Statement on the Events of January 6, 2021
In the past 36 hours, we’ve seen both the triumph of democracy and the very real threat that Donald Trump and many GOP leaders impose upon it.
Yesterday we won both Senate races in Georgia, securing a Democratic majority that will undoubtedly help us implement positive change for years to come. All of this was made possible by the hard work of local organizations, communities of color, and especially the Black community in Georgia. This is the real strength of Democracy, our hope for a better future for America.
At the same time, we saw the greatest threat to American Democracy since the Civil War. The events of January 6, 2021 will go down in history as one of our darkest days, an attack on our country, our people, and our way of life. An attack brought on by a president who refuses to accept the will of millions of Americans, who’s willing to rely on hatred and racism to hoard power for himself.
Yesterday’s “protests” were not protests at all, but rather an act of domestic terrorism, a page taken straight from fascist regimes of the past and present. All it took was one rich white man aided and abetted by opportunists, apologists, racists, terrorists. There are white supremacists in our House and Senate, responsible for making the law, who facilitated the insurrection and are silent today in the face of a fascist-led coup.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are no strangers to this kind of violence and insurrection as many of us have lived in, or our parents have lived in a country where regime changes looked very similar to what’s happened yesterday. We can identify dictators and oppressors on sight. That is exactly why we continue to fight for a more just and equal America and why we started AAPI Progressive Action in 2017. Our organization alongside many others work to ensure that our government and leaders serve ALL of us.
Yesterday was a difficult and disheartening day. But it’s more clear than ever that it’s up to us and our allies to save our democracy. We cannot ignore the ugly truth that racism, white supremacy, and terrorism are now deeply engrained in America’s identity, but we must stay strong and believe in the America that will work to extinguish them.
As we’ve seen in Georgia, it is possible, and we are well on our way to a stronger and more diverse America.
Dr. Tung Nguyen
Chair, AAPI Progressive Action