From our president, Tung Nguyen:
The shutdown and reversal show us several important things. First, that we need strong leaders who know what the most important issues are. Second, we need to remove from office those who do not share those issues. And third, once the leaders are in office, they must be forced to be responsive. It comes down to organizing at all phases--from protests to elections to post-election advocacy, and the willingness to say enough is enough.
From one of our members, Bình Lý:
Today, the first Vietnamese American elected in the State of Virginia,Delegate Kathy Tran, was sworn in. In a beautiful and meaningful ceremony on the 1 year anniversary of the Women’s March, our new Representative honored all the women in our lives who have sacrificed so much to make this day possible.
From our Chair, Tung Nguyen:
I've been trying to figure out what to say about the sexual harassment and assault issue, because it's tricky for a man. But here are my conclusions:
1) For men who don't know "how to act" in the current environment, my suggestion is that you should act as if your daughter/sister/wife/mother were in the room. It's a good rule of thumb for any interaction in general, but particularly more so when there is a power differential.
2) For men who are worried about false accusations because they are men living a regular life, please use that emotion as the basis of empathy for women, who are fearful of harassment and assault because they are women living a regular life. The odds of any man being accused, much less falsely accused, of harassment is less than being in a car accident.
3) For men who are afraid to speak out in support of women, imagine if the things the women are talking about were happening to your daughter/sister/wife/mother. The odds are good that they have happened. Would you be silent then? How would you feel if they happened, and your male friends act as if they did not?
4) Aziz Ansari's situation has been used as an example of how this has gone too far. I think it illustrates how it has not gone far enough. Under the assumption that it was a very bad date with Aziz not being able to pick up non-verbal cues, we are all allowed to complain about bad and clueless dates. I have seen in movies and in real life how men talk about women in much worse ways, especially when there are no women around. Yes, the accuser had the power to stop and walk out. But she also has a right to tell her story. And men who genuinely are clueless about how to behave now know that they need to have some intelligence about non-verbal cues. Learn about non-verbal cues and you will get along better with your daughter/sister/ wife/mother and half of the people in the world. What's so bad about that?
That said, I am asking all of my sisters to tell me, and men they know, when we are acting as if we are clueless. We should all strive to learn and to improve no matter who we are, and it's better to learn the lesson from a friend.
From Nikki Chau:
This past year I did a yoga photo shoot in response to 2016 and 2017. This one is Parsva Sirsasana, or Revolved Headstand. It’s being in a twisted, upside down situation and negotiating with gravity to stay balanced, to exercise the remaining tool of democracy: to vote.
I’m figuring out how to best use my photos (and stay within my contractual copyrights obligation). I want to contribute/donate this to orgs working to restore dignity and human rights. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
From Thich Nhat Hanh:
“Our enemies are not man, but intolerance, fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred and discrimination which lie within the heart of man. I believe with all my being that the struggle for equality and freedom you lead in Birmingham, Alabama… is not aimed at the whites but only at intolerance, hatred and discrimination. These are real enemies of man — not man himself.” –
Thầy Thích Nhất Hạnh in his 1966 letter to Dr. King entitled “In Search of the Enemy of Man”.
