集会之后，我们对未来充满希望

罗新

我所在的小镇瑞吉坞，在新泽西算是相当好的地区。

所谓的好，一是指学区，镇高中在新泽西300多所公立高中里，排名大概在20多名；二是指经济条件，这里中等家庭收入是16万美元，远远高于新泽西的平均水平；三是指宜居程度，小镇环境优美，镇中心集中了一些很有名的餐馆和商店，犯罪率也非常低。

亚裔，在我们这个镇上，力量是不弱的。根据2010年的人口普查，瑞吉坞有82%的白人和13%的亚裔，其他种族的人加起来才5%。

根据我的观察，2010年之后，亚裔人口的增长速度很快，目前应该远远超过13%了。

镇高中每年都有“亚洲节“，Downtown有不少亚洲餐馆和商店，镇上官员也有亚裔面孔。

这样一个富裕平和的小镇，亚裔会遇到歧视吗？

如果我们搞"停止仇恨亚裔"的集会，会有人来参加吗？

如果有人来参加，会不会只有亚裔人，甚至只有华裔来？

这些疑问，从瑞吉坞华协准备集会的一开始，就环绕在我的脑海里。

一、

当4月10日，我站在集会现场的时候，这些疑问都有了答案。

天公作美，这一天气温适宜，风轻云淡，集会的场地Van Neste Square Memorial Park鲜花盛开。

来参加集会的人真不少，这个小公园几乎站的满满的。

真没想到有这么多人会来。

亚裔占了多数，但是白人和其他族裔的也不少。据我初略的估计，大概亚裔有60%，白人和其他族裔有40%。

所以，我的后两个疑问已经得到了回答：参加集会的人很多；除了亚裔之后，也有不少其他族裔的人。

“停止对亚裔的仇恨”，不能只是亚裔自己在发声，还需要所有族裔的人站在一起。我们需要盟友，需要倾听者、支持者。

在筹备这个集会的过程中，我听到一些议论，认为我们这个镇几乎没有什么针对亚裔的歧视行为，人们都非常友好，都能和平相处。集会的目的，主要是发出自己的声音，展示自己的力量，是从广义上谴责对亚裔的仇恨。

但是，镇长的讲话，给在场的所有华裔，泼了一桶冷水。

镇长Susan说：当几年前瑞吉坞华协第一次组织参加七月四日的国庆游行时，她被中国妈妈们的表演惊艳了。中国妈妈们的方队走过主席台时，她拍了很多照片。

第二天，她的办公室接到一个电话，那个打电话的人对于“中国人”参加国庆游行非常生气，要求把“中国人”踢出瑞吉坞今后的国庆游行行列！

瑞吉坞的七月四日国庆游行，有100多年的历史了，是镇上每年最重要，影响最大的活动，在整个新泽西都很有名。瑞吉坞华协成立后的第一项工作，就是策划和参加了2016年的国庆游行。从此之后，连续四年，瑞吉坞华协的花车和妈妈方队，就成为国庆游行中最靓丽的一道风景线。

美妈们一路上都会收到接连不断的喝彩声，顺便收获粉丝。平时走在镇里，还有陌生人过来称赞表演。

谁能想到，竟然有人向镇长提议把我们踢出国庆游行？

这件事，就发生在我们这个镇，这个看上去安详、包容、友好的小镇。

如果没有这个集会，如果Susan镇长不发言，我们没有一个人会知道这件事。

有多少歧视，有多少偏见，是发生在我们看不见、听不到的地方呢？

Susan的话揭开了盖子。原来宽容、友爱的表象下面，也有我们难以面对的事实 - 在一些人眼里，我们不属于这里。

二、

这一次集会，请来了不少“重量级”的发言嘉宾。可以说，从Bergen郡，到瑞吉坞镇，差不多所有的头头脑脑都来了，有的还是带来全套班子出席。

每一个人的讲话都非常精彩。

而且几乎每一个人，都提到了亚裔面临的歧视和不公。

韩裔的教育委员会成员Hyunju Kwak，从小在纽约市长大， 在学校时就受到到歧视，被人喊“滚回你的国家”。 当她在竞选教育委员会成员的时候， 被人当面嘲讽姓名，说我们Ridgewood不需要再来一个 Quack (KWAK)。

