In March, the United States saw an outpouring of statements of support of the Asian and Asian-American community due to the terrorist attack in Atlanta, Georgia. MLOV also posted a statement on Instagram:
Many Languages One Voice stands in solidarity with the Asian-American and Asian communities. We know anti-Asian racism and violence is rooted in white supremacy and scapegoating. We are committed to collective liberation and societal transformation.
Of course, at MLOV we go beyond solidarity statements. As an organization, we wanted to share our reflections over the course of the month. Our mission is to support communities to mobilize and enact systemic change. In order to do this, we must build communities that are united.
Our first step in creating a stronger community towards transformation, we must learn from each other and learn each other’s histories. To understand more about the Asian-American experience in this country, we highly recommend PBS’s Asian Americans; the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s “We Are Not a Stereotype”; and visit the 1882 Foundation. Do your homework.
Then, take action!
Donate to your local DMV organizations! NAKASEC VA & APA Legal Resource Center are great places to start.
Use your voice to make a difference and build our community!
For more information on how to support our Asian American and Asian communities, check out this resource document.
We also wanted to take a moment to reflect upon what it means to be in solidarity with marginalized other communities. How can we build coalitions so that everyone becomes free together?
We know working towards collective liberation means being united and lifting each other up towards freedom. Over the last 5 years, we sought to change our government administration and raise voices, but has much changed during this time?
As we support our community members, we must also realize our actions that contribute to communal fissures. One of those actions are the calls for more policing. At MLOV, we believe that this is not the answer for our communities. Police violence touches every single community we seek to support: street vendors, Asian, Black, AfroLatinx, Latino/a, mothers, students—every community. So, the call to action, cannot be an increase of laws and police presence. Policing ties to white supremacy and inequitable laws dating back to the Chinese Exclusion Act. We must build solidarity because our oppressors know the power of distraction and chaos, but the road to peace and liberation must be built together. We must come together to see our freedom, our humanity is connected to each other.
We must protect and seek to understand each other.
As we say the names of the Black lives who have been taken by law enforcement, we also call the names of countless others who have not been elevated to the national stage:
Anthony Louis (Alexandria, VA)
Dominique Williams (DC)
James Johnson (DC)
Daunte Wright (Brooklyn Center)
Adam Toledo (Chicago)
Iremamber Sykap (Honolulu)
Rayshard Brooks (Atlanta)
Christian Hall (Hamilton, PA)
Daniel Prude (Rochester, NY)
Paul Castaway (Denver)
Breonna Taylor (Louisville, KY)
Preston Bell (Billings, MT)
Angelo Quinto (Anitoch, CA)
Post By: Lindsey Allen