A reading of the Letters for Black Lives translated into
Khmer. Written and edited by the Letters For Black Lives Team. Translated by the #Translation-Khmer Team. Read by
Brandy Myers.Video available on:
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/dearasianamericans Facebook:
www.facebook.com/dearasianamericans YouTube:
www.youtube.com/dearasianamericans Transcripts of the letter below and also available at:
https://lettersforblacklives.com/ //
αααΆαα αααΆ ααΌ ααΈα αααααΆ αααααΆα αα·ααααα»ααααα½ααΆαααΆααααΌααααα»αααΆαααΆαααααααα
αααα·ααΆαα
αααΆαα αααΆ ααΌ ααΈα αααααΆ αααααΆα αα·ααααα»ααααα½ααΆαααααααΎααααα ααααΆαα·αααΌαααΆα αα·αααααα·αα αα·ααααα½αααΆαααΆα α« α’αααααααΆααααααΆαααααΆααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααααα ααα»αααααααα»αααΆαα αα½αααααΊααΆααα»ααααα½ααααα»α αααααΆαααΆααααααΆαααα
αααα»αααΈαα·ααααααααα»αα αα½αααααΊααΆαα·αααααα·αα ααΆα’ααααα·αααΆα αα·αααΆαααα»ααααα½ααΆααααααααα»αα αααα»ααααα½αααΆααααα
αααααα½αααΆααααααΆααααΆααα
αα
ααααααΈ α’α₯ αα α§αααΆ ααα αααΌαα·αααααααααααΆαααα
αααα»αααααααΈααΈααΌααΆ (Minnesota) ααΆααααααΆαααα»ααααααααααα
ααααΆααααααα
George Floyd ααααααααααααααααααααααααΆααα’αααααααααα·α α© ααΆααΈ α αΎααα·ααααααααΈααΆααααααα’αααααααααα»ααααααααααα
ααα ααΆααΆαααααααα αΎααα·ααα½α
α‘αΎαα αααΌαα·αααΈαααΆααααααα
ααΈααΆααααΎαα ααα» ααΆααα½ααααααα Floyd α
α»α α αΎααααα»ααααααααααΌαα·αααΈα€ αααααΆααααΆαααα’αΆαα»αΈ ααΆαααααΉαααααααΆααα αΎα αα·ααααααα½ααααα‘αΎααΒ Floyd αα·ααααααΆαααααααααααααααΆαααααααα αααα»αααααΆα α’α α’α ααα αααΌαα·ααααααααα ααΆααααααΆααααααααααααα
αααααα αααα»αα
αααααααααΊ
Dreasjon Reed αα
ααααα₯ααααΆα’αΆααΆ (Indianna) ααααααΆαα
Tony McDade αα
ααααα αααΌααΈααΆ (Florida) ααΆαααΈααα§αααΆααα αα·α
Breonna Taylor αα
αααααα·αααΆααΈ (Kentucky) ααΆαααΈαααα·ααΆαααα α’ααΈαα’ααααααΎαα’αααααααααΆααααΆααααααΆααααααααααααα
ααααΆααααα αααααΒ
Ahmaud ArberyΒ αα
ααααα
αΌα
αΆ(Georgia) ααΆαααΈαααα»ααααααααΒ
ααΎαααΈααααα
ααα αααα»ααααΌαα·αααΆααααααα·αααΆααααΆαααα½αααΆααααααααΆαααα ααΈααΆααααααααΉαααα’αααΎαααΆααααααα
ααΎααααΆαα·ααααααααα
αα αααβααΈβααΆααΆααααααΆα ααΆαααααααααααΆαααΆααααααΆααααααΆααααΆαααΆαααααα α
αΌααα·α
αΆαααΆ ααΎαααΆααΎααΆαα ααα»ααΆαααΌα
αααα
ααα½αααα»ααααΆαααααααααα ααΎααααΆαααααΆααααΈααα’αΌβ α¬α’αααααααΎααΆααΆααααΈαααα
αααααΊααΆααΆαα»αα·ααα½αα²αααααααααααααΆααααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααΆααα‘αΆα ααααααα»ααααα½αααΆαααα ααααΌαααααααα»αααΆαααααΆααααααα
αααΆαα αααΆ ααΌ ααΈα αααααΆ αααααΆα αα·ααααα»ααααα½ααΆαααΆααααΌααααα ααααΆαααα»ααα·αααΆ αα½αβααΎαααααΆααααΆαα·ααΆααα·α
αααα αα½αααΎαααΆααα·αααααΆαααααΆαααα
αα ααααα’αΆαααα·α ααΆααααααα αα·αααααΌαααΆαααΈαα·αα²ααααΆααα»α αααααΈααΆααΆαααΆαααΎαα’αΎαααααΎαα½αααΎαααααα ααΎα ααα»α’αααΈ ααααΆαα·ααααααααα
αα·ααααααααΌα
αα½ααααΈαααα? ααΆααΆααα·αααΆαα αααααααΆαα·ααααααααααΆαα·α’αΆαααα·ααΆααααΆαα
αααΎα ααΆααααααααΉαααΈα’αΆαααα·αααΆααααααααα½αααΆαα½ααα·ααα»αααΆαααα·α
αα½α
ααα»αααααα αααα»αααΆαααΆααααΆαα·ααααα ααΎααααααααΉαα
αααΆααααΆ ααΎαα’αΆα
ααΉαααΆααααααΆαα
αα·ααα
ααααΆα ααΈααααααα½αααΎααα»αααααααααααα ααααα’αΆαααα·α αααα»ααααααααααΎααααΈαααΆαααΈαα·αα²ααααΆαααΆαααααααααΎαα αααααααααααααααΎαααΉαααα’αααα
ααΎαα ααααααααΉαααΆαα ααα»αααααα½αααΎααααα·αα’αΆα
