Congressman Ro Khanna, with the Foothill-De Anza District, held an event to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on May 12 at De Anza College with kudos, flowers, and certificates of honor.
The event honored AANHPI community advocates Mufaddal Ezzy, Eun Hee Koo, Wesley Mukoyama, Randy Sabado and neurodiversity support organization Pragnya.
Mukoyama, a Chicago-born Japanese American advocate whose wife was born in an internment camp during World War II, has long fought for the rights of Asian Americans in the Bay Area and beyond for over twenty years.
“(Mukoyama) helped establish many senior and family services still in place today, in retirement, he has not slowed down,” Ellen Kamei, Foothill-De Anza public information officer, said.
Mukoyama signaled the need to continue the fight against discrimination of communities of color under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 like how Japanese Americans were persecuted during World War II by the Roosevelt administration.
“Trump used this (Alien Enemies Act) against Venezuelans for deportation, and now he’s bringing South African whites into this country claiming they’re refugees,” Mukoyama said.
Khanna said American education is changing fast, and not in a positive direction.
“We’ve got a real problem with civic education in this country, where people don’t have enough understanding of our freedoms and our rights and need to really understand what’s at stake,” Khanna said.
Khanna also highlighted cuts to Medicaid by the Trump administration.
“The cuts to Medicaid at $715 billion will be devastating (for) millions of people, 8.9 million people over the next five years to lose their health insurance,” Khanna said.
Kamei said she remains optimistic about affairs in Washington.
“I heard a little something in some of the Congressman’s remarks, which sounded like there (were) some glimmers of hope,” Kamei said. “Perhaps some bipartisanship. I’m gonna cross my fingers, and that will be my wish for all of us.”
To cap off the event, Khanna re-emphasized his support for the AANHPI community and the advocates who represent them.
“There’s never been a time … and a moment that we more need to remind people of the history … that have given us so many of the freedoms we enjoy,” Khanna said. “I’m so grateful to be able to represent a district where these values are celebrated or seen as non-negotiable.”
