Lessons Learned post 9/11
This September marked the 21st anniversary of 9/11. For AMEMSA communities, the post-9/11 era has defined much of their lives because of the expansion of the national security state, the global War on Terror, increased militarization of local police forces and White supremacist forces, and the criminalization of civil liberties. Over two decades after 9/11, we are currently facing a rise of violence against Asians that have echoes of similar state and interpersonal violence. To share lessons that pan-Asian communities should be made aware of to build stronger fighting forces to combat hate violence, GAR hosted Lessons Learned Post-9/11: Combating Violence Against Asians, a peer exchange of over 50 participants, staff, members, and allies.
Conversations within the working-class, pan-Asian movement are crucial in order to build solidarities that exemplify community alternatives to stop the expansion of policing and surveillance. As DRUM shared, “ there are no shortcuts to the basics of organizing.” These solidarities between organized bases take intentional efforts from grassroots organizations to bring impacted folks in, build up their leadership, engage them in local, regional, and national fights, and share political education about the work we must do to build a better future for all.