When our Rights are Under Attack, We Stand Up and Fight Back

A letter written by Kao Ye Thao, HIP Director of Policy & Partnerships, in response to the 2025 presidential inauguration

Kao Ye (center) speaking at a press conference in September 2024

Dear HIP Community,

I’m sitting with many thoughts and emotions as I process the inauguration of President Trump. 

I can’t help but think back to 2016. It was the first time I voted in a presidential election. At the time, I was a first-generation college student.

I was captivated by Senator Bernie Sanders’ platform. Thanks to Bernie, issues that I cared about from having a livable wage and providing Medicare-for-all to getting corporate money out of politics were getting mainstream attention. The campaign lit a fire in me (#feelthebern). I got involved by attending rallies and donating whatever dollar I could muster up each quarter. Of course, I posted my fair share of political memes and videos on social media too. It was energizing to feel like part of a movement to shake up the political establishment and transform government for the people, but my enthusiasm for politics turned to disappointment. The results of the National Convention and the presidential election were gut wrenching. 

Since 2016, many things have changed yet many things have stayed the same. 

We witnessed how President Trump’s rhetoric and MAGA’s far-right extremism fueled rampant hate and violence against Asian, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities. We again have a Trump administration backed by multi-millionaires and billionaires who put profits over people.

Over the next few years, we anticipate that MAGA leaders like Trump will continue to launch attacks on our freedoms – from the right for a woman to make decisions about their body to the right to have equal opportunities and be safe from violence as a queer and trans person. 

The weight of the world feels heavy.

As I write this, our Los Angeles communities continue to battle the destructive Eaton and Palisades Fires. 

Israel’s genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people has persisted more than 15 months. There is news of a temporary ceasefire, but the end of war is uncertain. 

I see those around me struggling.

We’re grieving loved ones who passed too soon. We’re navigating care for aging parents. We’re hustling amid the skyrocketing costs of food and rent. We’re overworked and unsure about the future. 

During the tumultuous years after the 2016 presidential election, HIP became my political home and reignited my fire. While voting in elections will always be important, HIP showed me that there are actions that I can take now that matter too. Alongside HIP organizers, I tabled, walked the streets and knocked on doors. We talked with Hmong and Southeast Asian residents to make sure they were registered to vote and to inform them about issues that affect them. Even though our laws and institutions are set up to benefit the wealthiest few, we aren’t helpless. We can organize the people power to push for policies that can positively change our lives and community.

In the last few years alone, HIP achieved major wins. We passed the Children’s Fund that now generates up to $10 million every year to fund youth programs and services in Sacramento. We passed California Hmong American Day to recognize and honor our people’s hxstory and resilience. We passed a resolution in Sacramento to ensure racial equity is embedded in how our government functions and serves. Most importantly, we accomplished these by collaborating with many community partners and members.

There is more that we can and need to do. If you are ready to take action, HIP is ready for you. 

We need our young people and Hmong community involved. The fight against authoritarian oppression and corporate greed is our fight too. 

Together, let’s bravely stand up to protect our freedoms, families, and our futures and hold our policymakers accountable to do the same.

Let’s dream, create, and organize solutions that build towards a just future for all — a future where all of us can thrive and embrace joy and happiness regardless of our identities or background.

In Solidarity,
Kao Ye Thao, HIP Director of Policy and Partnerships