ααΆαααΈαααα
αααα»ααααααααααα‘αΎα ααααα·αααΎ αα·αααΆαααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααααΎααΆαααΆαααΆααα·αααα·α²αααα½αααΎααααα ααΌα
ααα ααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααααΆααααααααα ααααααααααΎααααααα ααΆααααααα αα½αααΎαααααΌααααα½ααα ααΆαααααΆ ααΎααααΈα²ααααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααΆαα’αΆααααααααΆαα½αααααΆααα»ααααα·ααΆα αα·αααΆαααΆαααααΆαααααα
αααα»ααα αααααααααα½αααΎααΒ
αααα»αααΌαα²αααααΆαα αααΆ ααΌ ααΈα αααααΆ αααααΆα αα·ααααα»ααααα½ααΆααααααΈαααααααααααααα»αα αααα»ααααααΆαααΌαααΏααααΆαααΆααααααααααααΈαααα‘αΆαα ααΈααααααααα»αα
ααα²ααααααααααΆααααΌα αα½αααΆαααααα»αααααα ααααΎα²ααααΆαααα’ααΆααααααΆααααααΆααα»αα
αααααΆααααΆαα·ααΆαααααΎαααΆαα
αααΎα ααααααααΎαααααΎααααΎαααΆαααααΌαααΆααΆααα ααα»ααααααααααΆααααΆαα·αααΎααααα½αααΎαααΆααα»ααααα½αα²ααααααΆα
α¬ααΆααα§αααα·ααααααααα ααααΆαααααΆααΆαα½αααααα½αααΎαααΆαα’αΆααααααααΆ αααααααα½αααΎαααΆαααΎαα
ααααΈαααα ααΎαααΉαα’αΆα
ααααΆαα±ααΆααααααααααα½ααα»ααααα»ααααα½ααΆααα·αα‘αΎαα ααΎαααααΆαααΆααααααααΆα
ααΆααΎαα’αΆα
ααΉαααΆαααααααΈαα·ααα ααααα·αααΎαααΌαα·αααΆααααΎααα
ααΆαααααΌαα Β
ααα»αααααααααΆααααααΈαααα·αααααααα·αααααααα»ααααααΆααααααααααα
αα·α ααΊαα·αααΌα
αα½αααΎαααααααΒ
αααα»ααααααααα·ααΆααααααααα ααααα’αΆαααα·α ααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααΆαα
αααΎαααααΌαααΆααααααααΌαααΆααΆααα αα·αααααΌαααΆααααααααΌαααααΈααααααααΆααααααα αααααΆααααααΆαα·αααααααΎααα·α ααααΉααααααααα α£ααααΆα α¨αα αα·α α’α αααα ααα»αααααααααααααααα»ααα ααΆαααααΎα²ααααααααααααααΆααααΌααααααααα½α αα·ααααααΆαααααΆααααααΎαα ααΎαα
αααΆααααααααΆα’ααααΆα
αααΎαααααΆα ααΎααααΈαααΆα αα·αααααααΌαααΌαα’αααΈααααααααααααααΎαααΆαααΆαααααα α’ααααααααααΆααααααααααααα αΎα ααααα αααα αααα½ααΆα αα·ααα»ααααααααααααα
ααΆα
αααΎα ααααΌαααΆααααααααααααΆααααααααΌα
ααΆααααα» α¬αααα·ααααααΆααααααΆααααΆααα
ααααα αααααΆααααααα½α
ααΈαααααΆαααααααα αααααΆαα·ααΆαα’αΆαααα·α αα·αααΆαα’αα»ααααΆα α²αααα½αααΆαααααΆαααΈαα·α αααΆααα»ααααα½αααααα αααααααααΆααααα·αααααΉααα·αααα·ααααΆααααααααα αα·αααα·ααα½αααΆαα’αααα ααααααΆαααα·αααα·ααΆααααΆααααααααααααα·ααα»ααααα½ααααααα αα·ααααΆαααΆααααα ααααΌαααΆαα’αα»αααααα
ααΎαα½αααΆαα ααααααααααΈαααΌαα·α αα·αααααααΆααΆα αααα’αΆα
ααΆαααΆααααααααα
ααΆαααααΆαααΆααα αα·αααΆαααααΎα
αααΆα ααααααααααααααααααα»αααααΆαα·ααααααα αααα»αααααααααααα
ααααααααα·ααα
αααααααΆαααααΆαααα ααααΆα αΉααααΆ αα αΌααααααΆαα
αα
α»αααααααααα ααΆαααααααα»ααααααααα·αααΆαα αα·αααααααα·αααα·αααααααα»αααααααααα
αα·αααΆααααΆααααα
αααα
α‘αΎααα ααααΆααααααΆαααααααα·αααα·ααΆαα
αα
α»αααααααααααααΌαααΆαααααΆααααααΌααααααααααΆααααααΒ
αααα»αααααΆαα·ααααααααα
αα·αααααΉαααααΆαααααΆααααααΉαααΆααα·αααΆαα ααααααΆααααΆαααααΌ ααααααα»αα
ααααααΆααα§ααααααααααααα αα½αααΆααααααΌαααΆαααΆαααααΆααααααααΆααΆα αα·ααααααΆααααααααΌαα·α αααααααα½αααΆααααααα»ααα ααΎααααΈααΆαααΆααα·αααα·αααααΎαααα½αααΆααα αΌαααααααααααααααααα αααααΈααΆααΎααααα»αααααααα
αααα»αααααααααααΆαααΆαα’αα»αα·ααααααααααααΎα²ααααΎαααΎαα’αΎαααααΆαα
αα·ααα
αα αααα»ααααααααααααααααα
ααΆααα½ααααααα ααΆααααα
ααααΌαααΆααααααααΆαααα½αααΎααααααΆααααΆαααααααα αα½αααΆααααΆααααα
ααααΌαααΆαα’αα»αα·αααααααααα
