Dear AAPI Community and Allies,
We have a duty to call attention to recent decisions by our President that we believe threaten our community. We shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that where we live - Sonoma County, the North Bay, California - is a safe bubble. The recent executive orders (which do not require Congressional approval) will have far-reaching effects.
1. People are calling out Congress
AAPIC follows several AAPI-centered civil rights groups, and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) is one of them. They were founded in 1979 in response to the war and US militarization in Southeast Asia - which resulted in the largest mass resettlement of refugees in US history.
On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the resettlement of 1.25 million Southeast Asians to the United States following the end of the Vietnam War, the actions of this administration pose a threat to all of our safety and the hard-won civil rights of BIPOC people.
Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, responds to the President Trump's March 4, 2025, address to Congress below:
“The actions of the Trump Administration over the last 43 days are unconstitutional, often illegal, outright attacks on communities of color, immigrants and refugees, women, and LGBTQIA+ communities. From cruel and unjust immigration enforcement to rollbacks of civil rights protections, this administration has weaponized its power to sow fear, division, and harm among the very people who make up the backbone of this country.
"Southeast Asian Americans have been in the United States for 50 years, and we have seen firsthand how government oppression destroys lives. The President’s rhetoric and lies are not just dangerous, they are rooted in the same nationalist ideology and language that forced our people to flee and trapped those who were left behind in reeducation camps. This administration and its policies are threats to our democracy and the values we hold dear. We refuse to stand idly by as history repeats itself.
"Congress can help prevent harm... Congress must decide whether to uphold democratic values or allow these attacks on our rights to continue unchecked. Every dollar spent to detain and deport our families is a choice to support violence. Unconscionable immigration raids and inhumane, prolonged detentions can only happen if Congress chooses to fund that violence... Silence is complicity…"
Read SEARAC's full statement dated March 5, 2025 here.
2. Ethnic Studies in education is at risk
In addition, another Executive Order will deny funding to schools who teach the diverse and complex history of the U.S. This is a direct attack on Ethnic Studies, which California has established as a graduation requirement. The federal government may not interfere with what is taught to students - this is the states’ prerogative.
AAPI students have repeatedly said that it is the only course where they are learning about their own histories, so often ignored or briefly passed over in regular history courses. Elimination of the myriad perspectives that should make up history courses in schools is to whitewash our history and eliminate the rich contributions of all who have shaped our country.
3. History repeats itself - the Alien Enemies Act
The Japanese American Citizens’ League has responded to the resurrection of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, specifically targeting foreign nationals from Venezuela who are alleged members of the Trend de Aragua criminal organization.
"The Alien Enemies Act was last used to intern 31,000 Japanese, German, and Italian nationals during WWII. As the Japanese American community knows, the scope was expanded to include United States citizens through Executive Order 9066 leading to the incarceration of over 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry…
"Not only is this an unlawful use of the Alien Enemies Act, outside the scope of wartime, but is overly broad and can be used to target individuals with no proven connection to Tren de Agua except through their Venezuelan citizenship."
Read JACL's full statement dated March 17, 2025 here.
4. Erasing heroes in the name of dismantling DEI
Per the President’s directive to remove all references to DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) or forfeit federal funding, an article on the military website that honors the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was removed, then subsequently reinstated after protests.
Other articles that honored the contributions of racial minority groups and women in the military were similarly targeted for erasure. The 442nd, a World War II unit composed mostly of second-generation Japanese Americans, remains the most decorated combat unit in U.S. history for its size and length of service.
5. Blocking Chinese citizens from receiving student visas
The Committee of 100, a nonprofit organization of prominent Chinese Americans, issued the following statement condemning H.R. 3334, the Stop CCP Visas Act, introduced by U.S. Representative Riley Moore (R-WV). The proposed Bill would block Chinese citizens from getting any of the three main types of student visas issued by the U.S. – Vocational, Exchange Visitors and Academic Student visas.
"To suggest that every Chinese student regardless of their background, intentions, or beliefs is a national security threat is not only inaccurate but also fuels xenophobia, discrimination, and hostility toward an entire group of people – including Chinese Americans here in the U.S."
Read the Committee of 100's full statement dated February, 5, 2025 here.
AAPIC works for empowerment of the AAPI community in the North Bay, all immigrants, and communities of color: We work locally and pay attention globally.
Sincerely,
Laurie Fong
President, AAPIC North Bay
laurie@aapicnorthbay.org
