100+ AAPI Organizations Vow to Resist the Trump Administration

As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, We Will Resist

We stand at a critical juncture in world history. The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States represents a direct threat to millions of people’s safety and to the health of the planet. As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) committed to equality, inclusion, and justice, we pledge to resist any efforts by President-Elect Trump’s administration to target and exploit communities, to strip people of their fundamental rights and access to essential services, and to use rhetoric and policies that divide the American people and endanger the world.

Mr. Trump’s campaign used explicit racial appeals to win the support of disaffected white voters, promising to restore their economic and social standing by deporting millions of immigrants, building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, creating a Muslim registry, banning Muslim immigration, and punishing Black dissent. He also engaged in deeply misogynistic language and behavior throughout his campaign. He insulted all people of color; people with disabilities; and women – all of whom amount to the majority of America. In the global arena, he has signaled at a new nuclear arms race, promised to expand the use of torture, and disparaged the United Nations.

Since his election, Mr. Trump has chosen known white nationalists, corporate moguls, religious zealots, climate deniers, hawkish ex-generals, anti-Islam spokespersons, and anti-government crusaders to serve in his Administration. Right-wing extremists now dominate his party, which will control all three branches of the federal government and the majority of state legislatures, and are positioned to jeopardize the future of the Supreme Court for the next generation and beyond. Together this new realignment of forces seeks to turn back the clock on civil rights and environmental protections, to maximize corporate profits by privatizing the public sector, and to create a racially and culturally exclusive America.

This is not business as usual, and we will not engage in business-as-usual tactics and strategies.

As AAPIs, our lives are rooted in the long arc of U.S. history, which was born out of racial violence and has been shaped by the struggles for freedom of oppressed peoples domestically and internationally. Some of our ancestors first arrived in what is now the United States as subjects of European empire over 400 years ago. Some of us are indigenous to this country as our ancestors’ lands were occupied and colonized by the United States as they sought to expand their global military and economic power. In the centuries since, AAPIs have faced indentured servitude, exclusionary immigration laws, bars to citizenship and land ownership, mass deportation, mass incarceration, war, sexual and gender-based violence, forced displacement, vigilante violence, surveillance, and racial and religious profiling.

Today our movements include Southeast Asian refugees organizing to end criminalization and deportation; Muslims, Arabs, Sikhs and South Asians fighting surveillance, profiling, war, and hate violence; women reclaiming their bodies against trafficking, domestic violence, exploitation, and criminalization; low-wage workers standing up against wage theft, poor working conditions, and abusive employers; Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders building a generation to fight against generational poverty caused by loss of sovereignty, militarization of lands and people, forced displacement, and criminalization; and trans, gender-non-conforming, and queer people putting their bodies on the line to demand a different, more humane world. We have always fought injustice, and we are resolute to continue doing so.

The majority of AAPI voters rejected Mr. Trump’s candidacy. Indeed, while Mr. Trump won the Electoral College – a problematic system with its own deep history rooted in slavery and racial inequities – he lost the popular vote.  And with only 58% of eligible voters casting ballots in this election, the vast majority of American voters did not vote to elect Mr. Trump. He and his Administration have no mandate to govern.

For all of these reasons, we commit to the following principles and ask all AAPIs to join us:

• We will center and stand up for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members who are likely to face increased levels of hate violence, targeting, and policing. We will center and uplift the experiences and calls to action of undocumented immigrants, Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim, refugees, women, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) community members. We will also support the organizing and resistance strategies of AAPI groups and our allies closest to the ground in local communities.
• We will defend all targets of bigotry, repression, and hate made by Mr. Trump’s Administration, or caused by the Trump Effect, with a broad principle of solidarity: “An attack on one is an attack on all.”
• We will refuse to legitimate or normalize Mr. Trump’s Administration, which has already violated the core principles of American democracy by using explicit appeals to racial and religious bigotry, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and misogyny to gain political power. We will reject ideas, statements, and policies that strengthen the incoming Administration’s legitimacy, including divide-and-conquer tactics or strategies that position AAPIs as a racial wedge against other communities of color.
• We will reject any attempts by the Trump Administration to use AAPIs to make a case for their legitimacy and diversity, and will not compromise our values and agency to gain a “seat at the table” in pursuit of narrow benefits. Nor will we conflate marginal visibility for genuine power and influence for our communities.
• We agree to be transparent about our engagement with the Trump Administration, and to be held accountable for our organizational strategies and decisions.
• We will raise awareness about how AAPI communities are affected by discriminatory and divisive rhetoric and policies, and will stand firm in opposing them.
• We will support those who assume personal and organizational risk to defend democratic institutions and practices including human, civil, and constitutional rights, against unjust laws and actions by the government, any group, or individual.
• We will seek unity in pursuit of shared goals, knowing that defending democracy will require various kinds of movements and tactics to weather the coming period of increased repression, and to build a more humane and sustainable world.
• We will work tirelessly toward an inclusive and democratic vision that ensures the safety, self-determination, and wellbeing of all people, and we will model this in our resistance and solidarity efforts.