αααΆααα’ααααααααααααααααααΆα α‘α©α’α€ αααα’αα»αααα
αααΆααα’ααααααααααααααααααΆα α‘α©α¦α₯ αααααΆα
αααΆαα α’αα»ααααΆαααααααααα½αααΌα
ααΆααααΆαα·αααααααΎαααΆααΎα ααΆααααα»ααααα½ααΆααααα ααααα’αΆαααα·αα
αααααΈααΆααΆαααΆαααΈαα
ααααΎααααα ααααααααααααα’αα»αα·αααααααααα
αααααααα
αα»αα ααααααΆααααααααααΆααααααααΆαααααααα αααααααΈαααΌαα·ααα
ααααααΎααΆααααααΆααααααΆαα·ααααααααα
α αΎαααΆααα½α
αααα½α αα·ααα·αααΆαααΆαααααα’αααΈα‘αΎαα
αααα»ααααααΆαααΆαα αααΆ ααΌ ααΈα αααααΆ αααααΆα αα·ααααα»ααααα½ααΆαααΆααααΌα αααα½αααΆαααα αα·ααααααααΆα
αα
ααααααααΎαααΆααα½α
α αΎαααααααΆαα’ααΆα αααααα αα·α α αΆααααα·αααΆααΎαα ααα»αααααααα»αααΌαα²αααααααΆααα’ααα
αΌααα½ααα·α
αΆαααΆ ααΆααΎααΆααΉαααΆαααΆαααΊα
αΆααααα»ααααΆ ααααα·αααΎαααααΆααααΌαα
αααααααααΆαα’αααΈααΆαααΆααααααααααααααααα·αα ααΆαααΆαααΆαααααααΈαα·αααααααα»αααααΆααΈαααα‘αΆαααααααααα’αααα ααΎααΆαα’αααΈαααααΎααα·ααααααααααααα ααααα·αααΎααΎαα’αΆα
ααΆαα§ααΆα αα½ααα»ααααα»ααααα½ααΆα αααααΆαααΆαααααααΈαα·ααα
αααααααααααα αααΆααααΈαα·αα ααΎααΆαααΊα
αΆαααααααΆαααααααα·αααΆ ααΎαααααα²ααααα»ααααα½αααααΆ ααααΎααΆαα»αααα αααα»ααααααααααααΆααααααΊααΆαααααΆααααβααααααααΌα
αααα α
αΌααα·α
αΆαααΆ ααΆααΎααΆααΆαααΆαα ααααΏααααΆαααΆ αααααΌαα
α
ααααΆααααααα ααααΌααααααααΉαα’αααΎα αΉααααΆαααΌα
ααα αα»ααααα»ααααααααΎαααΆαααααααΆαααα½α
α αΎαααααΒ
αααααΊααΆααΌαα ααα»ααααααα»αααααΎααΆαααΆααααααΌαα
αααΆα ααΈαα·αααααααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααΆαααΆααααααΆααααααΆααααΆααα
αααααααααΆαααΆααααα
αααΆαααααΆααααααΆ αααα»αααααΌααααα·ααΆαα‘αΎα αα
αααααααααα»αααΆαααΎα αααα»ααααα½ααΆα α¬α’ααααα
αααα»ααα αααααααααααα»α αααααααΉαααα·α’αααΎααΆαα½α αααααααΎα²ααααα»αααααΆαα·ααααααααΆαα·ααααααααα
α’ααααα αααα»αααα ααΆαααααΆαααααΆααα ααααααα’αααα’αΆα
ααΆαααΆαααααΆααααα»αααΆααα·ααΆααααΆ ααα»ααααααΎααΎαααααΎαααααΆααααααααααΆαααααα½ααα·α ααααααα»αααααα·αααΆαααα·αααα·ααααΆαα·ααααααααα
αα
αααααααααααΆααααααα½ααα ααΈαα·αααααααααΆαα·ααααααααα
ααΉαααααααΆαααααααΌα
ααααΆααααααΒ
αααα»αααΉαααΉααα»αααΆαα·α
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ααααααααααΆααα’ααααΆαααααΆα αα·αααααΌααααα
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Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, Grandfather, Grandmother, Family:We need to talk.Β
You may not have many Black friends, colleagues, or acquaintances, but I do. Black people are a fundamental part of my life: they are my friends, my neighbors, my family. I am scared for them.
Recently, in Minnesota, a white police officer killed a Black man named
George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for almost 9 minutesβignoring his repeated cries that he was unable to breathe. Two more police officers helped pin Floyd down, while a fourth, Asian officer stood guard and didn't intervene. Floyd is not alone: Already this year, police officers killed
Dreasjon Reed in Indiana and
Tony McDade in Florida in May, and
Breonna Taylor in Kentucky in March. An ex-detective killed
Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February.Β
Overwhelmingly,
the police havenβt faced consequences for murdering Black people, even when thereβs been extensive media coverage. Imagine how many more incidents go unrecorded or unseen.
