"We Will
Not Forget":
Reflections of the Domestic Violence Candlelight Vigil
by
Joann
Natalia Aquino
" ... Let our voices be heard out loud, let us speak the truth to empower and unbound others."
At the annual Asian and Pacific Islander Women &
Family Safety Center Vigil at the
King County Courthouse Lawn in Seattle, Washington.
King County Courthouse Lawn, Seattle, Washington, March 23, 2001-
The Seattle sun reflected and illuminated at this Pioneer Square area, as an intimate crowd gathered in peace, to hope, and to remember the women and children who lost their lives as a result of domestic violence.
The 2001 Candlelight Vigil's atmosphere overflowed with inspiring music by Jacque Larrainzar, spoken word by Chera Amlag of Isangmahal Arts Kollective, messages of peace and healing brought by Reverend Angela Ying and representatives from the Buddhist Temple, and words of encouragement and domestic violence awareness from Norma Timbang, the Executive Director of the Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center (APIWFSC). A candle-lighting ceremony was held to signify hope and in memory of the lives lost. Twenty-seven chrysanthemums were also offered to honor the lives of the twenty-seven Asian and Pacific Islanders who were killed by acts of domestic violence. The women, men, and children in the crowd presented the white and yellow flowers; the color white symbolizes death in most Asian cultures and yellow represents hope.
Six years ago, in March 1995, Phoebe Dizon, Veronica Laureta, Susana Remerata Blackwell, and her unborn child, Baby Kristine, were killed inside the King County Courthouse in Seattle, Washington, by Susana's estranged husband. This case broke the silence around domestic violence in the Filipino and other Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. According to the statistics based on newspaper accounts and data from the Fatality Review Project at the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, there were twenty-seven Asians and Pacific Islanders killed in domestic violence and related incidents since 1991 in King and Pierce Counties. Of these twenty-seven victims, nineteen were women and eight were children, parents, or their friends. These victims included Filipinas, Chinese, Cambodians, Indians, and Laotians. It is quite likely that these figures are low estimates, since these were only the cases covered by the media and the numbers do not include the cases unreported.
Each year, the Asian & Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center (APIWFSC) has sponsored the candlelight vigil to come together as a community, to honor and remember the lives touched by domestic violence. The purpose of the candlelight vigil is to break the silence by having the community groups endorse the vigil and attend the event, to remember the victims and survivors of domestic violence, and to speak out for "safety, peace, and justice for all abused women and children." The APIWFSC acknowledges the other API community organizations, other domestic violence agencies, and individuals that endorse, contribute, and participate in the candlelight vigil annually. They would also like to express their gratitude to those who have supported the organization and the vigil for the past years.
The APIWFSC is a grass-roots organization founded in 1993, with a mission to "prevent violence against women through community organizing and education, and provide safe, appropriate alternatives for women and their children who face domestic violence and sexual assault in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities." The APIWFSC was formed out of organizing within the Filipino Community in 1993, and is sponsored by the Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs in response to several tragic murders of Asian and Pacific Islander women due to domestic violence. The organization also works with other community groups to come together for justice and social change, and join efforts towards community outreach and education. The APIWFSC is a division of a four-agency partnership to create a safety net for Asian and Pacific Islander women and their families affected by domestic violence.
The annual candlelight vigil event demonstrates that the Asian and Pacific Islander community is working together to stop domestic violence. Collectively, as a community, we must break the silence because domestic violence hurts our children and we owe it to them to stop the generational cycle of abuse. "There is no shame in being the victim of abuse, but there is shame for our community if we do not help stop the abuse. It will take the whole community coming together to stop domestic violence," states APIWFSC. Domestic violence is a critical issue for all communities, not just Asians, Pacific Islanders or immigrants. According to FBI statistics, domestic violence is a problem that crosses all racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. "Immigrant women need help getting services and support because of the language and cultural barriers. While nobody supports violence, in many cultures, it is shameful to talk about family problems or to seek help from outsiders. This can make it very difficult to get help. We need to show that it is not the victims' fault, we need to hold the perpetrator accountable for their actions and keep the victims safe," adds APIWFSC.
The candlelight vigil event reminds us as a community that we can come together to end domestic violence. If you or someone you know is involved in an abusive relationship and is affected by domestic violence, please break the silence, and please contact the Asian and Pacific Islander Safety Center at (206) 467-9976, PO Box 14047, Seattle, Washington, 98114, or e-mail the APIWFSC at apiwfsc@apialliance.org.
Let our voices be heard out loud, let us speak the truth to empower and unbound others.
In remembrance of the women and children who lost their lives on account of domestic violence, may you rest in peace. We will not forget.
"When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope." H. Nouwen
(Republished with permission from the author and Asian American Journal: International Examiner, article originally published at Asian American Journal: International Examiner on April 2001.)
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About the author:: Ms. Joann Natalia Aquino is a freelance professional writer/ journalist, and a Legislative Liaison working on public policy development and legislative affairs for the Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs for the State of Washington. In her spare time, she is also an Editor for a few publications (print and online), and is currently writing her first book "The Re-awakening of the Babaylan: Her Story," along with other shelved writing projects, she vows to finish sometime in her lifetime. At the moment, she juggles her time traveling between Seattle and New York, the places she both calls her "home."
To reach the author, please e-mail: joannnatalia@newfilipina.com or editor@newfilipina.com .
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©Copyright 2001. Joann Natalia Garcia Aquino. All rights reserved.
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