Dear Advocate: 9/11/2020

Dear Advocate,

Nineteen years ago on this day, the tragedy of September 11th occurred in New York City. We remember civilians, journalists, reporters, fire fighters, law enforcement, and others who risked their lives to assist others. We remember Betty Ann Ong, a Chinese American flight attendant whose call to ground control to report the hijacking while aboard American Airlines Flight 11 resulted in the prevention of other attacks and greater loss of life.

While we remember this dark time in our history, we must recognize how this moment catalyzed a spike in racial profiling, racially-motivated hate incidents, and xenophobia towards the Arab, South Asian, Muslim, and Sikh communities in the United States. The Asian American and Pacific Islander community continues to be used as a scapegoat for threats to our national security and as a wedge with standards set by the model minority myth today. In 2020 alone, we saw a rise in hate crimes towards Asian Americans due to COVID-19. The Trump Administration’s harmful rhetoric (using terms like “Kung Flu” and “China Virus”) and deplorable behavior sparked incidents nationwide. At OCA, we understand the ever-growing importance of our advocacy work and the fight for justice, equity, and inclusion of our community at the local, state, and national level.

In the current national climate, we must remember to not allow fear and prejudice to dictate our relationship with each other. We must acknowledge our biases and examine the ways that our actions harm others. Join us on this day of remembrance and fight for justice and inclusion.

Originally published at https://www.ocanational.org on September 11, 2020.