博根郡专员Ramon Hache，他本身就是来自多米尼加的移民，妻子又是亚裔，所以对种族歧视并不陌生。

他曾是瑞吉坞第一个拉丁裔议员，也是上一届镇长。 这次活动，他自始至终积极参与， 从邀请发言人，到排定出场顺序，一直与华协的几个组织者密切联系，出力很多。

镇警察局的女警长Jacqueline Luthcke来了。她对我们华人非常友好，而华协也曾在去年疫情高峰期间，给警察局数次捐赠口罩。这次活动初期，她在组织、规划、人数上都帮华协具体出谋划策。

Joanne Van San是一位牧师，她说每一个人，都是我们的邻居，也都是上帝的孩子。她带领大家向所有种族仇恨的受害者默哀。

“我不是病毒”运动的发起人Mike Keo也来了。他去年发起的这个运动已经推及全国。

这位柬埔寨裔的妈妈Van Imm，提到自己一生都受到歧视。她说：每一个人都要说出自己的故事，不能保持沉默。

镇的学区监导Dr. Thomas Gorman，本身是一名社会科学教师。他承诺要从教育入手消除歧视问题。

Jim Tedesco是博根郡的行政长官，他从会场里找了几个孩子，让他们一个个读出手上的标语。他说：仇恨和歧视，在博根，在美国，都不应该有任何位置！

每一个人的发言，都很诚恳，很给力。但是，让我印象最深的，还是几位华人。

两位高中生，是所有发言人中最没有“资历”的人。但是，送给他们的掌声和欢呼声却最大，最热烈。

Christina Huang，回忆起自己7岁时坐校车时的经历，孩子们的哄笑和嘲讽，对她幼小心灵的影响比我们想象的更深。

我看到场里的听众们有的在擦眼泪。

Anthony Li，专门去亚洲餐馆采访，餐馆老板受到的威胁和谩骂，让他非常震惊和气愤。他还批判了学校里对于亚裔这个“模范少数民族”的刻板印象。

三位华协的组织者，英语流利，演讲铿锵有力，处理突发事件也有理有节。

孙宇是主持人，不但让整个流程非常顺利，还不断烘托气氛。他还特意提到警察们为社区所做的一切，让大家感谢他们的贡献。

KFC是第一个发言人，有激情有感染力的发言，让会场的气氛一下子热烈起来。他说：我今天站在这里，不是仅仅代表华人，也不是仅仅代表亚裔，我是三亿在美国这片土地居住的人民中的一员。

Jianying Ding是最后一个发言人，向其他支持这个集会的组织和机构表示了感谢。这些组织从一开始的策划，到宣传，到赞助，都给与了华协许多支持。

她最后说：让我们成为改变的开始。这是一场艰难的战斗，但是我们团结起来，我们就一定能赢。

三、

之前在准备集会的时候，志愿者们就提到了如何定位这次集会的事情，是搞成诉苦大会？是让人们义愤填膺？是充满悲愤？是欢乐地展示亚裔文化？

不同的定位，效果也会不同。

大家最后并没有达成一致意见，说实话，因为请了这么多人来，我们也不太清楚他们会讲些什么，所以，集会到底会搞成什么样子，大家心里也没底。

而今天的集会之后，我才知道：这就是一次完美的集会。这就是我们想要的效果。

我们发起集会的目的，不是为了分裂，而是为了团结。

如果多年后，我们回忆起曾经参加过的很多次集会的时候，这一次一定不同。

不光是因为集会很有力，很圆满，还因为集会中出现的一个小插曲。

当Susan镇长开始讲话的时候，突然，从后面上来一个年轻女性，举着喇叭，开始“演讲”。

她一步步走到会场中间，我只听到她对Susan说："我是亚裔，我是仇亚行为的受害者。你是白人，你没有资格来这里讲话...."。

她的身边，还跟着几个年轻人，包括两个非裔小伙子。其中一个举着手机说："我在网络直播，有8000人在看，你们必须让她讲话。“

现场一片混乱。观众们在大喊“go home"。

其实当时大家都有点懵。Susan镇长的话筒，后来也被抢了去。警长就在那里，还有几名警察。但是，如果警察强行介入，恐怕事态就会朝不好的方向发展。

那个女孩得到机会讲了一会，据说她一直在浑身颤抖。最后，在大家劝说之下，他们离开了会场。

从他们发给现场的传单来看，这是一个反对“白人至上”的团体。

所以，他们选择在Susan镇长讲话的时候进来搅局。

是的，我称之为”搅局“。要知道，筹备这个集会，是几十个志愿者花了近一个月的时间准备出来的。所有的发言人都要一个个联系和确认；所有的活动流程都要反反复复打磨；一步步的动员，老老少少的参与，才终于在4月10日这个时刻，有了集会的机会。

