FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It has come to our attention that the sitting President of the United States, Donald Trump, has directed hateful language toward the entire Somali American community. As President of SEIU6, a proudly diverse labor union whose ranks include hundreds of Somali working families, I reject this dangerous language in the strongest possible terms.
Like Minnesota, Washington State is fortunate to be home to thousands of Somali Americans. They are our coworkers, our union siblings, our friends, our neighbors, our children’s classmates, and more. They are janitors, security officers, nurses, doctors, home care workers, daycare providers, rideshare drivers, engineers, civil servants, and every kind of worker who powers our state.
At SEIU6, their leadership has made our union strong enough to organize new workplaces, win record-breaking contracts, and grow our political voice and power. We are 10 toes down for our Somali sisters and brothers, and our commitment to this community is unwavering.
It is not acceptable for anyone, let alone the President of the United States, to vilify and dismiss an entire group of people. It’s wrong when Trump does this to the Somali community, just as it’s wrong when he does it to immigrants, people of color, Muslims, women, trans people, and more.
In the same week that Trump called Somali immigrants “garbage,” he also called Americans’ struggles with affordability “fake.” Trump and his donors in the Epstein class are so far away from the lived reality of everyday Americans, they think they can feed us racism and lies while our bills go up and up.
It won’t work. Working people are paying attention and our solidarity is growing. Workers are striking. Consumers are boycotting. We the people are protesting by the millions. Trump doesn’t want Americans to use the word diversity, but our DIVERSITY is our strength. Let’s keep going, in solidarity with the Somali community, and the entire working class. Sí se puede!
—Zenia Javalera, President, SEIU6