我所在的小鎮(zhèn)瑞吉塢，在新澤西算是相當(dāng)好的地區(qū)。<div><br></div><h3>所謂的好，一是指學(xué)區(qū)，鎮(zhèn)高中在新澤西300多所公立高中里，排名大概在20多名；二是指經(jīng)濟(jì)條件，這里中等家庭收入是16萬(wàn)美元，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)高于新澤西的平均水平；三是指宜居程度，小鎮(zhèn)環(huán)境優(yōu)美，鎮(zhèn)中心集中了一些很有名的餐館和商店，犯罪率也非常低。</h3> 亞裔，在我們這個(gè)鎮(zhèn)上，力量是不弱的。根據(jù)2010年的人口普查，瑞吉塢有82%的白人和13%的亞裔，其他種族的人加起來(lái)才5%。<div><br></div><div>根據(jù)我的觀察，2010年之后，亞裔人口的增長(zhǎng)速度很快，目前應(yīng)該遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)13%了。</div><div><br></div><div>鎮(zhèn)高中每年都有“亞洲節(jié)“，Downtown有不少亞洲餐館和商店，鎮(zhèn)上官員也有亞裔面孔。</div><div><br></div> <font color="#167efb">這樣一個(gè)富裕平和的小鎮(zhèn)，亞裔會(huì)遇到歧視嗎？</font><div><font color="#167efb"><br></font></div><div><font color="#167efb">如果我們搞"停止仇恨亞裔"的集會(huì)，會(huì)有人來(lái)參加嗎？</font></div><div><font color="#167efb"><br></font></div><div><font color="#167efb">如果有人來(lái)參加，會(huì)不會(huì)只有亞裔人，甚至只有華裔來(lái)？</font></div><div><br></div><h3>這些疑問(wèn)，從瑞吉塢華協(xié)準(zhǔn)備集會(huì)的一開(kāi)始，就環(huán)繞在我的腦海里。</h3> <h1 style="text-align: center;"><b><br></b></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><b>一、</b></h1> 當(dāng)4月10日，我站在集會(huì)現(xiàn)場(chǎng)的時(shí)候，這些疑問(wèn)都有了答案。<div><br></div><div>天公作美，這一天氣溫適宜，風(fēng)輕云淡，集會(huì)的場(chǎng)地Van Neste Square Memorial Park鮮花盛開(kāi)。</div> <h3><font color="#010101">來(lái)參加集會(huì)的人真不少，這個(gè)小公園幾乎站的滿滿的。</font></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">真沒(méi)想到有這么多人會(huì)來(lái)。</font></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">亞裔占了多數(shù)，但是白人和其他族裔的也不少。據(jù)我初略的估計(jì)，大概亞裔有60%，白人和其他族裔有40%。</font></h3> 所以，我的后兩個(gè)疑問(wèn)已經(jīng)得到了回答：<font color="#167efb">參加集會(huì)的人很多；除了亞裔之后，也有不少其他族裔的人。</font><div><br></div><div>“停止對(duì)亞裔的仇恨”，不能只是亞裔自己在發(fā)聲，還需要所有族裔的人站在一起。我們需要盟友，需要傾聽(tīng)者、支持者。</div> 在籌備這個(gè)集會(huì)的過(guò)程中，我聽(tīng)到一些議論，認(rèn)為我們這個(gè)鎮(zhèn)幾乎沒(méi)有什么針對(duì)亞裔的歧視行為，人們都非常友好，都能和平相處。集會(huì)的目的，主要是發(fā)出自己的聲音，展示自己的力量，是從廣義上譴責(zé)對(duì)亞裔的仇恨。<div><br></div><h3>但是，鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)的講話，給在場(chǎng)的所有華裔，潑了一桶冷水。</h3> <h3><font color="#010101">鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)Susan說(shuō)：當(dāng)幾年前瑞吉塢華協(xié)第一次組織參加七月四日的國(guó)慶游行時(shí)，她被中國(guó)媽媽們的表演驚艷了。中國(guó)媽媽們的方隊(duì)走過(guò)主席臺(tái)時(shí)，她拍了很多照片。</font></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">第二天，她的辦公室接到一個(gè)電話，那個(gè)打電話的人對(duì)于“中國(guó)人”參加國(guó)慶游行非常生氣，要求把“中國(guó)人”踢出瑞吉塢今后的國(guó)慶游行行列！</font></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">瑞吉塢的七月四日國(guó)慶游行，有100多年的歷史了，是鎮(zhèn)上每年最重要，影響最大的活動(dòng)，在整個(gè)新澤西都很有名。瑞吉塢華協(xié)成立后的第一項(xiàng)工作，就是策劃和參加了2016年的國(guó)慶游行。從此之后，連續(xù)四年，瑞吉塢華協(xié)的花車和媽媽方隊(duì)，就成為國(guó)慶游行中最靚麗的一道風(fēng)景線。</font></h3> 美媽們一路上都會(huì)收到接連不斷的喝彩聲，順便收獲粉絲。平時(shí)走在鎮(zhèn)里，還有陌生人過(guò)來(lái)稱贊表演。<div><br></div><div>誰(shuí)能想到，竟然有人向鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)提議把我們踢出國(guó)慶游行？</div><div><br></div><div>這件事，就發(fā)生在我們這個(gè)鎮(zhèn)，這個(gè)看上去安詳、包容、友好的小鎮(zhèn)。</div><div><br></div><div>如果沒(méi)有這個(gè)集會(huì)，如果Susan鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)不發(fā)言，我們沒(méi)有一個(gè)人會(huì)知道這件事。