Women Representing in our Nation's Capitol

Last weekend I attended the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) conference in Washington DC as a representative from the totally kickin' Bay Area chapter. To read about some great facts, figures and insight from the conference, yu can also check fellow NAPAWF sister, Olivia's blog post at Asian Pacific Americans for Progress.

The conference was a beautiful experience.  Flights cross country are always exhausting, but I had a great hotel and got to immediately meet with fellow NAPAWF sisters at the locally famous Nando's peri peri chicken place. This dinner was my first time meeting NAPAWF sisters from other chapters and they were a cool bunch as  expected (the NAPAWF chapter in the Bay Area helped me to make some of my first real friendships in the Bay Area, so yes they're a great bunch!). The night ended with a bunch of my east coast homies from college and I talking Afghan politics while the first snowfall that DC has had this season drifted beautifully outside. Ah how I miss snow!

Oh snowflakes, I love thee

The next day the conference was on! I think it was the coolest conference that I've been to, full of passionate, friendly young Asian women ready to go out there and fight for the rights of our communities. That morning,  NAPAWF founding sisters and conference participants sat on the floor to talk, instead of sitting on a typical panel desk with a microphone. I think that symbolized the organization and the women in the organization better than anything. This was not a sisterhood of hierarchy; we were on equal footing with one another, we are friends, colleagues and sisters in arms! Founding sisters shared their deeply personal stories as to why civil rights, women's rights, immigrant rights work mattered to them. Most of us are immigrants or were the children of immigrants that struggled and suffered as they worked hard to establish a life in a new land (my story included). It was wonderful to feel connected, though I was desperately trying not to cry from their stories because well, my make up would run (I'm kidding...sorta).

Keepin it real, NAPAWF style

The rest of the weekend went by fast, as I tried to stay awake and aware despite my jet lag. There was a fierce open mic night with NAPAWF sisters performing last Saturday and I was floored by the performances. Passion, activism and art go hand in hand and it was pretty empowering to watch my fellow sisters express themselves.

But the big day was Monday because it was Lunar New Years, Happy Year of the Dragon! Oh yea and it was also LOBBY DAY.  Often when people think about 'lobbying' they think of cigarette and oil companies. Unfortunately though do hold a disproportionate hold on what goes down in Congress, there are amazing groups and non-profits that lobby for reproductive rights, immigrant rights and healthcare reform (the good kind). Speaking of reproductive rights,  last Sunday was the 39th anniversary of the landmark supreme court decision Roe v. Wade, and that Monday, while we at NAPAWF were fighting for women's rights over the bodies, anti-abortion crowds descended upon the capitol like dark vultures of oppressive doom (sorry I'm biased, does it show?). It was a bit surreal for me to race through DC through the rain in a cab while mostly Caucasian masses held up huge photos of mutilated fetuses and signs proclaiming their love for inequality, I mean...religion (or something).

NAPAWF sisters looking well behaved, don't be fooled

I was part of the Healthcare advocacy group that would visit Congresswoman Barbara Lee's office (of whom I am a proud constituent).  All of the congressional offices we visited were friendly, as in they were on our side when it came to progressive stances on immigration and healthcare issues, but this was a chance, a first for many of us, to experience lobbying for our causes and to connect with congressional offices to provide them with support from our 11 national chapters when it comes to national issues.

Did I mention that I love Congresswoman Barbara Lee? I love Barbara Lee, and it was great to drop into her DC office. We met with one of her head staffers and though Lee's office is petty aware on on our side when it comes to healthcare issues, I made sure to notify her office about the plight that refugee women and men faced in the Bay Area due to unbelievably high unemployment rates (which conversely affects everything from healthcare, to family violence, to poverty). Though local leaders in the Bay Area are usually progressive, many may not know of issues affecting certain communities on the ground until someone (usually advocates) notify them about the issue directly. 

After our lobbying efforts, we joined a Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Women's Briefing with a panel of great speakers from different Federal agencies and White House initiatives. After the policy briefing, NAPAWF was given their moment to shine by sharing our personal stories regarding reasons behind fighting  for universal healthcare, ensuring safe environmental conditions at nail salons and avoiding the deportations of innocent people and tearing apart families through our immigration laws.  These are issues that are integral to the well being of not just our communities, but for communities throughout the country. 

