Standing in Times Square, one of capitalism’s many hearts, I’m surrounded by a huge crowd, with almost everyone wearing a keffiyeh. It’s a sunny afternoon, unseasonably warm for October, and my entirely black outfit, which I wear in case of emergency dispersal, makes me sweat. The air has its usual New York smell of car exhaust with a hint of garbage.
Organized by The People’s Forum, Palestinian Youth Movement, Palestinian Feminist Collective, Writers Against The War on Gaza, and ANSWER Contingent, I’m at a protest decrying one year of Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Gaza. I’m most struck by the East Asian person leading the chants over the speakers, proudly waving a Palestinian flag.
Asian America is an invisibilized political landscape, wiped from history to ensure the model minority myth and servility underneath the bamboo ceiling. My heart sang as I marched alongside the diasporic Korean group Nodutdol, with signs that read “Within Our Lifetime,” “Korea Will Be United Palestine Will be Free,” and “U.S. Out of Korea.” I fell in line with the Anti-Imperialist Contingent, including Filipino groups Malaya Movement and Anakbayan Manhattan.
In the wake of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and Israel’s continued onslaught against Palestinians, dissent has grown among Asian American voters. With the looming potential of President Donald Trump returning to the White House, the Democratic party’s seemingly complete approval of supporting the “right for Israel to defend itself” through war is costing votes.
What is the Uncommitted Movement?
The Uncommitted National Movement, started during the primaries in an attempt to curb President Joe Biden’s support of the Israeli government’s veritable acts of genocide in Gaza, has gained hundreds of thousands of votes. More than two-thirds of constituents, including 56% of Republicans, 77% of Democrats, and 69% of Independents, all want a permanent ceasefire and de-escalation of…
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