Susan镇长是自愿来支持我们的行动的。仅仅因为她是白人，她就不能来参加这次聚会吗？她就不能支持“停止仇恨亚裔”这个行动吗？用肤色来决定人的归属，这恰恰是一种歧视。

这些人闯入我们的会场，以粗暴的方式来打乱一个和平的集会，他们，其实也是在剥夺我们的权利。

这个集会的插曲，给我们提了醒。面对歧视和不公平，我们要发声，要抗争，要做出改变。

但是我们不会偏激，不会暴戾，不会封闭。

我们要做的，是融合，是展示自己的力量。

插曲的出现，并没有真正影响集会的效果，反而使大家更士气高昂。

这个社会已经有太多太多的仇恨和裂痕。我们要消除它们，而不是制造它们。

四、

集会之后，我看到了希望。

我看到了华裔中有Jianying Ding，孙宇，KFC这样的能力出众，英语非常流利，又积极参与社区事务的优秀人才。

我看到了华裔中的下一代，也都加入进来了，他们有的走上演讲台，有的创作宣传画，有的分发传单、标语，有的做义工。

两位小画家 Krystal Jiang （ Rock） 和Tiffany Deng （Girl with tape ）的创作，非常震撼。

我还看到更小的孩子们。他们也许不是太理解什么是身份认定，不太理解什么种族歧视。但是，他们知道什么是对与错，知道自己有发声的权利。

在会场的一侧，有一个专门的绘画角。孩子们在志愿者的带领下，用画笔创造了一幅又一幅图画。

我看到会场四处的志愿者们。为了这个集会，大家各尽其职，忙了很多天。集会这一天更是提前很久就来布置会场，结束之后又留下清理场地。

（部分志愿者）

我看到了许多许多乡亲们，有些我认识，有些我不认识。他们有的在本镇已经居住多年，有的是新移民，也有的是从别的镇专门赶来声援。

我还看到各种组织、机构和商家的倾力参与和支持。从事先的宣传，大标语牌的制作，到开场的小号，一直到结束时的舞蹈，协助本次活动的各个协会都不遗余力地提供帮助。

Bergen County Asian American Advisory Committee 所有的主要人员都来到现场支持集会，王朝芳还捐赠了很多标语牌支持本次集会。

教育机构Kids2Kids，给集会提供了桌子和椅子。

除了华裔之外，我看到了来自其他亚裔的面孔，他们有印度裔，有韩裔，有日裔，有东南亚裔。

我看到了白人，黑人，拉美裔人。

我看到了年轻人，中年人，老人和孩子。

这些都是希望。

我从来没有觉得如此自豪过。

我也从来没有觉得这个镇如此团结过。

我看到了华人的力量，我更看到了一个团结的，包容的社区的力量。

当几年前那个人给Susan镇长打电话，让她把华人踢出国庆游行队伍的时候，镇长的回答是：他们不光会是国庆游行的一部分，他们也是我们生活的一部分。

来参加集会的每一个人，都接受到了相同的信息：每一个人都不是外来者，都属于这里。 瑞吉坞一直是个好镇，今后，它会变得更好。因为除了学区之外，除了收入之外，除了美食美景之外，它还有这样的居民，他们能够站在彼此的身边，互相支持，共同发展。

不管他们的肤色有多么不同，不管他们的背景有多大差别。

他们，是一样的，平等的人。

（文中图片由刘桑田、罗新、Ann等提供）

鸣谢：

Ridgewood Ambassadors for Global Citizenship
Ridgewood Indian Association,
MLK committee of Ridgewood & Glen Rock
Ridgewood Korean Home School Association

Nagoya Enterprise Corp.
Henry M. Cabri DDS LLC
Goody Star Restaurant INC
Sunny Wok （Boaz 1 LLC）
Mei Hawaii Express Inc

Chong S Chen & Xiu Yi Zhang

附：以下为几位发言人的文字稿。

1、KFC (Kevin Chen)

It is time to speak up!

Good Afternoon,

Thank you to each and every one of you for being here with us today.

Before coming today, I have been thinking about what message I want to deliver during such an important event. Like many of you, I feel concerned about racism and discrimination to minority groups like us. I absolutely share sorrow and anger when hearing about the outrageous attacks against the most vulnerable in our community, the elderly. I found myself speechless learning that a female friend is carrying pepper spray in her pocket for commuting to NYC.

