A Look Back At Our Roots & Impact
Video by Anica Wu & Angela Tabora
Dear friends,
It’s been just a short time after we celebrated with over 500 of CPA’s members, allies, donors, supporters, and volunteers in San Francisco. From members who joined in 1972 to youth who joined a few months ago, we were deeply touched by all of you who make up CPA’s community and family.
If you missed the event, watch our anniversary video and take a look back at our history and impact. We also captured the night here on Storify.
On October 7th, not only did we honor CPA’s work and leaders, but we celebrated the movements that have brought our communities together and have continued to win justice for our communities. From labor and workers rights movements, the movements for racial justice, and the Asian American and Black Power Movements, it was an amazing night of celebration and stories of personal transformation from the many generations. This grounds us in the power and strength of our communities even as we face the current crisis that our nation faces and the threats that weigh upon us.
Listen stories from our leaders – Rui Yi, Alice, and Lauren.
In her speech, one of our honorees Malkia Cyril called on all of us to not just talk about freedom, but to practice freedom every day in our lives. As we continue to face the threats of the current administration, known and unknown, we want to echo Malkia’s call to practice the freedom that we envision. Listen to Malkia’s speech.
2017 has been a year like no other. It is not just enough for us to survive, we have the right to thrive and to build our lives and communities in the healthiest ways possible. It is with this in mind and in this moment that CPA continues to expand our work, to build broader movements that can tackle the manifestations of xenophobia, hate, and greed. We will work to experiment, expand, build power and build the alternatives that we need, while meeting the immediates needs of our communities. This is our Resistance Pivot.
This month, CPA celebrated all of the ways our organization has grown. From the Yank Sing victory, to launching a national program that trains young Asian Americans, and to growing our youth programs, we are so proud of all the ways that CPA has grown over the last 5 years. But, what do we want to say about CPA 5 years from now? How are we all stepping up in this moment to not just put out the fires but to build the structures that values our lives?
Since our celebration, CPA members stood with the fight to stop the Muslim Ban, hotel workers working to win a fair contract, and San Francisco youth who are working to build schools that prioritizes their growth. Just last week, our members wrapped up a voter education program calling voters in San Francisco to educate them about healthcare, tax reform, and DACA, and on Monday, our Tenant Worker Center program brought together 80 community members to learn about climate change and emergency preparedness. In the coming months, our CPA youth leaders will continue to survey SF youth about their mental health needs, as a part of our work to win healthcare for all.
We do this work out of the deep love for our communities, our families, and because we know that there is a better way. As CPA wraps up 2017, we hope that you will continue to join us in this movement to build the world we deserve. If you didn’t get a chance to donate on October 7th, will you make a gift today to support our work?
Sincerely,
Alex T. Tom, Executive Director
Shaw San Liu, Organizing Director