September 7, 2020 to September 11, 2020
This weekend is Labor Day, a holiday whose origins lie in the strikes and boycotts of the late 1800’s as workers fought for fair wages and better treatment during an economic depression. It’s worth remembering that the day became a national holiday in 1894 amidst the Pullman Railroad Strike, which ended with federal troops invading Chicago to break the strike and left dozens dead.
Today we are in another moment of deep economic inequality, with millions of people out of work or on the front lines, struggling to make ends meet and keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy. In my own family, I have two teachers who are headed back to school this week, facing the complications of distance learning while navigating their own health risks.
In this moment, the lessons I draw from labor history are not just a reminder of the stakes, but a reminder of what is possible when large numbers of people come together, organize and demand for better working conditions. For us as Asian Americans, it’s a complicated history; we know that the U.S. labor movement was once openly hostile to our communities. But we have our own histories of labor organizing, from Chinese garment workers to Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong to today’s National Domestic Workers Alliance, and we can take this holiday to honor their contributions and draw inspiration from their struggles.
No matter who we are or the work that we do, every one of us deserves dignity, respect and the ability to care for ourselves and our loved ones. In that spirit, we at CAAL wish you a Labor Day full of rest, care and the inspiration to keep working toward a world where we all have what we need to thrive.
In community,
Kara Carmosino
Social Justice Leadership Senior Manager
CAAL ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
CAAL’s Stronger Together Fund aims to support Asian Minnesotan organizations who are supporting the most vulnerable segments of our community at this time: those who are limited English, those who have limited technology fluency, individuals who are undocumented or mixed status families, those who are low income, large multi-generational households, micro-businesses, the elderly, and young people. The fund can also be used to support organizational capacity and infrastructure to transition to an ongoing remote work environment.
Submit your completed application to us no later than Friday, September 25, 2020 at 5:00 PM CT by completing this online form. For general questions, technical assistance, and accessibility needs, please contact Kara Carmosino at kara@caalmn.org. If you would rather be interviewed for this application rather than complete it, please contact Kara.
State of Asian Minnesotans: Fired Up and Ready to Take Action
Thursday, September 24 (3:00 PM to 4:30 PM)
The State of Asian Minnesotans Series takes a critical look at the state and progress of Asian/Asian Americans in Minnesota, and consider what else we can do to tap into the assets of, and ensure inclusion of this community. In this session, speakers will discuss the growing civic power of Asian Minnesotans and what Asian Minnesotan communities are doing to build power during this election cycle and beyond.
We invite subject experts, researchers, community members, and thought leaders that increase audience knowledge, challenge and allow audiences to dive deeper into their understandings of this population, and provide new thinking and tools for audiences to consider as they work with Asian Minnesotan communities. You can register here.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS
Loving Deeply: A Conversation on Afro-Asian Aesthetic Authority
Sunday, September 13, 2020, 7 pm, on East Side Freedom Library’s Facebook page
Alessandra Williams and Yuichiro Onishi explore the world of Ananya Dance Theatre. Williams shares the rich details of the techniques of Ananya Dance Theatre’s specific dance form called Yorchhā, especially how it enacts the multiplicity of dancers’ strong physical presence, bodies, movements, and lived experiences to transform the very genre of contemporary dance. She talks about her own process of transformation in this very specific milieu and artists’ collective, moving through Black feminism and women of color feminism to transnational feminism. The conversation also introduces a specific case of collaboration between Laurie Carlos, a versatile Black woman artist, and Artistic Director Ananya Chatterjea to delineate Afro-Asian aesthetic authority.
Report Discrimination and Bias
If you experience or witness discrimination based on race, where you come from, your immigration status, or anything else, call Minnesota’s Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or submit this online form. The helpline is staffed by investigators from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Translation/interpretation services are available.