Dear Friend,

Courage California is mourning the tragic loss of ten people in Monterey
Park.

This weekend should have been a time of celebration of the Lunar New Year,
but instead, our Asian American and Pacific Islander community is once
again dealing with trauma. Our hearts go out to the families of those who
lost their lives or were injured in the Star Ballroom Dance Studio.

The past few years have been particularly difficult for the California
AAPI community. Hate crimes against AAPI individuals increased 339% since
the pandemic began, and our community has experienced several mass
shootings. Lunar New Year is usually when we gather with our loved ones to
ring in the new year with hope and joy, and instead this attack provokes
fear and serves as a harsh reminder to be vigilant.

Details about the shooter are still vague, but one thing is certain: The
murderer should have never had access to a weapon capable of committing
such a massacre.

We are only three weeks into 2023, and Monterey Park is the 36th mass
shooting in the U.S. this year, and the deadliest since Uvalde last May.
As we process yet another tragedy, one that hits so close to home, we must
not pause in our work to stop assault weapons from tearing apart our
families and communities. And I want to assure Courage California members
that we are committed to continuing that work.

All communities deserve to live free from fear, and it will take
courageous leadership to shift our political momentum back toward
commonsense gun laws.

With heart and in solidarity,

–Irene Kao, for the entire Courage team

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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives.

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