Again with the tears, during the briefing, my friend and fellow Bay Area NAPAWF sister told her emotional story of her mothers healthcare problems. You can hear her story, as well as the stories of other NAPAWF ladies here. Again I was trying not to cry hysterically in front of the White House panel. That was hard, but definitely not as hard as telling the story in the first. Props to you Jenny Ton, and thank you for sharing!

Go girls!! Right up there on the White House website front page!

I had to leave before the panel ended, but I had the fortune of running into former NAPAWF Executve Director and current White House Initiative on AAPI's Executive Director, Kiran Ahuja in the hallway. That was a nice end to the conference as I rushed off to catch my flight.

It was a special experience to get to know and represent alongside such amazing, strong and loving women. Thank you girls and thanks to NAPAWF for such an empowering weekend. It gives me hope to continue the work I do. I know that as long as there are women like us in the world, we will continually fight for the rights of communities and individuals who do not have the opportunity or privilege to stand up for their rights. May we one day have universal healthcare, uphold and expand our reproductive rights and see a more fair and just immigration system. These are tall orders, but I have hope, I know that WE have hope and are working to make these dreams a reality.

Sisters, proud and taking charge on Capitol Hill!
 

In Memoriam of my friend, Yvette

 
My friend Yvette passed away this morning after a very short and sudden fight with terminal brain and lung cancer.

I remember her telling me that she had cancer during a late summer BBQ. She looked fine, acted fine, seemed fine, but she had cancer. I didn't know how to react. Part of me just didn't think that it was real, part of me just thought that somehow, she would be okay. Death  doesn't seem like a reality until it's too late.

Until this morning, I had made plans to visit Yvette in her hospice facility. I signed up to help out with caretaking assistance once she got out. I thought we could spend time together, that she could tell me stories, that maybe I could be there for her.

I wasn't yet. I was going to be. Last week she seemed fine. Other friends reported that she was in relatively good spirits, she seemed to be holding up. I wanted to see her tomorrow until I received the call today to say final goodbyes.

I promptly cancelled my plans for today, frustrated with myself for not visiting earlier this week. I drove to two different nursing homes, wrong ones, no Yvette. Finally I got to the right one and ran out. I asked the nurse for her room. The nurse looked at me, shook her head and let me know that Yvette had passed away that morning at 9am. I was there at 12pm, 3 hours too late, 1 week too late 1 month too late. I spoke to another nurse that let me know that her family had been with her when she passed, she was not alone. This entire time, she had never been alone. I started to tear up as I attempted to keep composure, the nurse didn't seem to know what to say. I quietly thanked her and called up Yvette's friends to let them know that she was gone.

I think I may have been the first person to know of her passing outside of her family. After finally coming to visit her, I ended up breaking the death news.

I realize that this post is about me, my feelings on this day. As Roberto reminded me, it should be about her. Maybe writing a post about me makes it easier, I don't have to feel as sad as I would be if I wrote about her.

But she was great. I met her at an ASATA (Alliance of South Asians Taking Action) meeting late last Spring for the first time. Months later she came to my birthday. She was the first person to arrive and helped me to set up for my party. She was my last guest as well and I drove her home late that night. She told me stories of her trips to Africa, her life philosophies and her passion for justice and progressive change.

Packed room in honor of a wonderful woman, activist and friend

Today, there was supposed to be a fundraiser at the La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley to help pay for her care. It ended up being a commemoration in her honor instead. The place was packed as friends of hers sang, played instruments and recited poetry.  I looked around at the sheer number of people who came out to show love and remembrance for Yvette. Her years of activism, involvement and friendships with us all were not lost, they were celebrated.

Death frustrates me, I don't think I handle it well (but who does?). I don't like missing people as I've mentioned before and before.

But when I left the Hospice center, I felt light. Yvette was no longer suffering. I knew that she was in severe pain at the end. She didn't deserve that pain. She deserved what she fought for her whole life,  she deserved peace.

And that is what she has now, peace.

I love you Yvette, thank you for being my friend.