</div><div><br></div><div><font color="#167efb">有多少歧視，有多少偏見(jiàn)，是發(fā)生在我們看不見(jiàn)、聽(tīng)不到的地方呢？</font></div> <h3>Susan的話揭開(kāi)了蓋子。原來(lái)寬容、友愛(ài)的表象下面，也有我們難以面對(duì)的事實(shí) - 在一些人眼里，我們不屬于這里。<br></h3> <h1 style="text-align: center;"><b><br></b></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><b>二、</b></h1> <h3>這一次集會(huì)，請(qǐng)來(lái)了不少“重量級(jí)”的發(fā)言嘉賓?？梢哉f(shuō)，從Bergen郡，到瑞吉塢鎮(zhèn)，差不多所有的頭頭腦腦都來(lái)了，有的還是帶來(lái)全套班子出席。<br></h3><div><br></div><div>每一個(gè)人的講話都非常精彩。</div><div><br></div><div>而且?guī)缀趺恳粋€(gè)人，都提到了亞裔面臨的歧視和不公。</div><div><br></div><h3>韓裔的教育委員會(huì)成員Hyunju Kwak，從小在紐約市長(zhǎng)大， 在學(xué)校時(shí)就受到到歧視，被人喊“滾回你的國(guó)家”。 當(dāng)她在競(jìng)選教育委員會(huì)成員的時(shí)候， 被人當(dāng)面嘲諷姓名，說(shuō)我們Ridgewood不需要再來(lái)一個(gè) Quack (KWAK)。</h3> <h3><font color="#010101">博根郡專員</font>Ramon Hache，他本身就是來(lái)自多米尼加的移民，妻子又是亞裔，所以對(duì)種族歧視并不陌生。</h3><h3><br></h3><h3>他曾是瑞吉塢第一個(gè)拉丁裔議員，也是上一屆鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)。 這次活動(dòng)，他自始至終積極參與， 從邀請(qǐng)發(fā)言人，到排定出場(chǎng)順序，一直與華協(xié)的幾個(gè)組織者密切聯(lián)系，出力很多。<br></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">鎮(zhèn)警察局的女警長(zhǎng)</font>Jacqueline Luthcke來(lái)了。她對(duì)我們?nèi)A人非常友好，而華協(xié)也曾在去年疫情高峰期間，給警察局?jǐn)?shù)次捐贈(zèng)口罩。這次活動(dòng)初期，她在組織、規(guī)劃、人數(shù)上都幫華協(xié)具體出謀劃策。 </h3> <h3><font color="#010101">Joanne Van San是一位牧師，她說(shuō)每一個(gè)人，都是我們的鄰居，也都是上帝的孩子。她帶領(lǐng)大家向所有種族仇恨的受害者默哀。</font></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">“我不是病毒”運(yùn)動(dòng)的發(fā)起人</font>Mike Keo也來(lái)了<font color="#010101">。他去年發(fā)起的這個(gè)運(yùn)動(dòng)已經(jīng)推及全國(guó)。</font></h3> <h3>這位柬埔寨裔的媽媽Van Imm，提到自己一生都受到歧視。她說(shuō)：每一個(gè)人都要說(shuō)出自己的故事，不能保持沉默。</h3> <h3>鎮(zhèn)的學(xué)區(qū)監(jiān)導(dǎo)Dr. Thomas Gorman，本身是一名社會(huì)科學(xué)教師。他承諾要從教育入手消除歧視問(wèn)題。</h3> <h3><font color="#010101">Jim Tedesco是博根郡的行政長(zhǎng)官，他從會(huì)場(chǎng)里找了幾個(gè)孩子，讓他們一個(gè)個(gè)讀出手上的標(biāo)語(yǔ)。他說(shuō)：仇恨和歧視，在博根，在美國(guó)，都不應(yīng)該有任何位置！</font></h3> 每一個(gè)人的發(fā)言，都很誠(chéng)懇，很給力。但是，讓我印象最深的，還是幾位華人。<br><br>兩位高中生，是所有發(fā)言人中最沒(méi)有“資歷”的人。但是，送給他們的掌聲和歡呼聲卻最大，最熱烈。 <h3><font color="#010101">Christina Huang，回憶起自己7歲時(shí)坐校車時(shí)的經(jīng)歷，孩子們的哄笑和嘲諷，對(duì)她幼小心靈的影響比我們想象的更深。</font></h3><h3><font color="#010101"><br></font></h3><h3><font color="#010101">我看到場(chǎng)里的聽(tīng)眾們有的在擦眼淚。</font></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">Anthony Li，專門(mén)去亞洲餐館采訪，餐館老板受到的威脅和謾罵，讓他非常震驚和氣憤。他還批判了學(xué)校里對(duì)于亞裔這個(gè)“模范少數(shù)民族”的刻板印象。</font></h3> 三位華協(xié)的組織者，英語(yǔ)流利，演講鏗鏘有力，處理突發(fā)事件也有理有節(jié)。<div><br></div><div>孫宇是主持人，不但讓整個(gè)流程非常順利，還不斷烘托氣氛。他還特意提到警察們?yōu)樯鐓^(qū)所做的一切，讓大家感謝他們的貢獻(xiàn)。</div> <h3>KFC是第一個(gè)發(fā)言人，有激情有感染力的發(fā)言，讓會(huì)場(chǎng)的氣氛一下子熱烈起來(lái)。他說(shuō)：我今天站在這里，不是僅僅代表華人，也不是僅僅代表亞裔，我是三億在美國(guó)這片土地居住的人民中的一員。</h3> <h3>Jianying Ding是最后一個(gè)發(fā)言人，向其他支持這個(gè)集會(huì)的組織和機(jī)構(gòu)表示了感謝。這些組織從一開(kāi)始的策劃，到宣傳，到贊助，都給與了華協(xié)許多支持。</h3><h3><br></h3><h3>她最后說(shuō)：讓我們成為改變的開(kāi)始。這是一場(chǎng)艱難的戰(zhàn)斗，但是我們團(tuán)結(jié)起來(lái)，我們就一定能贏。