AAPI organizations rise up, uniting for May 1 march

Demonstrators against Trump policies marched in March

IN A WAY, Donald Trump was right when he said he would unite the country. In his first 100 days in office, opposition to his policies and his attempt to turn back the clock when power and influence in America was totally Euro-centric and opposed to science, education and the Golden Rule.

On May 1, in commemoration of May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, a consortiium of AAPI organizations of will gather an Asian American and Pacific Islander contingent in Washington DC to take in part in the International Workers Day march and rally.

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) are joining together to demand justice for immigrants, refugees, and Muslims; to protect the right to collectively bargain and organize a union; to fight against mass deportations, a Muslim ban, and the criminalization of people of color; and to defend the Earth and its resources. 

APALA Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana stated: “We are keeping true on our commitment to resisting, organizing, and fighting back. Just in the past 100 days of the administration, attacks on our communities have instilled fear and anxiety to new levels, and we refuse to make this racist and xenophobic agenda the new norm for our country." 

Organizers are asking AAPI participants will gather at McPherson Square at 2 p.m. 

A short program will include leaders who will speak on the contributions of AAPI working people and the important role AAPI communities have in fighting for a better world for all working families. At the conclusion of the program, event participants will march together to the White House to join the thousands of working people at the #RiseUP March & Rally to oppose the hateful rhetoric, policies and actions of the current administration.

 “The movement for reproductive justice is stronger and more powerful when we acknowledge and elevate how our different identities shape the rights and agency of AAPIs and all workers," said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, NAPAWF Interim Executive Director. "We are committed to a social and political transformation that ensures gender and racial equality each member of the AAPI community and other communities of color—and that means resisting anti-immigrant policies and economic inequity.”

Join APALA, NAPAWF, and NAKASEC to show the world that we will not be afraid to rise in solidarity with working people across the globe! Join us and tell the world that we are #NotYourModelMinority. RSVP before or join us on May 1. 

WHAT:          May Day/International Workers’ Day AAPI Contingent Meet Up

              

WHO:           The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO

                     The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)          

                     The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)

WHEN:          May 1, 2017, 2:00-3:00PM

WHERE:       McPherson Square, 15^th St. NW & K St. NW 
                     (for an event near you, click here.)

RSVP:             bit.ly/AAPIMayDayRSVP

ALL DAY — Beyond The Moment: May Day – National Day Of Action
Beyond the Moment: Uniting Movements from April 4th to May Day (BTM) is a national campaign intended to expand and strengthen multi-racial, multi-sector and local long-term organizing capacity around the fight for justice, freedom and the right to live fully, with dignity and respect for all people. From small vigils to mass mobilizations we will take collective and cross-movement. Our aim is to build a mighty movement of all people dedicated to freedom. That means we don’t deny our differences, we embrace them and build a movement bold, broad and big enough to include our many realities. Join Beyond The Moment. Find a May Day Action in your city at: Click here to learn more

ALL DAY — National Day of Action for Immigrants
On May 1st, immigrants and allies all over the country will rise up in resistance to demonstrate the power, resilience and strength of immigrants in America. On May 1st in cities, towns and communities across the country immigrant leaders of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) will Rise Up! in resistance to demonstrate the power, resilience and strength of immigrant communities in America. 

They will partner with organizations to lead marches, rallies, protests and town halls that resist Trump’s deportation machine, oppose the current administration’s scapegoating of immigrant communities and build a united front to support a vibrant and diverse future for our country. 

The #RiseUP movement is growing by the hour, 42 organizations with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) will be leading in cities with marches, rallies, and community events to shut down the hate in our communities! Find a May Day Action in your city at: Click here to learn more

ALL DAY — A Day Without ImmigrantsOn May 1st, we will not go to work, we will not go to school and we will not buy. We are going to make it clear that this country cannot function without immigrants. This is only the beginning of our fight toward permanent protection, dignity and respect. Find a May Day Action in your city at: Click here to learn more

"This fight is a shared struggle uniting our diverse AAPI community and people of color more broadly to the struggles of all working people and families in the United States and across the globe. Sustainable jobs with fair wages; access to healthcare; living and working in places with dignity and free from fear, discrimination, or criminalization – these are the basic tenets driving us together.” said Cendana

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The Super Bowl's super commercials about America

The Airbnb commercial played during the Super Bowl highlighting the benefits of inclusion.

THAT WAS a really great game played last Sunday in Super Bowl LI (51). It will most likely do down as a classic as the New England Patriots came from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched sporting event on American television.So huge, in fact, it has gotten so big, that it has become a cultural barometer of the country at a point in time.

The point in time is two-weeks into the Trump presidency. 

If the commercials by big American businesses are any indication, the messages they are communicating runs counter to the direction President Trump is taking the country.

One commercial was so controversial that Fox Sports Network did not allow to show it in its entirety. The commercial by 84 Lumber followed a Mexican mother and daughter trek through mountains and desert to reach the U.S. border. But before they reach the border, the commercial was cut and a website given for those who wanted to see the rest of the 6 minute commercial.