Yvette and I at my birthday last July

Gratitude for 2011, Hope for 2012 (Thank you, Thank you, Thank YOU!)

Whoa 2012 started out with some pretty great news for me. At approximately 10 minutes past midnight, I checked my gmail inbox to see that I had been accepted as a 2012 fellow at the New Leaders Council Institute for its San Francisco program. This is probably been the first really good news I've had in two years. No joke, the last two years have been so rough for me. It's nice to see some hard work pay off, and I am just so grateful.

Hopefully 2012 will bring less feelings like this

A little over two years I came to the Bay Area with high hopes, big dreams, stars in my eyes and a new love in my heart. Everything came crashing down about a year later...if you want details, you can check older postings here, here and here (wow that's a lot).

Basically I left/got illegally pushed out of a pretty horrible job, spent a year unemployed amidst the worst time in the economic downturn, and had my dreams of going to law school (or any grad school for that matter) basically go kaput. I moved to the Bay Area in the Summer of 2009. 2010 was easily one of the worst and most challenging years of my life. 2011 was a bootstraps year, I was so ready for change, so frustrated and just wanting for things to improve. At this time last year I was unemployed,  and inspired yet terrified at an uncertain future. The future is still uncertain (and perhaps it always is), but things HAVE gotten better. I am tired from all the effort this year took, and so much went on, I ran around so much, DID so much, met so many amazing people and had such a great array of experiences that it's actually overwhelming for me to even reflect on all of this.

Preach it Abe!

I love that this blog is a window into my journey in the past year, it chronicled my ups, downs and good times. It also followed the beautiful souls I was able to meet, connect with and befriend.

So here I am, blogging again from Lake Tahoe (again? 2011 was a good year). I'm sitting in front of a roaring fire that's been on almost non-stop for a few days. When I got the news about the NLC decision, I actually teared up. I think some of it was tears of relief, relief at the possibility of things getting better, of my dreams potentially coming true one day.

Seriously Lake Tahoe, I love you

But I also teared up because I couldn't help but reflect on the kindness, the mentorship and support of so many good friends, both old and new, who were really there for me.

So this is a thanks, thanks to the East Coast friends who picked up my calls and spoke to me for hours, calming me, soothing my anxieties and telling me over and over again that they believed in me. Thank you to friends who opened their homes to me when I attended conferences, friends who let me sleep on their absent siblings' cloud-like dream beds, friends who took time out of their work break with me to grab a pizza in NYC and listen to me and console me during the times that I felt less than stellar (less than stellar being a serious understatement).

Thank you to the friends that spent hours almost every day to give me free grammar lessons that helped me to become a better, more confident blogger and writer. Thank you to the strangers, and later new friends who took out time during their day to tell me their stories so that I could share them with the world.

Thank you to the friends who never let me pay for meals because I was broke. Who wined and dined me generously in their homes over heartfelt conversation. Thank you to friends for the hugs and for just hanging out with me as we built memories that we will always hold dear.

Thank you to my stupendous mentors, who sent me job listings, who invited me to networking events and agreed to always be my references =)

Thank you to the artists, the cool, inspiration people who wrote novels, shared poetry (including reading mine), took photos, created spectacular music, taught me how to use twitter properly (#hashtag what!) and made the most beautiful latte art I have ever seen as we shared coffee and ideas while talking about beauty, the world, and our goals.

Thank you to a particular photographer/mentor who has been an amazing new friend, teacher and inspiration for me to shoot for the stars (or just shoot in general) and challenge barriers I have set up for myself. I will travel the world, just like you one day and I can't wait to share my photos and journeys with you and everyone else!

Thank you to the organizations that believed in me, took me in and paid me ;-) to do the work I love, I seriously have the best co-workers (aka friends) ever!

don't you wish your colleagues were fun like mine?

Thank you to the community leaders and activists who welcomed me with open arms and taught me so much about strength, community and inspiration to improve our world.

Thank you to my new sisters, who helped me express myself on stage and find my voice to help tell my stories, my poems, my monologues for the world to hear.

Yonis 4ever! Photo courtesy of
 Saurabh, Nasir, Mike, Inder, Shobana, Mahesh and Kiran

Thank you to Michael and Evachan, who held me while I cried, listened to me when I bitched and always gave me a place to stay and eat. Even continents apart, I know my love for you both and the family you have provided me will never fade.

