Dear Rising Voices Community,
As we move forward following Inauguration Day, we acknowledge the weight of this moment and the challenges ahead under the Trump administration.
Today, we reaffirm our commitment to our communities—Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and our allies—who have stood resilient against waves of injustice throughout history.
Resisting Together
This administration’s plans, from large-scale deportation operations to policies targeting marginalized groups, are designed to divide and disempower us. But we have faced such trials before. As a community:
• We stand for collective care and action. Our solidarity with women, Black, Indigenous, immigrant, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities strengthens us.
• We honor our legacy of resistance. From surviving systemic exclusion to leading movements for equity, we are empowered by our history.
• We believe in the power of the people. Together, we will create new paths forward, rooted in justice and liberation.
Call to Action
Our strength lies in our purpose and in the people who believe in it. We cannot do this without you. We invite you to join us in our movement across Michigan and beyond. In the days ahead, Rising Voices will provide tools and resources to help our communities stay informed, protected, and engaged:
• Legal and emergency preparedness workshops.
• Healing and wellness sessions.
• Advocacy training and organizing opportunities.
Your voice and action matter now more than ever. Whether you join our upcoming events, share your experiences, or mobilize your networks, your participation fuels our collective strength.
Help Shape Our Future Together
To better serve our communities in 2025, we invite you to share your thoughts through our community input form. Your responses will help us tailor programs, resources, and advocacy efforts to address your needs and priorities.
Complete the Form Here:
The form includes questions about your community’s challenges, the types of support you need, and how you’d like to engage with Rising Voices. Your input is invaluable as we plan for the year ahead.
Holding Onto Joy and Family
While we remain steadfast in resistance and collective care, we also prioritize joy, humor, and the bonds of family. These are not just acts of self-preservation but powerful tools of defiance. At Rising Voices, we hold grace in spaces for people to be their authentic selves, pushing back against white supremacist notions of professionalism. We cultivate joy and humor because we deeply care about our communities and believe the revolution must be irresistible.
We refuse to be defined solely by reaction or trauma. Instead, we hold onto the love, laughter, and connections that ground us and remind us of the world we are fighting to create—a world where joy and family thrive as acts of resistance and resilience.
Together, we reject the forces of division and demand a future that respects the dignity and humanity of all people.
In solidarity,
Rising Voices Staff
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Rising Voices, a project of the Center for Empowered Politics, is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization that seeks to increase the civic participation of Asian Americans in Michigan by developing the leadership, organizing, and power-building capacity of Asian American women, youth and communities. risingvoicesaaf.org