 

Signatories (as of February 6, 2017):

 

1. 18MillionRising.org
2. AAPI Feminism Workshop
3. Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE)
4. Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education
5. Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL)
6. Alliance of South Asians Taking Action
7. Anakbayan-USA
8. API Council – SF
9. API Equality – LA
10. API Equality – Northern California (APIENC)
11. API Rainbow Parents
12. Asian American Action Fund
13. Asian American Alliance – Columbia University
14. Asian American Association – The Ohio State University
15. Asian American Law Journal
16. Asian American Leadership Forum for Youth
17. Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
18. Asian American Millennials Unite
19. Asian American Organizing Project
20. Asian American Psychological Association
21. Asian American Resource Workshop
22. Asian American Student Union at UMCP
23. Asian American Student Union at University of Maryland
24. Asian American Student Union (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities)
25. Asian American Studies Graduate Student Association, UCLA
26. Asian American Studies Program, California State University Fullerton
27. Asian American Studies, UC Davis
28. Asian American Writers’ Workshop
29. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Asian Law Caucus
30. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
31. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles
32. Asian Americans United
33. Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy
34. Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative
35. Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation
36. Asian Coalition for Equality (ACE)
37. Asian Counseling and Referral Service
38. Asian Educators Alliance
39. Asian Pacific American Coalition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
40. Asian Pacific American Heritage Week, University of Pennsylvania
41. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA)
42. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – Alameda Chapter
43. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – Los Angeles Chapter
44. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – New Jersey Chapter
45. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – New York Chapter
46. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – Sacramento Chapter
47. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – San Diego Chapter
48. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – San Francisco Chapter
49. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – San Jose/San Mateo/Santa Clara Chapter
50. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – Seattle Chapter
51. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – Texas Chapter
52. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance – Washington, DC Chapter
53. Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute
54. Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
55. Asian Pacific Americans for Action (APAA) @ Cornell
56. Asian Pacific Americans for Progress
57. Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
58. Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment
59. Asian Pacific Islander Coalition for Action and Diversity (Sarah Lawrence College)
60. Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sacramento Coalition
61. Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (A3PCON)
62. Asian Prisoner Support Committee
63. Asian Services in Action (Cleveland)
64. Asian Women United
65. Asians for Black Lives (A4BL) — San Diego
66. Asians4BlackLives
67. Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm Arts)
68. Baltimore Asian Resistance in Solidarity
69. BAYAN USA
70. Berkeley AAPI Alumni Association
71. Brandeis Asian American Task Force
72. Burma/Myanmar Student Association at the University of Washington, Seattle
73. CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities
74. California Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus
75. Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell
76. Chicago Desi Youth Rising
77. Chinese for Affirmative Action
78. Chinese Progressive Association – Boston
79. Chinese Progressive Association – San Francisco
80. Chinatown Community for Equitable Development
81. CHOW Project
82. Church and Society Committee, Buena Vista United Methodist Church
83. Coalition for Asian American Children & Families
84. Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter College
85. Critical Ethnic & A/PIA Studies Graduate Working Group at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
86. Critical Filipinx Scholars Collective
87. DAMAYAN
88. DC Asian American and Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus
89. Densho
90. Department of Asian American Studies, UC Davis
91. DRUM – Desis Risng Up & Moving
92. East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU)
93. Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
94. Equality Labs
95. FIGHT (Formerly Incarcerated Group Healing Together)
96. Filipino Advocates for Justice
97. Filipino American Democratic Club of New York