I feel like crying, this is making me emotional. But good tears, happy tears.

Thank you to my new best friend, Nwe, it was love at first sight when we met, and I am so grateful to have you and your beautiful sons in my life. Technically I made 4 new best friends this year! I love being a Khalamoni =).

The Alvarado-Hussain-Oo Clan

To to my little sister who has been there since she was born (though at the time it wasn't by choice muahaha), I seriously lucked out...the Hussain gene pool could not have produced a more awesome best friend for me. Thanks for listening even when I sounded crazy and repeated myself over and over again.

I present to you, the best and brightest of the Hussain gene pool

And thanks, last but not least to Roberto, who has loved me through everything. Who picked me up when I was down (literally picked up), who made me laugh so I couldn't physically cry anymore, I am blessed to have you as my 24/7 best friend. Sometimes you need someone to believe in you with all their heart when you don't have the energy to do so and I am grateful, grateful, grateful for that.

Great, this sounds like an album inset...I'd like to thank my producers, Lil Rock Z and my fans 4 lyfe....just kidding (I have no idea who Lil Rock Z is, I just made that up).

zomg Lil Rock Z..is that you?

I am excited for 2012, I know things will be amazing, I am gearing up for a trip to Vietnam from late February to early March, my first time ever visiting Southeast Asia to help build homes with Habitat for Humanity's Global Village project (oh and hey if you want to make a donation just click on the link on the top right of this page, or just contact me! 2012 is a year to develop fundraising skills you know ;-P), as well as an upcoming trip to Washington DC for the National Asian Pacific Women's Political Forum (NAPAWF) national conference to connect and build relationships with some fierce and powerful women. I also know that 2012 will have it's difficult parts, like any year. I have a dear friend who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, so there are still sobering realities to face. But may I face them with love and most importantly friendship =).

Happy 2012 to you all!

Wishing you all lots of squishy hugs in the New Year

What's My Movement?

I recently read a blog post written by my friend Charles Cole (I highly suggest you read his post here) about how he chose which movement he would dedicate himself to when there are so many choices out there. His post really hit home for me, because at this point in my life I feel sort of overwhelmed and unfocused when it comes to my own work dealing with social issues.  It's all so interesting and relevant. Should I focus on environmental sustainability, women's rights, prisoners reform, civil rights for Asian Americans, Muslims Americans, African Americans, Latinos, immigrant rights, youth organizing? yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes YES!!!

....YES

It's exhausting and frustrating to care about EVERYTHING, but here I am caring about EVERYTHING all the time. Seriously...all..the...time.

And it became much more difficult after moving to the West Coast. In New Jersey I thought I had it down...women's rights! That was my thing. I had lots of 'things' before, but after working at a anti-violence women's org for South Asian women I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to save women, stop violence and work towards equality and women's empowerment!

Gooo women's empowerment...or girls empowerment, whichever

But then I moved here; law school didn't work our and I couldn't get a job with any domestic violence organizations in this distressed economy. So I stumbled into work with refugees. So that's what I am working on now blogging, taking pictures and collecting narratives from these communities in Oakland. It's interesting work and I'm learning so much, and yes I am VERY busy.

Still I can't help wonder...what is my thing? Like my main thing. Women? refugees? what? I'd like to think that 'human' rights' is my 'thing', but that's so damn broad. Also, should the work I get paid to do match up with the work I volunteer for and the meetings I attend after hours?

I care about the South Asian community, because I'm South Asian. I care about women's empowerment, from literacy and development all the way to working to help women run for office and ensure their civic involvement. I care about domestic violence because I personally know of the terrible, traumatic and long lasting effects that violence has on individuals, families and communities.

 

And I care about the politics and policies that are behind these issues. I would ideally want to impact these policies or even contribute to the drafting of these policies.

My interest in politics has led me to spend this weekend in Lake Tahoe (where I am currently writing this blog entry) on a retreat with the East Bay Young Democrats, an organization under the California Young Democrats. I've been involved with progressive politics before in NJ, but have been disappointed by the Democratic party for awhile now. Mainly because I don't understand why Democrat leaders are so damn scared to do anything or take a real stand on anything. Maybe the recent Occupy movements are forcing them to get off their butts and push forth real change on behalf of the American people, I can only hope.

this was also an excuse to go to Tahoe....