</h3> <h1 style="text-align: center;"><b><br></b></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><b>三、</b></h1> 之前在準(zhǔn)備集會(huì)的時(shí)候，志愿者們就提到了如何定位這次集會(huì)的事情，是搞成訴苦大會(huì)？是讓人們義憤填膺？是充滿悲憤？是歡樂(lè)地展示亞裔文化？<div><br></div><div>不同的定位，效果也會(huì)不同。</div><div><br></div><div>大家最后并沒(méi)有達(dá)成一致意見(jiàn)，說(shuō)實(shí)話，因?yàn)檎?qǐng)了這么多人來(lái)，我們也不太清楚他們會(huì)講些什么，所以，集會(huì)到底會(huì)搞成什么樣子，大家心里也沒(méi)底。</div><div><br></div><div>而今天的集會(huì)之后，我才知道：<font color="#167efb">這就是一次完美的集會(huì)。這就是我們想要的效果。</font></div><div><br></div><div><b>我們發(fā)起集會(huì)的目的，不是為了分裂，而是為了團(tuán)結(jié)。</b></div> 如果多年后，我們回憶起曾經(jīng)參加過(guò)的很多次集會(huì)的時(shí)候，這一次一定不同。<div><br></div><div>不光是因?yàn)榧瘯?huì)很有力，很圓滿，還因?yàn)榧瘯?huì)中出現(xiàn)的一個(gè)小插曲。</div><div><br></div><div>當(dāng)Susan鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)開(kāi)始講話的時(shí)候，突然，從后面上來(lái)一個(gè)年輕女性，舉著喇叭，開(kāi)始“演講”。</div><div><br></div><h3>她一步步走到會(huì)場(chǎng)中間，我只聽(tīng)到她對(duì)Susan說(shuō)："我是亞裔，我是仇亞行為的受害者。你是白人，你沒(méi)有資格來(lái)這里講話...."。</h3><div><br></div><div>她的身邊，還跟著幾個(gè)年輕人，包括兩個(gè)非裔小伙子。其中一個(gè)舉著手機(jī)說(shuō)："我在網(wǎng)絡(luò)直播，有8000人在看，你們必須讓她講話?！?lt;/div><div><br></div><h3>現(xiàn)場(chǎng)一片混亂。觀眾們?cè)诖蠛啊癵o home"。</h3> 其實(shí)當(dāng)時(shí)大家都有點(diǎn)懵。Susan鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)的話筒，后來(lái)也被搶了去。警長(zhǎng)就在那里，還有幾名警察。但是，如果警察強(qiáng)行介入，恐怕事態(tài)就會(huì)朝不好的方向發(fā)展。<div><br></div><div>那個(gè)女孩得到機(jī)會(huì)講了一會(huì)，據(jù)說(shuō)她一直在渾身顫抖。最后，在大家勸說(shuō)之下，他們離開(kāi)了會(huì)場(chǎng)。</div><div><br></div><div>從他們發(fā)給現(xiàn)場(chǎng)的傳單來(lái)看，這是一個(gè)反對(duì)“白人至上”的團(tuán)體。</div><div><br></div><div>所以，他們選擇在Susan鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)講話的時(shí)候進(jìn)來(lái)攪局。</div><div><br></div><div>是的，我稱之為”攪局“。要知道，籌備這個(gè)集會(huì)，是幾十個(gè)志愿者花了近一個(gè)月的時(shí)間準(zhǔn)備出來(lái)的。所有的發(fā)言人都要一個(gè)個(gè)聯(lián)系和確認(rèn)；所有的活動(dòng)流程都要反反復(fù)復(fù)打磨；一步步的動(dòng)員，老老少少的參與，才終于在4月10日這個(gè)時(shí)刻，有了集會(huì)的機(jī)會(huì)。</div><div><br></div><h3>Susan鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)是自愿來(lái)支持我們的行動(dòng)的。僅僅因?yàn)樗前兹?，她就不能?lái)參加這次聚會(huì)嗎？她就不能支持“停止仇恨亞裔”這個(gè)行動(dòng)嗎？用膚色來(lái)決定人的歸屬，這恰恰是一種歧視。</h3><div><br></div><h3>這些人闖入我們的會(huì)場(chǎng)，以粗暴的方式來(lái)打亂一個(gè)和平的集會(huì)，他們，其實(shí)也是在剝奪我們的權(quán)利。</h3> 這個(gè)集會(huì)的插曲，給我們提了醒。<font color="#167efb">面對(duì)歧視和不公平，我們要發(fā)聲，要抗?fàn)?，要做出改變?lt;/font><div><font color="#167efb"><b><br></b></font></div><div><font color="#167efb"><b>但是我們不會(huì)偏激，不會(huì)暴戾，不會(huì)封閉。</b></font></div> <h3><font color="#010101">我們要做的，</font><font color="#167efb"><b>是融合，是展示自己的力量</b></font><font color="#010101">。</font></h3> 插曲的出現(xiàn)，并沒(méi)有真正影響集會(huì)的效果，反而使大家更士氣高昂。<div><br></div><div>這個(gè)社會(huì)已經(jīng)有太多太多的仇恨和裂痕。我們要消除它們，而不是制造它們。</div> <h1 style="text-align: center;"><b><br></b></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><b>四、</b></h1> <b>集會(huì)之后，我看到了希望。</b><div><br></div><h3>我看到了華裔中有Jianying Ding，孫宇，KFC這樣的能力出眾，英語(yǔ)非常流利，又積極參與社區(qū)事務(wù)的優(yōu)秀人才。</h3> <h3><font color="#010101">我看到了華裔中的下一代，也都加入進(jìn)來(lái)了，他們有的走上演講臺(tái)，有的創(chuàng)作宣傳畫(huà)，有的分發(fā)傳單、標(biāo)語(yǔ)，有的做義工。</font></h3> <h3>兩位小畫(huà)家 Krystal Jiang （ Rock） 和Tiffany Deng （Girl with tape ）的創(chuàng)作，非常震撼。