Francie Chew—International Liberation Reference Person for Chinese-Heritage People

Chinese-Heritage People

As Chinese-heritage people, we seek to free all of humanity from want and oppression and to care for our environment so that our planet can sustain all species, including our own. We want all of humanity to be able to pursue happiness, which Harvey Jackins said had been well defined as “overcoming of obstacles on the way to a goal of one’s own choosing.”

Our culture and people have survived famine, war, oppression, and injustice. Some of us have also been manipulated into oppressing others, including the Indigenous (minority) peoples in China and peoples in other Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Some of us have acted as middle agents, oppressing other People of the Global Majority, in particular African-heritage people.

Despite a long history of oppression reinforced by violence and the threat of violence, many of our people—women and men—have risked and often lost their lives to hold public officials accountable and speak truth to those in power. These individuals are celebrated as examples of integrity and courage. They inspire us to follow their lead in standing firm against all forms of oppression.

We need integrity and courage to achieve our goals of sustaining all life on earth and freeing all humanity from want and oppression. This means discharging feelings of greed left by experiences of famine and insecurity. Discharging these feelings will make us more able to see our interests in a global context. We will be less vulnerable to being manipulated by capitalism and our fears of starving to death. We will value our relationships, which are our true security, instead of coveting material possessions.

We must also discharge the effects of assimilation. Long ago in an attempt to bring order and peace to a society in which violence and chaos were widespread, our people were required to assimilate. Upholding the societal order came at the cost of living in terror, as people who did not behave according to the wishes of those in power lost their lives, and often their relatives were also killed.

Discharging the effects of assimilation will allow us to reclaim all of our heritages, languages, and other identities. It will enable us to show more of ourselves, take unpopular stands, and act with integrity in the face of injustice. We will become less vulnerable to being manipulated into oppressing others in an attempt to preserve our safety and possessions. We will be more able to speak and write our ideas, welcome other people, and work toward a just society for all humanity.

Francie Chew

International Liberation Reference Person for Chinese-Heritage People

Somerville, Massachusetts, USA

(Present Time 188, July 2017)


Last modified: 2019-05-02 14:41:35+00