But these are not the only reasons why I am here today. Apart from fear or anger and remembrance of those lost and lives changed by racism, what I believe we truly need is encouragement, the encouragement to speak up.

We are all quite different on the outside, whether it is skin color, language, culture or family traditions. Whether we were born in America or immigrants, we are not separate from each other. We all share dreams, love and humanity. We want the best for this country, our community, our families, ourselves. Embracing our differences is the foundation of the American dream. The beauty of our country is reflected in our cultures, languages and values working and living side by side in harmony. We have ALL gone a long way to pursue the American dream. Now, it is time to defend the American Dream. Now, it is time to promote the American Dream.

The fact that we are all here is a good sign, this gathering is a signal that sheds light for the AAPI community locally. And it is ok to start from bits and pieces.

We are ALL learning. We are all starting from a difference place. BUT!! We are all here TOGETHER. Our kids should never feel embarrassed for bringing dumplings to school for lunch. Our Asian colleagues could be better supported when taking unfair blames at work. And our brothers or sisters should not be the subject of bigoted jokes, feeling ostracized or otherwise targeted for their races.

I am a member of Ridgewood Chinese American Association, one of the several groups that organized today’s event. But I am not just here to represent my Chinese American community. I am not just here to represent Asian Americans. I am here because I am representing one of the 300 million people in this country. I am here because I want to stand in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters of color.

Join us in this movement to Speak up and let us all be heard!

2、Jianying Ding

Ridgewood Rally Closing
I am honored to close this rally on behalf a team of volunteers. A shout out to the members of Ridgewood Chinese American Association, Ridgewood Ambassadors for Global Citizenship, Ridgewood Indian Association, MLK committee of RW/GR and Ridgewood Korean Home School Association. Together, we spent countless hours planning this rally, donate time and money to make this à reality. We brought together groups with different ethnic background in and outside of Asian American community. Amongst us there are Asian immigrants, Asian Americans that were born and raised here, and other racial equality groups. Ridgewood, you are the reason we love America!

Sincere thank you to all the speakers and guests here today, the wonderful Ridgewood Village Hall, and generous donors for the much needed solidarity, for your calls for urgent actions against Asian hate and racism. We can’t do this without your support.

Most importantly, I want to say to my Asian brothers and sisters, that this is our watershed moment, this is the time for us to act forcefully and relentlessly. There is a famous quote: there are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen. First Asian immigrants came 250 years ago, 250 years later, many of us have succeeded, but we still suffer from racism, aggression, xenophobia, and hate, every single day! Don’t let the pain and suffering of our predecessors and fellow Americans go in vain! There is no more time to wait, not even weeks for us to waste, minding our own business is simply no longer acceptable.

Our beautiful children, make us proud, not by stellar grades, music awards, good paying jobs, instead, by embracing and owning your piece of history in America, by claiming your seat at the table!

Parents, don’t hold them back, encourage them, support them. Demand change, BE the change, show them how it is done!

This will be a long and exhausting fight, but with us United, we will win.

3、Christina Huang

Good Morning, I want to thank everyone for coming out today. My name is Christina Huang and I would like to share my experiences of racism as a first generation Chinese American.

Two years before I moved to Ridgewood I grew up in a small town where my family and distant relatives made up most of the Asian population. One time on a bus ride home, I remember I had my face pressed hard against the
school bus searching for my grandmother. As we got closer to my bus stop I saw her practicing zaocao -morning exercise routine- to keep warm in the chilly winter temperatures while she waited forme. I was so excited to greet her and return home to a warm meal. However, the joy was stomped out of me as the entire bus detonated into laughter and everyone pointed at my grandmother dancing. And I will never forget having to walk off the bus past my classmates as they stretched their eyes at me and mocked my grandmother’s movements.

I felt so alone and humiliated. It felt like there was something wrong with me and I didn’t know what it
was but I desperately wanted to amputate it off my body and have nothing to do with it.

I was only seven years old.

I am now seventeen ,and I am privileged to have moved to a more diverse and accepting district. However, racism is not completely absent here. Many Ridgewood Amplify, an instagram account, exposes the blatant racism and the microaggressions at the high school. Recently, my mother while walking our dog, Lilo was verbally harassed by a man who called her a chink.. These comments or jokes
are seeds of hate that breeds bias attitudes and cultivates an environment that allows hate crimes to happen. We should not have to prove that we belong here. It is our human and constitutional rights to live free from discrimination and with “equal protection under the law”.