<br></h3> <h3><font color="#010101">我還看到更小的孩子們。他們也許不是太理解什么是身份認(rèn)定，不太理解什么種族歧視。但是，他們知道什么是對(duì)與錯(cuò)，知道自己有發(fā)聲的權(quán)利。</font></h3> <h3>在會(huì)場(chǎng)的一側(cè)，有一個(gè)專門(mén)的繪畫(huà)角。孩子們?cè)谥驹刚叩膸ьI(lǐng)下，用畫(huà)筆創(chuàng)造了一幅又一幅圖畫(huà)。</h3> <h3>我看到會(huì)場(chǎng)四處的志愿者們。為了這個(gè)集會(huì)，大家各盡其職，忙了很多天。集會(huì)這一天更是提前很久就來(lái)布置會(huì)場(chǎng)，結(jié)束之后又留下清理場(chǎng)地。</h3> <h5>（部分志愿者）</h5> <h3><font color="#010101">我看到了許多許多鄉(xiāng)親們，有些我認(rèn)識(shí)，有些我不認(rèn)識(shí)。他們有的在本鎮(zhèn)已經(jīng)居住多年，有的是新移民，也有的是從別的鎮(zhèn)專門(mén)趕來(lái)聲援。</font></h3> 我還看到各種組織、機(jī)構(gòu)和商家的傾力參與和支持。從事先的宣傳，大標(biāo)語(yǔ)牌的制作，到開(kāi)場(chǎng)的小號(hào)，一直到結(jié)束時(shí)的舞蹈，協(xié)助本次活動(dòng)的各個(gè)協(xié)會(huì)都不遺余力地提供幫助。<div><br></div><h3>Bergen County Asian American Advisory Committee 所有的主要人員都來(lái)到現(xiàn)場(chǎng)支持集會(huì)，王朝芳還捐贈(zèng)了很多標(biāo)語(yǔ)牌支持本次集會(huì)。</h3> <h3>教育機(jī)構(gòu)Kids2Kids，給集會(huì)提供了桌子和椅子。</h3> 除了華裔之外，我看到了來(lái)自其他亞裔的面孔，他們有印度裔，有韓裔，有日裔，有東南亞裔。<div><br></div><div>我看到了白人，黑人，拉美裔人。</div><div><br></div><div>我看到了年輕人，中年人，老人和孩子。</div> <b>這些都是希望。</b><div><br></div><div>我從來(lái)沒(méi)有覺(jué)得如此自豪過(guò)。</div><div><br></div><div>我也從來(lái)沒(méi)有覺(jué)得這個(gè)鎮(zhèn)如此團(tuán)結(jié)過(guò)。</div><div><br></div><h3>我看到了華人的力量，我更看到了一個(gè)團(tuán)結(jié)的，包容的社區(qū)的力量。</h3> <h3><font color="#010101">當(dāng)幾年前那個(gè)人給Susan鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)打電話，讓她把華人踢出國(guó)慶游行隊(duì)伍的時(shí)候，鎮(zhèn)長(zhǎng)的回答是：</font><font color="#167efb">他們不光會(huì)是國(guó)慶游行的一部分，他們也是我們生活的一部分。</font></h3> 來(lái)參加集會(huì)的每一個(gè)人，都接受到了相同的信息：<b>每一個(gè)人都不是外來(lái)者，都屬于這里。</b> 瑞吉塢一直是個(gè)好鎮(zhèn)，今后，它會(huì)變得更好。因?yàn)槌藢W(xué)區(qū)之外，除了收入之外，除了美食美景之外，它還有這樣的居民，他們能夠站在彼此的身邊，互相支持，共同發(fā)展。<div><br></div><div>不管他們的膚色有多么不同，不管他們的背景有多大差別。</div><div><br></div><h3>他們，是一樣的，平等的人。</h3> <h3><font color="#b06fbb">（文中圖片由劉桑田、羅新、Ann等提供）</font></h3> <h3><b>鳴謝：</b></h3><div><br></div><h3>
</h3><h3>Ridgewood Ambassadors for Global Citizenship<br>Ridgewood Indian Association,<br>MLK committee of Ridgewood & Glen Rock<br>Ridgewood Korean Home School Association</h3><h3>Nagoya Enterprise Corp.<br>Henry M. Cabri DDS LLC<br>Goody Star Restaurant INC<br>Sunny Wok （Boaz 1 LLC）<br>Mei Hawaii Express Inc</h3><h3>Chong S Chen & Xiu Yi Zhang</h3> <h3><b>附：以下為幾位發(fā)言人的文字稿。</b></h3><h3><br></h3><h3><font color="#167efb">1、KFC (Kevin Chen)</font></h3><h3><br></h3><h3>It is time to speak up!</h3><h3>
Good Afternoon, </h3><h3>
Thank you to each and every one of you for being here with us today. </h3><h3><br></h3><h3>Before coming today, I have been thinking about what message I want to deliver during such an important event. Like many of you, I feel concerned about racism and discrimination to minority groups like us. I absolutely share sorrow and anger when hearing about the outrageous attacks against the most vulnerable in our community, the elderly. I found myself speechless learning that a female friend is carrying pepper spray in her pocket for commuting to NYC. </h3><h3><br></h3><h3>But these are not the only reasons why