Dear Friends of White Snake Projects:
I was going to report on our first Sing Out Strong: Immigrant Voices concert at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center on August 1, 2019. But after this weekend’s mass shootings in El Paso, TX and Dayton, Ohio, I’d like to reflect on the importance of events like Sing Out Strong have on our communities which are besieged by hate-mongering, racism, and fear, particularly as it’s now clear that the El Paso shooter was “retaliating” against a perceived “Mexican invasion.” As an immigrant, I wonder how and why America, my new home, has turned hostile towards a whole category of people who helped build this great country. Somehow, in the past few years, the immigrant is no longer viewed as a contributor to the life and economy of America, but as the “OTHER,” to be feared and reviled as they take jobs from Americans, food from our tables and worse, rape and kill.
The voices of hate are angry, loud, and vociferous. We need to counteract that. Sing Out Strong: Immigrant Voices brings together immigrant composers and writers to make immigrant songs that amplify the essential humanity of immigrants. These songs portray immigrants, not as “invaders,” but as individuals like you and me, who work hard, struggle to make the best life for their children, and embrace their new country.
Please join us on August 8, at 6pm at the Pao Arts Center in Chinatown for the next SOS concert of Immigrant Voices as we use music and art to heal the divisiveness that besets us.
We dedicate Sing Out Strong: Immigrant Voices, to the victims, survivors, and families of El Paso and Dayton.
-Cerise