PAWIS stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protestors and supports the Black Lives Matter movement.

The death of George Floyd and the thousands of black people due to police brutality is rooted in racism, the belief that one race is superior over the others. As immigrants in this country, we condemn racism and oppressive policies.

We urge our kababayans who are scared of protests and who have been annoyed with the looters and protestors during the early days of the protests to really understand the context of the Black Lives Matter movement that is sweeping across the US today. Let us not forget that the rights and privileges we now enjoy in this country were fought for by our black brothers and sisters which resulted in the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968. If black people did not fight then, immigrants would not have the right to become citizens or be considered citizens, will not be allowed to vote, to own properties and to use the bathrooms used by white people. And most importantly, we will not have the right to marry white people.

The pandemic shatters the American dream bubble and exposes the deep class inequality in America. Majority of the people who died from COVID19 are from black and brown communities. The situation is exacerbated by a racist President who does not believe in science and is proven time and again to be anti-immigrant.