I am here today. Apart from fear or anger and remembrance of those lost and lives changed by racism, what I believe we truly need is encouragement, the encouragement to speak up. </h3><h3><br></h3><h3> We are all quite different on the outside, whether it is skin color, language, culture or family traditions. Whether we were born in America or immigrants, we are not separate from each other. We all share dreams, love and humanity. We want the best for this country, our community, our families, ourselves. Embracing our differences is the foundation of the American dream. The beauty of our country is reflected in our cultures, languages and values working and living side by side in harmony. We have ALL gone a long way to pursue the American dream. Now, it is time to defend the American Dream. Now, it is time to promote the American Dream. </h3><h3><br></h3><h3> The fact that we are all here is a good sign, this gathering is a signal that sheds light for the AAPI community locally. And it is ok to start from bits and pieces. </h3><h3><br></h3><h3> We are ALL learning. We are all starting from a difference place. BUT!! We are all here TOGETHER. Our kids should never feel embarrassed for bringing dumplings to school for lunch. Our Asian colleagues could be better supported when taking unfair blames at work. And our brothers or sisters should not be the subject of bigoted jokes, feeling ostracized or otherwise targeted for their races. </h3><h3><br></h3><h3> I am a member of Ridgewood Chinese American Association, one of the several groups that organized today’s event. But I am not just here to represent my Chinese American community. I am not just here to represent Asian Americans. I am here because I am representing one of the 300 million people in this country. I am here because I want to stand in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters of color.</h3><div><br></div><h3>
Join us in this movement to Speak up and let us all be heard!<br></h3> <h3><font color="#167efb">2、Jianying Ding</font></h3><h3><br></h3><h3>Ridgewood Rally Closing
I am honored to close this rally on behalf a team of volunteers. A shout out to the members of Ridgewood Chinese American Association, Ridgewood Ambassadors for Global Citizenship, Ridgewood Indian Association, MLK committee of RW/GR and Ridgewood Korean Home School Association. Together, we spent countless hours planning this rally, donate time and money to make this à reality. We brought together groups with different ethnic background in and outside of Asian American community. Amongst us there are Asian immigrants, Asian Americans that were born and raised here, and other racial equality groups. Ridgewood, you are the reason we love America! </h3><h3><br></h3><h3> Sincere thank you to all the speakers and guests here today, the wonderful Ridgewood Village Hall, and generous donors for the much needed solidarity, for your calls for urgent actions against Asian hate and racism. We can’t do this without your support.