An open letter from the Chinese American Federation regarding the recent situation in the United States

Recently, the nationwide protests and riots triggered by the killing of George Floyd have affected everyone living in the United States. It has also taken a toll on Chinese Americans and Chinese nationals living across the country, adding pressure on their personal safety and political choices. As Chinese Americans in the United States, we strongly condemn the brutal actions of the Minneapolis police that led to George Floyd’s death, and feel strongly disappointed toward such unjust acts. We support peaceful protests, the freedom of speech granted by the Constitution, and the rights and interests of ethnic minorities. We will not tolerate the criminal behaviors by some of the social speculators and extremist organizations, as they do not represent the ultimate goals of the protests, and firmly oppose the abuse of power and violent rioting. Our stand comes from our strong opposition to double standards and partisan positions in this regard. We firmly hold that judgement should be based on objective facts: the abuse, violence, and use of excessive force by the police are wrong; Protecting the rights of the people is just; Any form of violence, smashing, or burning is a crime. These cases require independent investigations and fair trials to truly reflect the society’s fairness and effective governance.

Racial discrimination still exists today in the United States. Fighting for the equality of all ethnic minorities should be our goal and responsibility.  We should not only try to eliminate ethnic discrimination, but also help those who are most vulnerable, by providing assistance and donations to minorities communities, especially the black communities, and promoting inter-cultural exchanges; and, therefore, allows the construction of a harmonious community.  We must accept peaceful marches, but resolutely oppose any criminal behavior and disruptive social activities defined by the law. Instead of speculating or judging American political ideas and cultural values based on our own inherent and traditional thinking, we must also study American culture in depth and be familiar with/think about American politics, and not be induced by disinformation to build extreme political views or prejudices. As Chinese Americans, we are well-aware that if African Americans do not have sincere and genuine security and peace in this country, neither will we nor any other minority group. We may feel that this kind of unfair treatment will not happen in our own communities, but we have already become the victim of a series of hateful and racist acts against Asian Americans amidst the pandemic. We call on all Americans, regardless of ethnic or political backgrounds, to join us in condemning the unfair and unjust acts witnessed in these disturbing situations.  We pledge to unite all Americans as a whole with all minorities to bring positive and realistic social change and justice to all.

In addition, we also encourage Chinese Americans to actively call for equal civil rights and fulfill their civic duties to change the status and influence of Chinese, and other ethnic minorities, in the United States.  Everyone can and should form his own opinions, find his own positions, and strengthen his beliefs. However, if you do not participate or speak, you will always be excluded from the decision-making process. We should actively participate in: (1) The Census. This is an important step in the zero-threshold for participation in American decision-making. An additional population can bring up to tens of thousands of dollars in resources for your community in the next ten years; (2) Voter registration. One more voter can bring more attention to the elected officials to your community and affect the American ruling party. In this important process, your vote can create more weight on decision-making; (3) Actively participate in community service and in building strong senses of democracy by using all available platforms to make your voice heard; (4) Promote the Chinese humanistic sentiment of “love others as yourself, support others when you have the ability to,” and help the minorities become independent within the society; (5) Chinese Americans and our various organizations must integrate ourselves into the mainstream community, help them fight the pandemic, and aim to establish a positive image of the Chinese Americans. The pandemic is not over yet. Everyone must abide by the government’s orders and do our best to stop the spread of the coronavirus and prevent it from becoming worse. We all live in the United States and hope that our families, friends, and neighbors can also have the same sense of security. The American dream we are actively pursuing is one in which no one would live in fear of any sense of violence. We must uphold our importance and protect our own rights; more so, we must pursue fairness and social justice. Together, “people of all ethnicities” becomes “the people of this country.” We believe that everyone aspires to have such a future. We very much hope that, together, we can build and share a beautiful and peaceful living environment.

Chinese American Federation
Jun. 20th, 2020