This is a terrifying reality that the Black people I care about live with every day.
You might be thinking: We are also a minority. Weβve managed to come to America with nothing and built good lives for ourselves despite discrimination, so why canβt they?
I want to share with you how I see things. I am telling you this out of love, because I want all of us, including myself, to do better.
For the most part, when we walk down the street, people do not view us as a threat. We do not leave our homes, wondering whether or not we will return that day. We don't fear that we may die if we're pulled over by the police.
This is not the case for our Black friends.
The vast majority of Black Americans are descendants of people who were sold into slavery and brought here against their will. For centuries, their communities, families, and bodies were abused as property for profit. Even after slavery, the government has not allowed them to build their livesβit has legally denied them the right to vote, get an education, or own homes and businesses. These inequalities are enforced by police and prisonsβwhich can be directly traced back to
white slave patrols and plantations. Black people are under a constant threat of violence that continues today. Their oppression has not ended; it has only changed form.Β
Black people have not only persisted but also persevered against all odds. Theyβve been beaten by police, jailed, and killed while fighting for many of the rights that we all enjoy today. Even in an unfair system that
pits us against each other, Black organizers helped to
end unfair immigration laws and racial segregation for us all.
Though there has been progress, this unfair system is still winning. Throughout these hundreds of years, our government is still killing Black people and getting away with it.
I understand that youβre worried and scared about the looting and property destruction that you are seeing. But imagine how hurt you would be to see other people express more care for replaceable material objects than for the lives of your loved ones. How hurt you must be to protest like this in the middle of a pandemic. Imagine the exhaustion of fighting against the same state violence that your ancestors fought against.
This is why I support the Black Lives Matter movement. Β
Part of that support means speaking up when I see people in my communityβeven my own familyβsay or do things that diminish the humanity of Black people. Our silence has a cost and we need to talk about it.Β
I am eternally grateful for the struggles you have endured in a country that has not always been kind to you. We have been blamed for bringing poverty, disease, terrorism, and crime. Youβve suffered through a prejudiced America so that I could have a better life.
But these struggles also make it clearer than ever that we are all in this together, and we cannot feel safe until our Black friends, loved ones, and neighbors are safe. The world that we seek is a place where we can all live without fear. This is the future that I wantβand I hope you want it, too.Β
With love and hope,
Your children