</h3><h3><br></h3><h3> Most importantly, I want to say to my Asian brothers and sisters, that this is our watershed moment, this is the time for us to act forcefully and relentlessly. There is a famous quote: there are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen. First Asian immigrants came 250 years ago, 250 years later, many of us have succeeded, but we still suffer from racism, aggression, xenophobia, and hate, every single day! Don’t let the pain and suffering of our predecessors and fellow Americans go in vain! There is no more time to wait, not even weeks for us to waste, minding our own business is simply no longer acceptable. </h3><h3><br></h3><h3>Our beautiful children, make us proud, not by stellar grades, music awards, good paying jobs, instead, by embracing and owning your piece of history in America, by claiming your seat at the table!</h3><h3><br></h3><h3>Parents, don’t hold them back, encourage them, support them. Demand change, BE the change, show them how it is done! </h3><h3><br></h3><h3> This will be a long and exhausting fight, but with us United, we will win.<br></h3> <font color="#167efb">3、Christina Huang</font><div><br></div><div>Good Morning, I want to thank everyone for coming out today. My name is Christina Huang and I would like to share my experiences of racism as a first generation Chinese American. </div><div><br></div><div>Two years before I moved to Ridgewood I grew up in a small town where my family and distant relatives made up most of the Asian population. One time on a bus ride home, I remember I had my face pressed hard against the<br>school bus searching for my grandmother. As we got closer to my bus stop I saw her practicing zaocao -morning exercise routine- to keep warm in the chilly winter temperatures while she waited forme. I was so excited to greet her and return home to a warm meal. However, the joy was stomped out of me as the entire bus detonated into laughter and everyone pointed at my grandmother dancing. And I will never forget having to walk off the bus past my classmates as they stretched their eyes at me and mocked my grandmother’s movements.<br><br></div><div>I felt so alone and humiliated. It felt like there was something wrong with me and I didn’t know what it<br>was but I desperately wanted to amputate it off my body and have nothing to do with it.</div><div><br>I was only seven years old. </div><div><br></div><div>I am now seventeen ,and I am privileged to have moved to a more diverse and accepting district. However, racism is not completely absent here. Many Ridgewood Amplify, an instagram account, exposes the blatant racism and the microaggressions at the high school. Recently, my mother while walking our dog, Lilo was verbally harassed by a man who called her a chink.. These comments or jokes<br>are seeds of hate that breeds bias attitudes and cultivates an environment that allows hate crimes to happen. We should not have to prove that we belong here. It is our human and constitutional rights to live free from discrimination and with “equal protection under the law”.