From Asian WW2 vets who fought under the 42nd regiment to Olympians like Chloe Kim it is without a
doubt that Asians play a major role in America's success. We have contributed greatly in culture, prosperity, and innovations. So why are we still treated like an invasive parasitic species coming tospread disease and steal resources?

We should also not feel like we have to abandon our culture to fit into American society. In fact, by keeping our culture and traditions alive we are showing resistance and resilience. I am proud to say that every year RHS students, Mrs Kirtane and many Ridgewood parents do this as they put together a performance that celebrates Asian cultures. As students and as a community because of our cultural differences we have grouped ourselves based on our ethnicity. However, during Asian Festival my
classmates break these barriers to create something greater than themselves and every year I am blown
away by the product of their hard work and teamwork.

The takeaways from our students in Asian Festival can be applied on a larger scale. Regardless of what part of Asia you are from: Japan, Korea, China, Pakistan, Cambodia, Philippine, Vietnam or India. We all share the same immigrant story just with different places and names. We have been alienated and targeted based on our background, so we should unify against injustices. I challenge everyone to take steps outside their boundaries to engage with other cultures, challenge stereotypes and tear down the divisions that separate us. Like a large family, we should recognize and celebrate differences among our members while also bonding over our commonalities because only then can we harmonious future where our children are not treated like a plague to society and our elders do not have to live in fear of being attacked.

Thank you.

4、Anthony Li

Lately, there have been many instances of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans all over the news. Just looking at the news, or on the TV, or on Twitter, we’re reminded of how much anti-Asian American hate is still a part of society today. And though we’ve come a long way from the days of Chinese exclusion and Japanese internment camps, Asians still face hatred and
discrimination in many aspects of society.

We’ve seen an increase in both verbal and physical attacks on Asian people, especially during this pandemic. I was talking to an Asian restaurant owner the other day. Back in February, even before the pandemic hit the United States, she had a frequent customer talk to her about this “Chinese virus.” I’m sure many of you share this experience, of being called out for a “Chinese virus,” as if we are somehow responsible for it. As lockdowns continued, and as businesses shut down, the hatred only grew. This restaurant owner once had a customer say to her “I'm losing my f-ing mind,” just for telling them that it would take 45 minutes to prepare a dish. People have said to her, “Go the f back to your
country,” even though she was as American as any of us. Many other restaurants have received similar treatment as well; a restaurant in Wyckoff was once spray painted with the words “Go back to your country.”

These words have power, and these words have effects. Restaurant owners, desperate on takeout for their lifelines, now fear picking up the phone, for fear
that they will receive hate which they can do nothing about. Many Asians in the community now fear for their safety as they walk down the streets of New York.

And these words have, far too often, boiled over into violence. The Atlanta shootings, the violent assaults in New York – in New York this year alone, there have been 33 cases of anti-Asian hate, and that’s only counting what’s been reported.

But discrimination is often invisible as well, and as the Asian American community, we see many examples of this in our lives. In schools, Asians are whitewashed as the “smart” kids, the ones who care about math and nothing else. I speak personally when I say this has often affected me, this artificial standard constraining my identity. This myth of Asians as a “model minority”
creates pressure for Asians to conform to these expectations, even though at the upper levels of society, we still face a “glass ceiling.” We still face discrimination, even in places where it doesn’t seem like it. This discrimination, whether visible or invisible, violent or verbal, has to stop.

And we must band together as a community, because only then can we find our strength. For far too long we have remained silent when we are spit on, harassed, or mistreated because of our race. We must raise our voices and speak out, because we are one Asian community, and because we are as American as anyone else.

In our community we find hope. Our ancestors helped build up this country centuries ago. And though they faced tough challenges, their efforts have not gone unnoticed. And this community still persists today, even now during the pandemic. We help each other out, whether it’s through providing each other with things like hand sanitizer and masks, or for being there when we witness instances of discrimination.

As the young generation, we are an important aspect of this fight. We represent the future, and we must do what we can to support our parents and grandparents, while paving the way for future Asian generations. We must get

involved.

We are one Asian community, and though the fight against discrimination is far from over, we must band together, young or old, as Asians, as Americans. Now is
not the time to let differences in race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity divide us. Now is the time to celebrate our differences, and united, as Americans.