This past month, we’ve seen the destruction Trump 2.0 has brought: an executive order attacking birthright citizenship, inhumane ICE raids tearing families apart, a federal funding freeze that cut off essential services, and many other cruel actions. With the safety and wellbeing of so many people on the line, our work to advance racial justice and protect our civil rights is more important than ever.
Trump and his team of extremists and billionaires are trying to remake our country into a hostile nation for people of color and other minorities — and their strategy is to divide and pit everyday people against each other. They continue to dehumanize and scapegoat immigrants and diversity for problems they’re unwilling to take accountability for, while AAPIs and other marginalized communities suffer.
But in the face of these attacks, we will not back down. We know anti-immigrant hate stokes anti-AAPI hate, and we know that educating people about diverse histories is a powerful antidote to racism. That’s why Stop AAPI Hate is leaning into our work to defend the dignity of immigrants and ensure AAPI stories are not erased from our children’s education.
As we enter this new era, we’re counting on your ongoing solidarity. In the coming months we’ll be sharing information and actions you can take at monthly online gatherings where supporters like you can learn and be in community with each other as we stand together to protect our rights. More to come soon.
KEEPING UP WITH THE COMMUNITY
🔎 Who is carrying out Trump’s divisive agenda? We analyzed Trump’s most powerful political appointments and the threats they pose to the lives of AAPI citizens and immigrants alike. From conspiracy theorists to far-right extremists, these are nine of the key officials at the center of Trump 2.0.
📣 Protecting birthright citizenship: We broke down what Asian Americans should know about birthright citizenship and how Trump’s executive order against this Constitutional right could affect Asian communities.
➡️ Why is this important? The 14th Amendment was created to ensure equality — to make sure no politician gets to decide on a whim which babies born here are worthy of citizenship or not. Birthright citizenship has protected generations of children and immigrant families, and we can’t afford to turn back the clock now.
➡️ What can I do? Contact your member of Congress today and demand they use their congressional powers to condemn Trump’s executive order, delay implementation, and uphold our rights. We must stand together against this attack on immigrant families and our shared American values.
🕯️ Remembering Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay: This January marked two years since the tragic mass shootings at Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. To honor the victims and stand in solidarity with their families, we attended a remembrance ceremony hosted by Ayudando Latinos a Soñar and the National Farm Worker Ministry Unite.
ℹ️ Know Your Rights: With ICE raids terrorizing families across the nation, we compiled a list of multilingual resources that inform people what to do when interacting with ICE. Remember: You have rights — regardless of immigration status.
✊ Honoring Fred Korematsu’s legacy: Amid growing anti-immigrant attacks, we filmed this video remembering Fred Korematsu — who fought for justice and reparations for Japanese Americans who were wrongfully incarcerated during World War II. Korematsu’s story can teach us what it means to stand up against political scapegoating today.
🏛️ Community Town Hall: We are hosting a virtual community town hall every month to shed light on the greatest threats facing AAPI communities and how we can rise up against them. Our first community town hall on Feb. 11 will focus on the impacts of Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship. Sign up today.
SUPPORT THOSE AFFECTED BY THE LA WILDFIRES
Our hearts are with those impacted by the wildfires in Southern California, including many AAPI families and members of our team. 💛 Our co-founding organization AAPI Equity Alliance is on the ground in Los Angeles fighting to make sure that the road to recovery is equitable for AAPIs and other communities of color. That includes active efforts to translate critical resources for AAPI communities.
If you are impacted or know someone impacted by the wildfires, AAPI Equity Alliance created a resource guide containing alerts and information, shelter/housing, animal/pet, transportation, food, mental health, community, health and safety, workers rights, and insurance and post-disaster resources.
If you want to support those impacted by the wildfires, Goldhouse sourced a list of active fundraisers for displaced AAPI families who have lost their homes. All fundraisers have been verified so that you can give with confidence that your donation is supporting a community member in need.
KEEPING UP WITH THE COMMUNITY
🚫 A win in the fight against warrantless surveillance: A federal district court ruled that FISA Section 702 violates the Constitution. Section 702 allows the FBI to do “backdoor” searches on Americans’ private communications without a warrant, and it has fueled racial profiling of AAPIs. This ruling is a major victory for our privacy rights.
💔 Hate is still prevalent: A mural in Seattle’s Japantown commemorating Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II was vandalized with black paint and Bible verses. The graffiti has since been cleaned up, but the incident has left the community on edge as Trump and his allies continue to spew xenophobic rhetoric.
🏥 Data Dive: NHPIs and health insurance: Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) under 65 are less likely to have health insurance than white people. This gap widens for NHPIs living in the U.S. mainland. With gaps in proper healthcare, this disparity leads to poorer health outcomes among NHPIs — including increased rates of chronic disease.
✊ A weekend of resistance: Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Asian Americans participated in nationwide “We Fight Back” marches, protesting not only Trump’s extreme agenda but also broader “billionaire agendas” harming working-class communities.
For real time updates from Stop AAPI Hate, click here to subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Together, we must defend our rights: Stop AAPI Hate January Newsletter