</div><div><br>From Asian WW2 vets who fought under the 42nd regiment to Olympians like Chloe Kim it is without a<br>doubt that Asians play a major role in America's success. We have contributed greatly in culture, prosperity, and innovations. So why are we still treated like an invasive parasitic species coming tospread disease and steal resources?<br><br></div><div>We should also not feel like we have to abandon our culture to fit into American society. In fact, by keeping our culture and traditions alive we are showing resistance and resilience. I am proud to say that every year RHS students, Mrs Kirtane and many Ridgewood parents do this as they put together a performance that celebrates Asian cultures. As students and as a community because of our cultural differences we have grouped ourselves based on our ethnicity. However, during Asian Festival my<br>classmates break these barriers to create something greater than themselves and every year I am blown<br>away by the product of their hard work and teamwork.<br><br></div><div>The takeaways from our students in Asian Festival can be applied on a larger scale. Regardless of what part of Asia you are from: Japan, Korea, China, Pakistan, Cambodia, Philippine, Vietnam or India. We all share the same immigrant story just with different places and names. We have been alienated and targeted based on our background, so we should unify against injustices. I challenge everyone to take steps outside their boundaries to engage with other cultures, challenge stereotypes and tear down the divisions that separate us. Like a large family, we should recognize and celebrate differences among our members while also bonding over our commonalities because only then can we harmonious future where our children are not treated like a plague to society and our elders do not have to live in fear of being attacked. </div><div><br></div><div>Thank you.<br></div> <font color="#167efb">4、Anthony Li</font><div><div><br></div><div>Lately, there have been many instances of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans all over the news. Just looking at the news, or on the TV, or on Twitter, we’re reminded of how much anti-Asian American hate is still a part of society today. And though we’ve come a long way from the days of Chinese exclusion and Japanese internment camps, Asians still face hatred and<br>discrimination in many aspects of society.<br><br></div><div>We’ve seen an increase in both verbal and physical attacks on Asian people, especially during this pandemic. I was talking to an Asian restaurant owner the other day. Back in February, even before the pandemic hit the United States, she had a frequent customer talk to her about this “Chinese virus.” I’m sure many of you share this experience, of being called out for a “Chinese virus,” as if we are somehow responsible for it. As lockdowns continued, and as businesses shut down, the hatred only grew. This restaurant owner once had a customer say to her “I'm losing my f-ing mind,” just for telling them that it would take 45 minutes to prepare a dish. People have said to her, “Go the f back to your<br>country,” even though she was as American as any of us. Many other restaurants have received similar treatment as well; a restaurant in Wyckoff was once spray painted with the words “Go back to your country.”