Hope Against Hate 3 Summary

“Malaking tulong ang Self-Defense 101 Training na ginawa ng Damayan. Nagbigay ito ng dagdag-kaalaman sa mga miyembro, lalung-lalo na ang mga gumagamit ng public transportation dito sa NYC. Nagbigay ito ng tamang paraan kung paano natin maipagtatanggol ang ating mga sarili. Sana'y magkaroon pa tayo ng maraming pagsasanay na ganito (The Damayan Self-Defense Training was a big help to us. It provided additional knowledge to us members, especially those who use public transportation here in NYC. It provided the right way for us to defend ourselves. Hopefully, we will have more trainings like this)”, Damayan member Emelyn said after she attended the Damayan Hope Against Hate: Self-Defense 101 Training held last July at The People’s Forum in Manhattan, NYC.

Our members in their fighting stance

The training was the third of the Hope Against Hate series of trainings that Damayan mounted for its members, with the generous support of the Asian American Federation (AAF). Damayan conducted this series to address the growing racial violence against the Asian community in the US, including Filipinos. 

Empowerment Self Defense Program Manager Rae Switlick and Empowerment Self-Defense Instructor Lorraine LaPrade headed the training; both individuals are part of the Center for Anti-Violence Education. They discussed and modeled comprehensive self-defense strategies that include protective measures for before, during, and after an attack. They also addressed  the proper mindset and physical stance necessary for members to protect themselves, as well as detailed the everyday tools one may already have at their disposal and can easily utilize as defense weapons. The community members quickly learned that they may be women, they may be elderly, they may look different than their neighbors, but they are certainly NOT powerless. Anti-Asian hate may continue to be a threat, but Damayan will continue to equip its members with the knowledge and training to fight for their wellbeing and safety. As a community, we will build the strength to combat hate, racial violence, and systemic racism together. 

#NoToAAPIHate #AntiAsianHate #SystemicRacism #AsianAmericanFederation #CenterForAntiViolenceEducation #Damayan #DamayanMigrants #DamayanMigrantWorkers