-AAPI Hate and Racism

As hate and discrimination against the AAPI community has dramatically risen during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our network partners have called on community members to report hate incidents, condemn anti-AAPI sentiments, and attend workshops and bystander intervention trainings. Here are some examples on how you can take action:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago: With numerous reports of anti-Asian verbal and physical attacks and Illinois being the fourth ranked state with the highest number of reported incidents, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago and other local organizations have joined together and launched a virtual bystander intervention training program for community members to learn how to take action against hate and racism. Read more about this program here.

STOP AAPI HATE: “In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on March 19. The center tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California and where possible throughout the United States.” Visit https://stopaapihate.org/ to report a hate incident, read their reports, find safety tips, and how you can act now to stand against anti-AAPI hate and racism today.

Cia Siab Inc. created this Hate Incident Report Form, specific to the state of Wisconsin, with the purpose of giving individuals in the Hmoob community an outlet to report hate incidents in a confidential manner, while also encouraging individuals outside of the community to report any hate incidents that has occurred to them as well. Examples may include, but are not limited to, the use of degrading language or slurs (spoken or written) and physical harm suffered based on identity or perceived identity.

Anti-Racism Workshops: By following the Prophetic model, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment is rooted in the Sunnah and reminded of the diversity of identities and how they show up. These workshops provide language, examples, tools, techniques and most importantly sisterhood in order to change a system. If your organization or group would like to receive training, contact the organization for more information related to pricing, timing and details about each workshop. Learn more about their Anti-Racism workshops here.

Help Get Out the AAPI Vote in the Georgia Runoff Elections

Community leaders and AAPI organizations in Georgia are mobilizing for high AAPI voter turnout in the upcoming Georgia runoff elections on January 5, 2021. Building upon their previous voter registration outreach and language assistance efforts that helped increase AAPI voter turnout during the 2020 election in November, organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Atlanta and the Center for Pan Asian Services are continuing their advocacy efforts to provide information and resources to our community members and empower them to engage in election processes. 

Learn more about the importance of this election down below and visit the Dear Georgia Campaign. Find out how you can help and/or volunteer here: https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org/volunteer-runoff. If you have questions about voting or need in-language voter guides and other resources, visit http://bit.ly/aaajvote or call the Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta hotline at 404-955-7322.

If you are in Georgia, find your early voting locations and absentee ballot drop box at https://bit.ly/CPACSVOTE21. Your vote will decide who makes decisions on important issues including COVID relief, education, healthcare, and small business! You can make your pledge at bit.ly/P2VCPACS2020. The Center for Pan Asian Services is also looking for volunteers to help with exit polling and surveying Asian American voters about their voting experience. Sign up at http://bit.ly/ExitPolling_GARunoff20! 

Calling for AAPI Representation in Biden-Harris Administration

With record breaking-numbers of AAPI voter turnout in the 2020 election, it is evident that AAPI communities are an increasingly powerful electorate and our unique needs must be heard and addressed in the upcoming administration. With calls for inclusion of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in all levels of government and advocating for community policy priorities, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans has released statements raising questions over why there have been no Asian American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander nominees for Cabinet Secretary positions and calling for inclusion of the AAPI community in the Biden-Harris policy agenda. 

NCAPA: “AAPI communities this year have faced a two-fold pandemic of COVID-19 and racism—both scapegoated for the spread of the virus and disproportionately vulnerable to its economic and health impacts. This dual pandemic has exposed and exacerbated inequities that have impacted our communities for decades and that will likely continue to impact us even after the public health crisis ends. This moment requires bold leadership and decisive action. The Biden-Harris Administration has promised to be—and has the mandate to be—the leaders for this moment, and the Administration has committed to making racial equity a day one priority.”

In a letter addressed to the Biden-Harris Administration, NCAPA and their coalition members detailed top policy priorities for the AAPI community and urge the incoming administration to adopt the suggested policy priorities in order to support and uplift Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. 

Read NCAPA’s Full Statement Here

 

 

Protecting the LGBTQ Community in Michigan

A campaign to protect the LGBTQ community in Michigan from discrimination with an amendment to a state law is one step closer to the ballot. Fair and Equal Michigan submitted 483,461 signatures to the state on October 13, 2020 in its initiative to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. As the act currently prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sex and other factors when it comes to employment, housing and public accommodations, the proposed amendment would add “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the list of protected classes.

Read a news story about the campaign here or visit https://www.fairandequalmichigan.com/why-now for information on the campaign, how to get involved and stay informed.  

 

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Expand Opportunity and Equity with Prop 16 in California

In California, voters have an opportunity this November to remove the state ban on affirmative action which has contributed to employment and education discrimination.

Proposition 16 would permit government policies to consider race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, and contracting decisions in order to address diversity and systemic racism. If passed, this proposition would expand opportunity for all by repealing California’s Proposition 209 which banned affirmative action initiatives in 1996 and led to disproportionately harmful outcomes for black people and people of color.

