On June 4, Cathy Linh Che, Executive Director of @kundimanforever, was fired after serving Kundiman as Executive Director and staff member for 12 years.
We stand with writers and community members calling on @kundimanforever - an Asian American literary organization - to take a stance against the genocide of Palestinian people. Asian American was coined as an anti-imperialist political identity - we co-sign these demands.
If an AA/PI space ever told the Pacific Islanders within it that instead of holding the Board accountable for their egregious actions & lack of moral solidarity with us amidst the most horrific assaults on our people and islands: we should just leave & start our own thing?? Whew.
what's extra funny is that co-founders put themselves in honorary roles & have been saying they have no authority over the board, but somehow they're still posting (and one can only assume also writing) these boring statements behind the scenes
they're playing checkers not chess
I'm devastated to have to share that @kundimanforever has been betrayed by Sarah Gambito, Joseph Legaspi, Ricco Siasoco, and the Kundiman board. We call for their resignations.
All this because of a simple statement of solidarity with Palestinians.
https://t.co/2DxhMu1UsY
A writer should not be yanked.
Interesting choice of words PEN. Interesting too which writers and what work you find your voice for, and which ones you have physically dragged out from spaces.
There is no empathy expressed here whatsoever. This is the story of one woman’s struggle with losing sympathy for Palestinians once she was made to face the reality that they have subjectivity (many such cases)
From suffering to find a little hope 🕊️
Send me your love and support here ❤️🤍
I want to restore my smile and restore hope to my family. ❤️🥺
Thank u .🤍
https://t.co/ZHmuQGDmU0
Anyone know the Bay Area poet Gaia Thomas or her wife Caitlin Schartner? They were running 2 GoFundMes for Gazans trying to evacuate, and have ghosted. GFMs donations paused, X and FB accounts deactivated. its causing distress to the Palestinians who have not heard from her.