''Americans Should Stand United Against Racism, Hate Crimes'' Says Senator Kamala Harris

Pointing that re has been a rise in racism and crimes against South Asian Americans since vember 2016 election of President Donald Trump, first Indian-origin US Senator Kamala Harris has called on Americans to stand united and speak truth to deal with se issues.

Speaking at a gala organized by Pratham, one of India's largest n-governmental education organizations, in New York, last week, Harris me a strong call to Americans to stay united and fight collectively at a time when re are powerful voices that are "sowing hate and division among us."

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Making a reference to white nationalist rally that turned dely in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, Harris said,

"Let's speak truth if Charlottesville didn't make it clear, if statistics that we are familiar with don't make it clear (that) racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism are real in this country, let's speak that truth so that we can deal with it."

She said re is a need to speak truth that "right w in US, crimes against South Asian Americans since election in vember of 2016 have increased by 45 percent. Let's speak that truth so we can deal with it, California Senator said 

Harris, whose mor is Indian and far Jamaican, said that African Americans are still number one target for hate crimes in US. Rejecting premise that Americans are divided, Harris said she believes vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. w is time more than ever to hold on to that as a fact. 

She said Americans have to, in a collective voice, speak truth that ripping children from arms of ir parents is t about border security and that education is a human right that is a critical path to success. 

"This is our collective fight, all of us as Americans have a stake in this fight and in outcome. We are all in this toger. I believe this is a collective fight when we kw that one in five Indian-Americans has experienced discrimination in workplace, she said.

Harris shared memories of her visits to India during her childhood and profound influence her grandfar h on her, shaping her beliefs about democracy and freedom. Recalling trips to India during Diwali, Harris spoke about festival's underlying mess of bringing light where re is darkness.

"Years from w, when our children and grandchildren ask us where were you at that inflection moment in history, our answer will be what we did to participate, to give back, give forward, to bring lightness where re may be darkness, she said.

Over USD 3.6 million were raised for organizations' various education programs during Pratham Gala, attended by more than 600 prominent business and community leers.

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Pratham CEO Rukmini Banerji described organizations' plans to bring communities across India toger through its Hamara Gaon (our vill) initiative. From California to beaches in Chennai...to hospital in Chandigarh...to work we do...we truly are connected, she said. If you don't have a community which is strong, it will be very difficult to build long-term foundations of both productivity and equity. 

Established in slums of Mumbai in 1995, Pratham has changed lives of more than 58 million underprivileged children in past two deces. To achieve its mission of "every child in school and learning well," Pratham develops practical solutions to dress gaps in education system and works in collaboration with India's governments, communities, educators, and industry to increase learning outcomes and influence education policy.