How does all of this relate to 'my' movement, my personal hope to have a positive impact on the world? I am still (still!) figuring this out, but I can't help but feel that politics are about people and because of that politics will be something I will always be engaged in. The problem I really have is about where to put my time without burning out or being all over the place (me, all over the place? what a concept). This schizophrenic, twenty movements at once is probably causing me to be less effective. Having a handle on many different issues is interesting but maddening. Being in the Bay Area with opportunities galore only makes a decision to specialize harder.

What do I dooooooo??!

I want to make a difference, I want to be effective and genuine. I think it's time to start to figuring out what how to directly connect my core interests to the work I do. I am currently reading the classic "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan and have recently re-joined the production of the South Asian Vagina Monologues this year. My heart has and is connecting me to empower and support women and girls on various levels, so that they may empower and improve their own communities. Choosing a movement isn't easy, but I'd rather be an activist that works hard on an issue rather than flutter all over the place while going nowhere. I'm learning a lot, and maturing (hopefully) so I hope that my dreams and passion to work with women will come out to be a big part of my life work. It already has, and I look towards a future where my efforts can become one of many steps on humanity's path towards improvement and progress.

One day girls...one day

The Stories of Others, the Stories of Us

I'm currently on a bus in New Jersey on my way to NYC after a beautiful sojourn through Northeastern PA. The Fall weather is breathtaking. I really miss it so much after living in Northern California for two years.

Plug for awesome little sister here

I am also stoked that this bus has wifi, which I discovered late into my journey...though maybe that was a good thing. I was actually able to take in the landscape instead of doing e-stuff.

Rohingya woman and child

I mostly took this trip out here to visit my sister for her birthday, but I am working as well. On Sunday I am meeting up with a Rohingya man originally from Burma who contacted me via facebook after checking out the different stories and photos I took of  Burmese activists in the Bay Area. I knew little about the Rohingya peoples and their plight, but I have been reading up on them lately to learn more. It has been a fascinating and sad process to learn of the oppressions this ethnic group has faced for so many years. But I want to hear his story, I want to hear directly from a Rohingya person to begin to know about him and his people.

In the past few months, I have listened to so many stories. Some from my new jobs (yes I have more than one now) where I am interviewing different people from Asian communities in the Bay Area and also from many students I interact with at the English Center, another non profit I work for. Everyone has a story and though I have my blogs, I have unfortunately been so busy of late that I have not had the time to write these narratives up. Hopefully this will change once I get a little better at time management ;-)

I have spoken with former youth gang members, who have overcome and are still overcoming hardships to reach their goals. I feel inspired by them but I am also worried, I'm scared that they may get cut down before their dreams take flight.

I recently met a young man from Sri Lanka who had his arm in a sling and found out that he had been injured in a bomb blast. He slowly lifted his sleeve to show me the scars of the attack, his skin-directly-on-bone upper arm with missing chunks of flesh that though healed, still cause so much pain.

Iranian Protestor 2009

I listened to stories of young activists who have been brutalized, tortured, stabbed and almost murdered in Iranian prisons. I have been told of great migrations taken by young men who hoped to save their lives, while leaving their loved ones and beloved lands behind.

author of Donkey Heart, Monkey Mind

Even while out celebrating with a friend during happy hour, I ran into a stranger who handed me a book that he had written called Donkey Heart, Monkey Mind. I went home and read it, and cried as I took in images of severe torture, fear and hope that the author relayed in his story of Algeria, and its brutal suppression of the Berber minority. It was his story and I was grateful that he shared it with me.

The Bay Area is rich in diversity with its many immigrant communities. Many of their lives play out like an Oscar winning film, a heart wrenching documentary, or a massive article out of Time magazine. But these people are real and they live next door or make your sandwiches or prescribe medication when you are sick. They may be your parents, your cousins, your friends...you.

