Unabashed and Bold: Join APANO’s Rapid Response Network

Unabashed and bold. This is what the fire horse calls us to be. After one year of the Trump 2.0 presidency, our communities are restless, and want to push towards real change. Not false promises, but real solutions.

If the fire horse cycles every 60 years, what is happening today is just as much of a social uproar as it was in 1966. The Civil Rights movement. Asian Americans showing up for the Black Panther Party. People flocking to the streets to protest the U.S. led war in Vietnam. 

So now more than ever, we all have a role to play. 

This is why APANO together with the APANO Voter Outreach Training & Education (VOTE) Network, are working to expand a statewide Rapid Response Network that can mobilize quickly when our communities are threatened. 

Families are under attack, and ICE continues to violate the rights of many communities of color, including Asian and Latine immigrants. These actions have created fear, instability, and trauma, especially among immigrants who already face systemic barriers to safety and justice. 

We as APANO organize Asian American community organizations across Oregon to advance social justice through advocacy and civic engagement. The 1960’s left us a wealth of knowledge and lessons in solidarity that has forever shaped our Asian and Asian American identities. So we know that when we link together, we build powerful and meaningful partnerships that can truly meet the needs of our cross-cultural communities. 

In the spirit of the fire horse, use this moment to not just find what moves you, but to also find your cadence. We need leaders on the streets, behind a megaphone, and in Salem fighting for pro-immigrant legislation. Solidarity can also look like quiet moments of clarity and connection, intention and alignment. The year of the fire horse reminds us that as we embrace rapid change, we must also stay attuned to our bodies and spirits for the long fight ahead. So in whatever way you can contribute to this moment - we need your help.

This Rapid Response network will help:

• Build and strengthen a Legal Observer Network
• Provide Know Your Rights education for community members
• Establish an Accompaniment Program to support individuals and families during ICE encounters, court dates, and other critical moments
• Connect people to legal assistance, emergency support, and support with basic needs

We need community members, organizations, and partners to make this work. Whether you are an individual looking to take action or an organization ready to support your community, there is a role for you in Rapid Response. Ready to join us? Sign up now.

At this time, APANO is also offering Rapid Response grants to help organizations educate, train, and mobilize people to respond effectively and safely to ICE activity and other immigration-related crises.

Together, we protect each other, defend our rights, and collectively build a future rooted in dignity and belonging.

Join us.

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