The mother and daughter reach the U.S. border only to find a 20 foot high wall. At first disppointed, their spirits are lifted when they see a big gate which they open and proceed into the the U.S. Over the final scene is the message: "The will to succeed is always welcome here."

Trump supporters saw the commercial as taking a stand for illegal immigration. 84 Lumber tweeted the commercial was "a symbolic journey toward becoming legal American citizens."

Coca Cola reran one of my favorite commercials of al time: a 2014 ad where "America the Beautiful" is sung in several languages. When it first aired in 2014 the company was attacked by so-called patriots who believe the song should only be sung in English. But the message was clear: America is home to people from many countries.

RELATED: America can be as beautiful as we want it to be

What really set off criticism was the image of Muslims and the song being sung in Arabic. Tsk, tsk. Certainly, the commercial gained new meaning in the context of Trump's anti-Muslim travel ban.

Airbnb ran a commercial with a similar message of inclusiveness with faces of people of many races and ethnic groups facing into one another as words overlaid the images: No matter who you love, where you came from, we all belong. The world is more beautiful if you accept. #weaccept.

Certainly it counters the current wave of xenophobia sweeping across Trump nation.

The most American of beers, Budweiser took a break from its horses to tell the story one of their co-founder -- a German immigrant Adolphus Busch. The commercial highlighted the difficulties immigrants have especially when greeted by xenophobic Americans. Budweiser denied any intention of a political message, but the role of immigrants played in America was not lost, not even to the most casual of observers. 

The pulse of real America was reflected, not only in the commercials but in the entertainment also. The cast of Hamilton, which greeted Vice President Pence when he came to see their show with a political message of inclusion, sang America the Beautiful before the opening kickoff. Phillipa Soo, who is half Chinese and half White, along with two other original cast members, Jasmine Cepas Jones and Renee Elise Goldsberry, steered clear of any political overtones. They did however add the word sisterhood to the song to cheers from the crowd.

Lady Gaga is also known for her political statements. She was among Hillary Clinton’s strongest supporters during the campaign. Her political statement was really subtle for an entertainer known for her over-the-top performances.

Breaking away from the songs that she made famous, she started with a pair of patriotic songs, including "This Land Is Your Land," which has become a sort of anthem for the demonstrators on behalf of the refugees who were turned away or detained at airports across the country. During her set, she did hug a person of color who could easily have been an immigrant or refugee. Right when she gave her hug, Lady Gaga belted out the word “stay.” Coincidence? Maybe. 

Last Sunday was so AMERICAN! How American can you get? Football, Coke, Bud, Hamilton and Lady Gaga.  So ... who's living in a bubble? (AsAm News contributed to this report.)

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GOP 'rising star' mulling over switching parties

Hawaii State Rep. Beth Fukumoto

ASAM NEWS

ONE OF the "rising stars" of the Republican Party, Hawaii State Rep. Beth Fukumoto is considering a switch from the GOP after she was removed from her position as Hawaii’s House minority leader earlier this week.

Fukumoto told NBC News that she no longer felt she was able to defend the Republican Party and its actions. Fukumoto claims she has been receiving criticism from the GOP since her participation in the Women’s March in Honolulu on Jan. 21.

“What ended up being very problematic for me was that my caucus and others said, ‘If you want to stay in leadership, then you need to make a commitment to not criticize the president for the remainder of his term,'” she said. After all of the executive orders that President Trump has signed since his inauguration, Fukumoto did not believe she could follow through with what her party wanted of her.

At the Women’s March in Honolulu, she spoke out against President Trump’s rise to the presidency she said was founded on racism and sexism. “It doesn’t matter to me who you voted for. People cast their votes for a lot of different reasons,” Fukumoto said. “But, no matter who your choice was, the fact remains the same. A man won the White House with anger and hate, and our kids watched it happen. Now, it’s our jobs to make sure they watch us fight back.”

Her speech at the Women’s March led to immediate responses, in the form of messages from her colleagues to meet and calls for her resignation. Republican Rep. Cynthia Thielen defended Fukumoto’s participation in the march at the caucus on Wednesday. Thielen herself also spoke at the march. “Now she is being punished by three-and-a-half of our members for participating in the democratic process,” Thielen voiced.

When another caucus member tried to divert the discussion away from the topic of the march, Thielen responded: “It’s all about the Women’s March. It’s all about Representative Fukumoto standing up for women and human rights.”

Fukumoto’s letter to her constituents this past week expressed her desire to leave the Republicans; she has said she may be joining the Democratic Party.

Sunday ruminations: The Resistance will be televised (& live-streamed)

 NPS GRAPHIC

When the National Park Service tweeted out these photos comparing the inauguration crowds of Obama and Trump, the NPS was ordered to shut down its social media accounts.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, there is a silver lining to President Donald Trump's attempts to add America to his long list of money-making ventures for him and his billionaire friends.

While it might be easy to fall into a state of despair because of Trump's attempting to turn back all the progressive actions of the last 20 years, there has been reason to hope.

