Dear Michigan Asian American community -
We are still here.
We are with you.
Our first concern is each other.
We know that many in our communities are heartbroken at the outcome of the election
and anxious about what the future may bring.
It is okay to be heartbroken. It is okay to be exhausted and scared. It is absolutely okay to be angry, even enraged.
And it is okay to rest. Rest is an act of resistance. We need to heal and collect ourselves and each other to gear up for the long and hard fight ahead.
We continue the fight against incredible odds: an entrenched culture of white supremacy and deeply embedded misogyny, billionaires with seemingly endless resources, politicians who ignore our voices and humanity to serve special interests–forces that all rely on despair to overwhelm our resistance to injustice and oppression.
But we will not give in to fear or despair.
We will hold the line.
We are still here.
We are with you.
We remain committed to the values and work Rising Voices was founded on, rooting ourselves in joy, shared knowledge, radical collective action to dismantle systems of oppression, community healing and wholeness, collective liberation and solidarity with others in our movement for justice not just for Asian Americans, but for all.
We reaffirm our commitment to solidarity with Black and Brown communities, and will not engage in finger pointing with regard to the outcome of the election. We stand in unity with our partners against the true perpetrators of this outcome–racism, patriarchy, imperialism, xenophobia, Christian nationalism, anti-Muslim, anti-semitism, anti-LGBTQ+ hate, Zionism and all forces that would divide and marginalize our communities. We will not engage in divisive blame that is a tool of authoritarianism to break our unity.
We move forward with defiance, resistance, and gratitude for all who have supported Rising Voices’ work this election season. So many individuals and organizations contributed heroic work by knocking on thousands of doors, making thousands of phone calls, translating materials into multiple Asian languages, producing video content seen nationwide, talking with voters, giving their hearts and putting their bodies on the line in the effort to protect democracy.
That enormous work was not in vain. It is an affirmation of the enormous power our communities have, and the reassuring presence of good people taking action for a better world our loved ones deserve.
In the coming days, Rising Voices will be working with partner organizations across Michigan to ensure that we prepare for our task of strengthening our coalitions and taking a stand against an antidemocratic administration. We will be reaching out to our members to offer healing spaces, resources for aid and action steps as we prepare ourselves for the road ahead to protect our communities, reject authoritarianism, demand justice and an inclusive future for all.
We are still here.
We are with you.
Together, we will hold the line.