I have recently started to work at an organization that is looking to capture some of these stories through articles and photographs. I am grateful for this opportunity. As much as I love to talk, I also love to listen, share, learn and most importantly connect to human beings from all all over the earth. I have some more ideas of how to capture these stories, but I am trying to take things one step at a time.

Why do these stories matter? Who cares? Well outside of me, I'm not sure who cares, but it matters to me because every story told is a life uncovered, a violation uncovered, a brutality uncovered, inspiration uncovered. I may not be able to bring justice to oppressive situations around the world, but I can help give people a voice by being a conduit of information, empathy and understanding.

Maybe learning and connecting peoples' stories can change the world and bring justice to atrocities that may never find justice in courts. Giving word and sound to a situation gives it justice in my opinion, even in a small way, it names oppressions and exposes them.

Yes, yes it is..

Notes on Sept. 11th – A 10 Year Anniversary

A photo I took at Ground Zero in 2005

It's mind boggling how insignificant this date was 10 years ago. September 11 might as well have been March 19, or February 5th, dates that would have maybe meant something if it were your birthday.

By now September 11th has become a symbol of so many things, so many memories and so much pain. It has become much more than a date. It has been made into a justification for war, for hate, for division. I wish that the memory of Sept. 11 would have been used for unity,  but 10 years later I cannot make that assertion.

Blonde highlights...never again

 On that September 11, 2001, I was a senior in high school in a small town in the middle of Pennsylvania.  I had blonde highlights and ironically, was probably wearing Abercrombie and Fitch. It was during the end of 1st period Biology class that an announcement was made over the loudspeaker about planes hitting building in New York. I have similar memories that other have, memories of confusion, unanswered questions and no idea as to what the hell was going on. Terrorist attacks were initially so far from my mind, that kind of scenario was something I saw in Die Hard, not in real life.

But this was real life, by my next class the towers were still there..then I saw them fall. It was like a dream, I felt like someone was making this up. I had visited the towers just about a week before, with my tourist minded relatives from Cali who had wanted to visit the WTC. Now it was dust, I saw it become dust right there, it was absurd, it wasn't real..but of course it was real. all of it.

I am grateful that after that day, teachers pulled me aside to tell me that if anyone said anything negative to me about my religious background (this was a small town with little diversity in middle America after all) to let them know, because it would not be tolerated. I luckily did not face such backlash, though so many others did around the US. I was thankful that teachers showed their concern to me, I did not expect that.

Now 10 years later,  I am an activist and have witnessed the ripples of change that have radiated from 9/11;  Not just the hate crimes but the groupthink mentality of us "Americans" against them "terrorists".  Government policy became openly and enthusiastically racist and Islampahobic. So many of suffered for this, both here and abroad.

Congressman Mike Honda speaking at the hearing, to left is Commissioner Nitasha Sawhney, California Commission on API Affairs, to his right: Assembly Member Paul Fong, Zahra Billoo from CAIR, and Amardeep Singh from The Sikh Coalition.

There have been different events lately that are pushing issues of Islamaphobia to the forefront. I attended a 9/11 Community Hearing in Mountain View, CA sponsored by the Unheard Voices of 9/11 project, where political leaders and community members came together to discuss and share stories that have impacted South Asian and Muslim communities in the years since 9/11. There were many speakers who faced harassment, discrimination and bullying in their lives due to the color of their skin or the prominence of their faith apparel. There was so much to stay; the meeting ran long as we were hungry to hear and to speak more about these issues.

speakers at the hearing

I am sometimes overwhelmed with emotion as I see the tireless efforts that organizations and people put forth to fight for their rights. To fight for equality and their right to live as Americans in environments that repeatably label them as the 'other'. I also feel some slight sense of victory as mainstream publications like the Washington Post mention the hearings and books are published on these issues. I wanted to give a particularly heartfelt plug for the book "Patriot Acts: A Narrative of Post 9/11 Justice".  The book is a collection of first hand narratives of different people who have had their human rights and civil rights violated during the "War on Terror". I am so grateful to someone like Dave Eggers, who is a famous writer, for establishing a publishing company and series that enabled the publishing of this book. Please read it, it made me tear up as I read it, the stories were so poignant, infuriating and relateable. Especially for me.