<br><br></div><div>These words have power, and these words have effects. Restaurant owners, desperate on takeout for their lifelines, now fear picking up the phone, for fear<br>that they will receive hate which they can do nothing about. Many Asians in the community now fear for their safety as they walk down the streets of New York.<br><br></div><div>And these words have, far too often, boiled over into violence. The Atlanta shootings, the violent assaults in New York – in New York this year alone, there have been 33 cases of anti-Asian hate, and that’s only counting what’s been reported.<br><br></div><div>But discrimination is often invisible as well, and as the Asian American community, we see many examples of this in our lives. In schools, Asians are whitewashed as the “smart” kids, the ones who care about math and nothing else. I speak personally when I say this has often affected me, this artificial standard constraining my identity. This myth of Asians as a “model minority”<br>creates pressure for Asians to conform to these expectations, even though at the upper levels of society, we still face a “glass ceiling.” We still face discrimination, even in places where it doesn’t seem like it. This discrimination, whether visible or invisible, violent or verbal, has to stop.<br><br></div><div>And we must band together as a community, because only then can we find our strength. For far too long we have remained silent when we are spit on, harassed, or mistreated because of our race. We must raise our voices and speak out, because we are one Asian community, and because we are as American as anyone else.<br><br></div><div>In our community we find hope. Our ancestors helped build up this country centuries ago. And though they faced tough challenges, their efforts have not gone unnoticed. And this community still persists today, even now during the pandemic. We help each other out, whether it’s through providing each other with things like hand sanitizer and masks, or for being there when we witness instances of discrimination.<br><br></div><div>As the young generation, we are an important aspect of this fight. We represent <span style="color: inherit;">the future, and we must do what we can to support our parents and </span>grandparents, while paving the way for future Asian generations. We must get<br><h3>involved.</h3><div><br></div>We are one Asian community, and though the fight against discrimination is far from over, we must band together, young or old, as Asians, as Americans. Now is<br>not the time to let differences in race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or <span style="color: inherit;">gender identity divide us. Now is the time to celebrate our differences, and united, as Americans.</span></div></div>