The good comes from people stepping up, speaking out, writing letters to the editor, voicing their concerns to their representatives, taking action out of their comfort zones, making donations to their favorite civil rights organization and just showing up at protests, rallies and marches.

From CNN, we hear that the Jewish community of Victoria, Texas, has stepped up to aid the town's Muslim community after their mosque was destroyed in a fire last weekend, hours after Trump signed his executive order restricting immigration of Muslims.

"I never doubted the support that we were going to get," said Dr. Shahid Hashmi, the president of the Victoria Islamic Center. "We've always had a good relationship with the community here."

Sally Yates

America found a new hero in former acting Attorney General Sally Yates when she ordered the Department of Justice lawyers not to defend Trump's anti-Muslim order because she doubted the legality of the order. As a result Trump had her replaced. Overnight, the career government employee, found herself the subject of social media praising her action.

Yates wasn't alone. Plenty in the legal community agreed with her. Civil rights attorneys rushed to the airports to provide free legal services to those affected by the travel ban.

The attorneys general of Virginia, Massachusetts, New York and Washington filed legal challenges to Tate Trump order resulting in a nationwide stay preventing Homeland Security from implementing the ban. 

A DOJ appeal to overturn a judge's stay was denied allowing the nationwide stay to continue through the weekend.

How about the underreported quiet revolt occurring in the federal government? Besides Yates, employees in the State Department and CIA have voiced their serious concerns about Trump's policies affecting international relations. There is some dispute on this but State's senior management team either resigned their posts or were "reassigned" because their opinions countered the administration's directions.

Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency, USDA, CDC, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service and National Park Service have created private social media accounts - with tags of alt.NPSto counter the 
"gag order" after they began tweeting about climate change, their research and other facts, which the administration doesn't believe in.

 Using  names such as @altUSDA, @altUSEPA, @rogue_NOAA and @alternativeNWS, employees began tweeting about climate change and its impacts. 

According to Scientific American, the runaway popularity of @AltNatParkSer's tweets — the account quickly gathered over 14,000 followers — appeared to raise its founders' concerns regarding their continued involvement. On Jan. 26, the anonymous team tweeted that the members were handing the account over to activists and journalists who have science backgrounds but who are not federal employees, saying that they were making the decision "for the sake of our colleagues."

Our Democratic politicians were outspoken in their opposition to Trump's series of executive orders and tried to block the appointments of Trump's questionable cabinet members but thus far, have not been able to overcome the numbers game in the Senate. 

AAPI representatives were active: going to the airport demonstrations, denouncing the immigration and Muslim ban orders and encouraging their followers.

SCREEN CAPTURE

S.F. Mayor Ed Lee along with mayors of other cities have
refused to be cowed by Trump threats.

Mayors of sanctuary cities have by and large have stood fast against Trump's threats to cut federal funding but that drama still has to play out.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee reaffirmed the commitment of his city to remain a sanctuary city despite threats from President Donald Trump.

Last week, the president signed an executive order to deny federal grant funds to “sanctuary cities.” These cities have policies in place to restrict local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration agents, with the exception of extreme cases.

“Our city is still a sanctuary city and we are going to remain a sanctuary city,” said Lee. The sanctuary city policy intends to increase cooperation between local law enforcement and immigrant communities by establishing a sense of trust, reports ABC7 News. The policy also permits undocumented immigrants to access services, such as health care and education, that they would not necessarily receive in cities not protected by the sanctuary city policy. 

Other U.S. cities who have declared sanctuary cities have joined in the chorus. Only Miami appears to have backed off.

The Women's March has Held the day after Trump's inauguration sparked a resistance  movement that appears to have legs. When Trump signed the Muslim Exclusioni order, thousands of demonstrators across the country spontaneously protested at the nation's airports. Unlike the Women's March that attracted millions, there were no months of planning involved, people fed up with Trump's king-like proclamations showed up to demonstrate their displeasure.

As Muslim immigrants allowed to join their awaiting relatives at LAX, the LAPD joined in singing the chorus of "This Land is Your Land," along with the protesters.

Over the weekend, some Republican lawmakers staged town halls in their districts and were surprised to see the crowds in attendance, demanding that Obamacare be left alone.

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), one of the relatively few members of Congress who has held public town hall meetings in 2017, was beset by protesters in the city of Roseville, Calif. More than 1,000 people gathered in front of a venue that could seat 200, and many of those who got inside protested McClintock, a conservative who represents one of the state’s few safe Republican seats, for favoring the president’s executive orders on refugees and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

According to social media reports from attendees, the event was raucous; according to video clips taken in its aftermath, McClintock left under police protection as critics, many organized by the local branch of the Indivisible activist organization, followed closely.

“If anyone is wondering what a town hall meeting in a conservative district looks like, welcome to Roseville,” wrote protester Troy Kuersten on Facebook.

Other GOP representatives, including Rep. Paul Ryan, (R-Wis.), had visits from groups opposed to Trump policies.

The resistance, good people, is gaining momenturm. You are not alone.