“To be gorgeous, you must first be seen.”
-- Ocean Vuong, Vietnamese American writer of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
Today we wrestle again with the unbearable news of violence against Asian Americans -- this time, the murder of six Asian American women in Georgia. It is far too common, and far too ignored, that the largest growing demographic in our country is now one of its primary targets for discriminatory and horrific hate crimes. It is far too common, and too far ignored, that the perpetrators of these discrimination and hate crimes are the products of white supremacy and a government that emboldens domestic terrorists. It is far too common, and too far ignored that we do nothing.
- Where to donate: Smudge has made a donation to Red Canary Song, a grassroots collective representing the rights of Asian and migrant sex workers, and to the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). Here is a list of other organizations representing the rights and interests of Asian Americans.
- Where to write and call: Representation matters! Due in large part to the neglect by our government to make sure Asian Americans can effectively participate in the democratic process, Asian Americans are overlooked by our leaders. Change this by contacting the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and demand that they make interfacing with our government more accessible and transparent to Asian Americans.
- Where to volunteer: There are organizations such as Compassion in Oakland where you can volunteer to serve as a chaperone for Asian Americans fearing for their safety. Interested in learning more about Bystander Intervention and conflict de-escalation? We signed up for the Hollaback! Training through ihollaback.org. And we would hope it goes without mentioning, but if you see something, say something and report it immediately to your local police.
In love and in service,
Team Smudge
