STATEMENT: AAPI Victory Alliance on the Fall of Afghanistan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2021
PRESS CONTACT:
Dinanda Pramesti
dinanda@firesidecampaigns.com
STATEMENT: AAPI Victory Alliance on the Fall of Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — Today, as the adverse effects of the departure of American troops start to unfold in Afghanistan, it is our responsibility and moral obligation as Asian Americans to admit vulnerable Afghan refugees as they evacuate their collapsed country to seek refuge and solace in the U.S.
AAPI Victory Alliance Chair Dr. Tung Nguyen issued the following statement:
“What’s happening in Afghanistan is heartbreaking, and is something that every American immigrant—refugee or not—can relate to on some level. For many, these past few days have largely seemed like an erasure. Gone are 20 years of effort and trillions of U.S. dollars spent to protect and equip the Afghan people with the resources necessary to live healthy, happy and prosperous lives in security.”
“Now, with limited options and chaos rapidly unfolding as we watch powerless from the States, it’s incumbent upon Americans to do what little we now can and admit every Afghan who seeks refuge in our country. This is a moral and humanitarian crisis and must be at the top of any U.S. decisions.”
“Afghan refugees in the US will soon join the diverse fold of the AAPI community and it is in our government’s best interest to welcome them as they welcome immigrants. As someone who lived through a similar situation at the end of the Viet Nam War in 1975, it is incredibly painful for me to see what is happening. It is even worse to imagine what the Afghans who have helped the U.S. or who are vulnerable must be feeling now or will suffer in the near future. The US must do what we can to help. Our utmost concern is getting Afghans out of their collapsing country and admit them into the U.S. as refugees and authorize adequate funding for Afghan resettlement.”
“Throughout AAPI history, many of us have lived through endless wars and experienced what it feels like when a country collapses. We know what being forcibly displaced and uprooted from our home country feels like—it is frightening, chaotic, and daunting. Thus, we must take the necessary steps to admit Afghan refugees now and deal with politics later.”
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The AAPI Victory Alliance as a policy and advocacy organization works in partnership with the AAPI Victory Fund along with legislators at the federal and state level to move and implement policies that benefit AAPI communities from a diverse lens, harness last year’s record voter engagement, build grassroots support of candidates who prioritize the AAPI community, and works on policy proposals to improve hate crime reporting and response.