98. Filipino Migrant Center
99. Florida Asian American Student Union
100. Freedom at Emory University
101. Freedom Inc.
102. Freedom Trainers
103. GABRIELA USA
104. Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY)
105. Greater Chinatown Community Association
106. Guam Communications Network
107. HEART Women & Girls
108. Hep Free Hawaii
109. Hepatitis Education Project
110. Hmong Innovating Politics
111. Hmong National Development
112. INHERITANCE magazine
113. Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement
114. Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Student Association
115. Iu Mien Student Union (IMSU at Berkeley)
116. Jahajee Sisters Empowering Indo-Caribbean Women
117. Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
118. Japanese American Citizens League – New York
119. Japanese American Citizens League – Olympia
120. Japanese American Citizens League – Seattle
121. Japanese American Service Committee
122. KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress
123. Khmer Girls in Action
124. Khmer Health Advocates
125. KmB / Pro-People Youth
126. Korean American Resource and Cultural Center
127. Korean American Student Association (KASA), University of Southern California
128. Korean Resource Center
129. Kuya Ate Mentorship Program
130. Latinx Medical Student Association (LMSA) of Brown University
131. Lionswrite Communications
132. Many Languages One Voice
133. MekongNYC
134. Micronesian Islands Club
135. Midwest Asian American Students Union
136. Minidoka Pilgrimage
137. National Alliance for Filipino Concerns
138. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
139. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum – New York City
140. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum – Philadelphia
141. National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
142. National Education Association (NEA) Asian Pacific Islander Caucus
143. National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
144. National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
145. National Organization for Women’s (NOW) Inaugural Virtual Chapter: Young Feminists and Allies
146. New Directions Consulting
147. Nikkei Progressives
148. Northeast Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (Northeast UVSA)
149. OneAmerica
150. Paradox
151. Pasifika PRIDE
152. Penn Taiwanese Society, University of Pennsylvania
153. Philadelphia South Asian Collective
154. Philippine Student Association – UIUC
155. Pilipino American Unity for Progress, Inc. (UniPro)
156. Princeton Asian American Students Association
157. Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA)
158. Progressive Hmong American Organizers
159. Project ALOFA
160. Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM)
161. Rad Azns
162. Raha Iranian Feminist Collective
163. REACH! Asian Pacific Islander Recruitment and Retention Center
164. Reappropriate
165. Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA)
166. Sacramento Hmong LGBTQIA
167. Satrang
168. Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission
169. Service Employees International Union API Caucus
170. Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN)
171. SHK Global Health
172. Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority Inc.
173. Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
174. South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
175. South Asian Fund For Education, Scholarship and Training (SAFEST)
176. South Asian Network (SAN)
177. Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
178. Southeast Asian Campus Learning Education and Retention (SEA CLEAR)
179. Southeast Asian Coalition
180. Southeast Asian Education Coalition
181. Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN)
182. Southern California Korean College Students Association
183. Spectrum LGBTQ of Alpert Medical School
184. Spice Collective, University of Pennsylvania
185. Stanford Asian American Activism Committee
186. Swarthmore Asian Organization (SAO)
187. Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL)
188. Taiwanese Americans United
189. The W.O.W Project
190. This Filipino American Life Podcast (TFALPodcast)
191. TIGRA – Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research & Action
192. UCLA Asian American Studies Center
193. Ugnayan Youth for Justice and Social Change
194. Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of the Midwest
195. University of Colorado Boulder CollaborASIAN
196. UPenn Asian Pacific Student Coalition
197. UPLIFT
198. Utah Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus
199. UXO Clearance Laos
200. Vanderbilt South Asian Cultural Exchange
201. Vanderbilt University Asian American Student Association
202. VAYLA New Orleans
203. Visceral Crew
204. VietLead
205. Vietnamese Student Association – Boulder
206. VietUnity – Bay Area
207. VietUnity – Los Angeles
208. Views From the Edge (dioknoed.blogspot.com) AAPI perspectives
209. VISIONS
210. Visual Communications
211. Wakefield Asian Club, Arlington, Virginia
212. Writ Large Press
213. Yale Asian American Studies Task Force
214. Yellow Rage