(Note: you may join Wordstrike's Facebook page here.)
NEW YORK, July 29, 2010 — Today The Asian American Writers’ Workshop announced Wordstrike, an initiative to unite writers to boycott the state of Arizona until anti-immigrant legislation SB 1070 is repealed. More than 100 writers have signed the Wordstrike letter, including Jhumpa Lahiri, Junot Díaz, Ha Jin, Jessica Hagedorn, Luis Rodriguez, Noam Chomsky, Maxine Hong Kingston, Adrienne Rich, Salman Rushdie, and Sandra Cisneros. The letter can be found at wordstrike.net.
Arizona statute SB 1070 requires law enforcement officers to detain anyone they think is an illegal immigrant, which will no doubt lead to widespread unreasonable detention and racial profiling. Though a federal judge has put a hold on some parts of the law, this hold is only temporary; in fact, lawyers for the State of Arizona are convinced SB1070 will be found constitutional. As the Wordstrike letter states: “We believe Arizona represents the epicenter in a major civil rights battle of our time. . . And we call upon all writers—no matter their citizenship, no matter their ethnicity—to join us in repudiating this virulent, repugnant law.”
As Andrew Hsiao, a member of the AAWW Board of Directors, states: “As writers from immigrant communities, we are saddened, frightened and angered by Arizona’s new laws. All of us at The Asian American Writers’ Workshop felt we had to join the national movement against this flowering of hatred, and we’re immensely gratified by the response by the literary community.”
Wordstrike signatory and Tony Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang states: “Arizona’s SB 1070 literally legislates prejudice; its provisions can only encourage law enforcement to pre-judge individuals based on their ethnic appearance. As writers and artists, we will do all we can to prevent this insidious and unfair law from taking effect.”
Ken Chen, Executive Director of AAWW, states: “As writers, we must work to ensure that no one’s voice is silenced because of the way he speaks or the color of his skin.”
Junot Díaz, David Henry Hwang, and Jessica Hagedorn are available for limited press inquiries. For information please contact Ken Chen at (212) 494-0061.
About The Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Founded in 1991, The Asian American Writers’ Workshop (aaww.org) is the most prominent organization in the country dedicated to exceptional literature by writers of Asian descent. A community of sophisticated readers and writers, the Workshop serves as an advocate and support service for Asian American writers and an intellectual and cultural center for Asian American ideas. We believe Asian American Asian American literature is for everyone and a vital chapter of the story of what it means for all of us to be American.
More information here.
