CAPAC and Community Leaders Denounce Trump’s Anti-Muslim Executive Order
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and leaders from the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Muslim communities held a press conference opposing President Donald Trump’s Executive Order banning Muslims and refugees from entering the United States. CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) was joined by Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13).
“These actions signal to the rest of the world that America is no longer the symbol of the Statue of Liberty, holding her torch high for the huddled masses of the world. And for the refugees fleeing violence and terror, this policy is a death sentence,” said Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair. “We have been resettling refugees in America safely for decades – and Trump’s claim that refugees will hurt American communities is simply not true. Welcoming immigrants and refugees – and welcoming people of all backgrounds and faiths – is at the core of who we are as a nation. And this diversity has strengthened, not weakened our country.”
Congressional members discussed rushing to airports over the weekend to help individuals who were detained and at risk of being deported due to the Executive Order. Speakers also discussed the parallels behind this action and incidents like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.
“What do I tell my children, the grandchildren of Chinese and Korean immigrants, about what is happening in our country? First, I tell them that it’s wrong. And in this case, I tell them we have been here before, and we have overcome it,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), referring to the Chinese Exclusion Act. “But I tell my children: America has made mistakes. History has not always shown our leaders to be right or just. But those who dissent in these critical moments do so because they can imagine a greater and stronger America… And today we say [President Trump’s] policies don’t make us safer. They don’t reflect our values.”
“The Asian Pacific American community has seen the devastating effects of discrimination codified into law,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). “In my home state, Japanese-American families were rounded up and interned. In my own district, my own city of Seattle, rioters once targeted people of Chinese descent and expelled them. We're not going to let that shameful history repeat itself. We're not going backward. These executive orders are deeply un-American and we're going to fight them with everything we have.”
“President Trump’s morally reprehensible executive order is unconstitutional and un-American,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13). “Closing the gates to some of the most vulnerable people in the world will only serve to make the U.S. less safe. We are a nation of immigrants, and this ban flies in the face of our fundamental values as Americans. I will forcefully resist the anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-Muslim policies of this administration.”
Leaders from community organizations, including the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), also discussed the impact of the Executive Order on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Muslim communities.
"The Asian American and Pacific Islander community has the responsibility to remind our nation 'never again,' and we have that privilege to speak on behalf of our ancestors who could not come to this country, to our ancestors who were discriminated against, who were interned and who were profiled, and who may not have the opportunity to tell their own story. We have to remind people of what refugees bring to this country and why the entire world demands that refugees who are fleeing violence and persecution be accepted and given safe haven,” said Christopher Kang, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). “We need a government that will stand up to this president when he seeks any policy that goes beyond the law and beyond the constitution. These are only the first, and probably not the last, of these executive orders we will see, and I'm so proud to have the leadership of these members of Congress to speak for us and to fight for us."
“I, my organization and American Muslims, believe and support all necessary measures to secure our nation and its citizens,” said Nihad Awad, National Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). “However, Donald Trump’s executive order is not based on evidence, national security or on hard facts. It is based on islamophobia, fearmongering and anti-Muslim prejudice.”
“The anti-Muslim rhetoric that President Trump campaigned on is now being borne out in destructive policy and leaves our communities increasingly vulnerable to violence,” said Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). “SAALT will continue to partner with our communities to ensure we have an equal place and equal rights in the US, and that our voices ring clear as we fight for equality, protection, and dignity for all. SAALT's vision for dignity and inclusion for all has never been more important.”
“Today I stand proud as a daughter of refugees from Vietnam, whose parents risked their lives so that I could be free. Free from terror, starvation, and incessant bombings of our homes. Free from political and religious oppression,” said Quyen Dinh, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). “40 years ago, our nation welcomed over 1.3 million refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, like my parents, despite the vocal opposition of more than 60% of this nation – from civilians to elected officials who refused to accept responsibility for a war that was created by our own forces. I am a product of America's humanitarian legacy. Together with my community of 3 million strong, we will exercise our responsibility, voice, and power to uphold and protect democracy for all future generations of Americans."
麻州貝爾蒙鎮是個人口僅25,337，其中亞裔3,194，佔總人口12.6%，華裔1,930，佔7.6%的小鎮。貝爾蒙華人協會也只是個2016年才成立的組織。但是1月28日的這場春晚，卻讓麻州華人社區與貝爾蒙鎮主流社會一樣驚嘆，這真是個臥虎藏龍的小鎮。
貝爾蒙鎮華人以往忙碌於彼此各自的生活，但微信群的興起，鎮上學區教育面對經費不足挑戰，紐約梁彼得警官案引發的華裔在美處境議論等，讓他們開始接觸，聚攏，組成了有15名理事的協會，也漸次發覺鎮上華裔人才濟濟。
先是2015年葉迎春組織的小鐵人隊伍，讓華人出現在貝爾蒙鎮主流社會眼前，接著2016年2月，王瑾，星晨，陳大鵬，馬寧，郭曉燕，黃蕾，楊琳等人在鎮上Beech街社區中心成功舉辦有300多人參加的春節晚會，促成13名熱心人士於2月13日召開籌備會，貝爾蒙華人協會才於7月正式註冊成立，推選出王瑾、趙剛擔任共同主席，有15名理事。
兩名節目總導演，都很有來頭。彭雅嵐是中國的資深唱片監製，明星經紀，有著和中央電視，湖南衛視等許多大機構合作大型綜藝節目的經驗，馬寧則是有著北大學士，普林斯頓博士學位，在塔芙茨大學執教，出版過英文著作”白銀時代:東西方小說的興起”的學者。
18個節目，由10名主持人及司儀一一介紹，從天使舞蹈團克可編舞的”兒童舞歡天喜地”開場，接著高中生跳”小萍果”，中國民樂演奏”好一朵茉莉花”，彭雅嵐、馬寧策畫的”雞寶寶迎新春”，彭雅嵐特約來的”群星祝福錄像”，楊信宜指導的古箏演奏”將軍令”，改編自侯耀華相聲的兒童”雞年說雞”，章幼琴指導的”少兒功夫”，祝紅莉等5人負責兒童穿漢服，念詩經，林湛濤指導二胡伴奏，由陳惠芳負責的老人合唱”奔馳在千里草原”，”踏浪”，勁舞團Belmont表演隊的”西藏情歌”，吴懿铖詞曲的兒童合唱”家路”，廉艷、陸琪二重唱”家和萬事興”，陳望菊指導的”空竹表演，張婉哲指導的音樂劇獅子王片段，謝眺編劇，彭雅嵐策畫的歌舞喜劇”大老爺們兒上春晚”，曾燕琴指導的”青花瓷旗袍秀”，各有亮點，直到彭雅嵐，周媛領頭合唱”難忘今宵”的為晚會拉下帷幕，觀眾們情緒都很高昂。
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Dustin感謝貝爾蒙華協對鎮上教育基金的支持，稱許表演節目令人印象深刻，Jim Williams也肯定華人對貝爾蒙鎮的貢獻，還說明鎮上正在籌建新的高中，希望華人社區一起努力。
