Keeping Hope in Face of the Challenges Ahead
Our collective communities are reeling from the results of Tuesday’s election. We grieve, our allies grieve, and our communities grieve from the hurt that has been created by this campaign and the anticipation of the challenges ahead. We must also come together to respond to the hateful rhetoric and violence directed towards Muslims, immigrants, LGTBQ communities, women and communities of color during this presidential campaign. We must work together to protect those vulnerable communities whose very right to exist has been challenged during this campaign.
“It is important now, more than ever, to continue the work we have been doing over the past 15 years – to build a stronger voice for our communities, and to work with other communities of color and working Americans to strengthen our country by ensuring everyone has access to the same opportunities” states Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director of National CAPACD.
Over the coming years, the critical work of National CAPACD’s member organizations to support those most vulnerable in our communities must continue and we re-commit ourselves to supporting our members to deliver on this imperative. Nationally, we will strengthen our partnerships with our allies to defend the many programs and systems that have been built to support and protect our communities.
Though we face enormous hurdles ahead, we must also search for hope in our victories and create opportunities despite adversity. This week, we witnessed historic elections of progressive women of color into Congress - Kamala Harris, Tammy Duckworth, Catherine Cortez Masto, Pramila Jayapal, and Stephanie Murphy. This week, AAPIs across the country also made their voices and concerns heard on key issues that impact their lives in local and statewide elections and were overwhelmingly in favor of equity (See the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund’s Election Eve poll here). Let us celebrate the mobilization of our communities but also view this as an opportunity to demand that political leadership recognize the growing power of the AAPI electorate.
Most importantly, let us view Tuesday’s election results as an opportunity to build solidarity on the ground between and among communities of color. A critical moment is upon us—we cannot afford or allow ourselves to be intimidated by the challenges ahead or engulfed by the political vitriol and fear that has taken root in this campaign. We must work harder to mobilize our communities and honor our commitment to our mission and values. We must work harder to unite with other communities of color and marginalized communities to protect the values and systems we hold dear and push forward a shared vision of America that is home to us all.
Seema Agnani, Policy & Managing Director of National CAPACD states “The need for mobilizing our communities and strengthening our partnerships has never been more urgent and the moment has never been more potent. We have a mandate to come together, across communities, to protect the systems and freedoms that we have worked on for decades. We find hope in the opportunity to work together to organize an inclusive movement that will not allow our nation’s leadership to demoralize our communities, challenge their rights, or undermine their existence.”
Together we’ll keep building, we’ll keep fighting, and we’ll keep leading with love for our communities and our neighborhoods.
(Watch the video here)
National CAPACD staff want to send a message of love and determination to all our members. These words were recorded in September 2016, well before the election. All the reasons "why we fight" were true before the election and will inspire us to keep moving forward. This is why we do what we do.