Click here to view NCAPA’s infographics and fact checks on affirmative action. Affirmative action helps to ensure that our universities, especially highly selective elite universities, remain accessible to students of all backgrounds. Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian American students have the most to gain directly from these policies.

By voting YES on Proposition 16, you can help create and open more educational, career and employment opportunities for women and people of color. Read more about Proposition 16 and the AAPI community, the history of affirmative action, and the impacts of an affirmative action ban on education, employment, and contracting from resources shared by our network partners down below!

Read more about Prop 16 on the Vote Yes On Prop 16 website

 

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Action Alert: Drop the Charges Against SEAA Organizers

VietLead’s Executive Director, Nancy Nguyen, and a group of Freedom Fighters were targeted for speaking out publicly against ICE Director Tony Pham for using his Viet refugee status to spearhead their terror campaign against Black and Brown immigrant and refugee communities. As the government frequently criminalizes Freedom Fighters like Nancy Nguyen who speak out against human rights abuses and imprisons them with bogus charges, take action today and stand with movement leaders and groups who are fighting for justice by signing the Nat’l Statement Demanding Commonwealth Atty. Shannon Taylor to Drop the Charges. We call on all who are against injustice to sign on to this Drop the Charges Demand letter. To join the movement to demand to drop ALL charges, use the action tool kit.

Read Nancy Nguyen’s Op-Ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer

 

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Support Community Organizing and Power during COVID-19

Despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic have raised, our network partners have adapted and continued to organize and respond to the changing needs of their community members with their community outreach and engagement services, programming, and campaigns.

As our communities of working-class immigrant and undocumented workers and families grapple with the impacts of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic, which will continue to grow into a social, health, and economic crisis, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) has launched the “Building Power & Safety Through Solidarity” Campaign. Offering what they have learned in hopes that other communities will find it useful as they organize, this campaign provides a practical, accessible, and participatory program for building community power while also meeting the material needs of frontline communities that have been under-resourced and targeted by policies of neglect and destruction. Contribute to the “Building Power & Safety Through Solidarity” Campaign by donating to the Campaign & Leadership Development and Emergency Direct Aid Funds

Amid incidents of anti-Asian racism and discrimination during COVID-19, Asian Americans Advancing Justice have launched https://www.standagainsthatred.org/ to document hate and to educate about the environment of hate around the country. By reporting and tracking incidents of anti-Asian racism, you will be aiding the efforts of Advancing Justice and other advocates to monitor hate incidents across the country. By sharing what you experienced or witnessed, you can educate the public, empower others, show service providers where help is needed, and strengthen advocacy efforts for hate crimes response and prevention.

Asian Pacific Environmental Network is collecting donations for their COVID-19 Emergency Community Stabilization Fund. This fund would make sure that the working class Asian immigrants and refugees in our communities have what they need to stay home and stay healthy during this pandemic as inadequate federal and state government assistance has not been enough. Along with supporting our AAPI communities, we must also continue to raise awareness and funds for AAPI nonprofits. Seeking aid to provide general operating support, emergency cash assistance, care packages, and youth programming, Mekong NYC has joined the historic #GiveinMay campaign. Read more about how Mekong NYC is responding to the impact of COVID-19 on low-income Southeast Asian community members in the Bronx and how you can support their efforts here.

 

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George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020: As communities continue to speak up about law enforcement misconduct and demand change and greater accountability, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 addresses policing practices and law enforcement accountability, changing the culture of law enforcement and re-imagining public safety. This bill includes measures to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct in court and improve transparency through data collection. With a framework to prohibit racial profiling and discriminatory policing practices, the bill also establishes new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies such as wearing body cameras and training on implicit bias and racial profiling. Read more about the sweeping police reform bill that was passed in the House on June 25 here. The bill passed the House on 06/25/2020. 

 

 

Building Power & Safety Through Solidarity Campaign

As our communities of working-class immigrant and undocumented workers and families grapple with the impacts of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic, which will continue to grow into a social, health, and economic crisis, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) has launched the “Building Power & Safety Through Solidarity” Campaign. Offering what they have learned in hopes that other communities will find it useful as they organize, this campaign provides a practical, accessible, and participatory program for building community power while also meeting the material needs of frontline communities that have been under-resourced and targeted by policies of neglect and destruction. Contribute to the “Building Power & Safety Through Solidarity” Campaign by donating to the Campaign & Leadership Development and Emergency Direct Aid Funds

Learn and Grow as Anti-Racist Activists, Advocates, and Allies

In the wake of the murders of George Floyd and so many others, we have been reminded of the anti-Blackness that exists in our community. As an organization of Muslim women committed to building sisterhood and advancing social equity, Reviving Sisterhood is opening space for our community to learn and grow as anti-racist activists, advocates, and allies. Please visit our anti-Blackness resource page to learn about places to begin or continue your anti-racism journey.

 

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