I wanted to include a quick passage from the book:
"Dehumanizing, or in this case, de-Americanizing individuals is often the first step toward justifying policies, laws and treatment that would otherwise offend our sensibilities"

On 9/11 I feel somber, sad and a little depressed as I think about the emotions I had watching the city I love suffer and buidings I admired and literally looked up to come crashing down.

It's traumatic for us, but healing does not consist of spreading hate, and we still have a lot of work to do.

I hope we can work together and grow as country because revenge has not worked...at all. Let's try to educate, communicate and speak up, and see if healing, instead of revenge, can drive our communities forward.

And I will end with a quote from a participant, Gurinder Ahluwahlia, at the 9/11 hearing.

"It does get better, it does."

simple but poignant.

Government Meets Grassroots

Yay! now where are the jobs? Answer you politicians!

I have always been a big proponent of grassroots work leading to systematic change in policy.  Unfortunately, these two aspects do not intersect often enough; with there being a major disconnect between what takes place in congressional meetings and what is actually occuring on the ground, in our neighborhoods and communities.

Congresspeople on stage

Recently however, I have been attending meetings and open houses where members of the Obama administration and members of Congress have directly came out to hear the stories and issues that are occurring everyday in our communities. I am aware that these efforts may be related to re-election purposes, but regardless I think that listening to the concerns of communities is a step in a direction towards positive systemic change.

Congressman Mike Honda!

Last week I attended a Speakout for Good Jobs event, which was a townhall type meeting with Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Raul Grijalva and Congressman Mike Honda (my favorite congressman!). The event was held in a massive church/worship space where members of the community lined up to speak about their grievances and concerns regarding employment, or more accurately, unemployment.

woman fighting for the rights of the disabled

And there were LOTS of grievances.
I didn't speak, though I have a lot to say from my personal experience about unemployment, but it was a valuable experience for me to attend something like this. I never attended a open house with congress members and I honestly wish that there could be more of these events. The people with the most concerns and the greatest need for help are most often the ones who are being silenced. These events allow members of the community to speak up, but is it enough?

Activist, community leader and best friend, Nwe Oo

I also attended another event last Thursday, where a collection of leaders from the local Burmese community  met with Daphne Kwok, Chair of President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, in downtown Oakland (to read additional info about the event, read this great article written by Oakland Digital, our gracious hosts). Many of the community leaders were refugees or were speaking on behalf of the Burmese refugee community in Oakland. Again, much of the rhetoric dealt with lack of jobs for refugees, the economy and problematic budget cuts that dealt serious blows to the well beings of high need individuals and families. The meeting was packed, with community members spilling onto the sidewalk outside the room. Different leaders took turns to
speak. Tluang Salai, a refugee from the Chin ethnic community and an advocate with the non-profit organization Catholic Charities relayed the problems faced by the Chin people of Burma, especially since the numbers of Chin that will be resettled in Oakland will go up drastically in the coming months (stay tuned for my upcoming interview on Salai and the Chin community on my other blog Us Ordinary People). Nwe Oo, a Rakhine refugee and Burmese community activist thanked Daphne for her time to listen to the needs and concerns of the community, especially due to the lack of attention that Burmese cultural groups usually receive.

Burmese community in Oakland

The most poignant part of this event was the unity shown by the different Burmese groups that attended the event. Burma is a country with a very complex and fragmented history, full of political strife and military oppression. Though the diverse minority groups within the country have all faced severe repression from the government, there are considerable differences within different ethnic groups. This event brought everyone in one room, with the common goal of improving the lives of their people, and in this instance they were all sharing their stories and concerns together.

It is promising to see government affiliated representatives directly meet with the people who are directly affected by policy changes, but obviously that is far from enough. What remains to be seen is WHAT will happen with this information. Will it lead to policy change? Will the suffering of working class and lower class men and women be addressed?
The forces shaping policy know the issues, they have heard it from the mouth of the people in our communities. But knowing is not enough, the proof is in action and in fighting for the rights of these communities; fighting against big businesses and corporations that are swimming in assistance money that has not trickled down to our communities.

Community members with Daphne Kwok

Knowledge is power, but action is the tool for change. It is time to use these tools to help the people who need it the most.