Op-Ed from Viet Bao (Repost): Together, We Can Fight for Our Freedoms (A Message from Kamala Harris to Vietnamese Americans)

Reposted from Viet Bao (https://vietbao.com/p301436a320505/cung-nhau-tranh-dau-cho-quyen-tu-do)

In America, freedom has always been our guiding light. For Vietnamese refugees who came to the United States decades ago, this pursuit was not just an ideal but a lifeline. In the face of tragedy, many of you, your parents, and your grandparents traversed oceans and jungles, traveling by boat and on foot to escape oppression and build new lives here.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, we reflect on the extraordinary journey of the Vietnamese American diaspora, now more than two million strong. Your resilience shines through the thriving communities you have built. Your story is America’s story: a powerful reminder that freedom—tự do—is something we must all cherish and protect. 

My mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer. She taught me to never complain about injustice, but do something about it. So at a young age, I decided I wanted to do the work of fighting for people, and that has been the story of my entire career. As a courtroom prosecutor, I stood up for women and children against predators. As Attorney General of California, I took on the big banks and delivered $20 billion for families who faced foreclosure. As Vice President, I have stood up for workers and seniors. Now, I am running for president—because I believe Americans want and deserve a leader who will fight for all the American people. 

This election is about two very different visions for our nation: one focused on the future, the other on the past. I represent a new, optimistic generation of leadership and will chart a New Way Forward—one that ensures you can not just get by, but get ahead.

I grew up in a middle class household, and I know firsthand the struggles working families face. I remember my mother working around the clock to make things work, packing lunches before me and my sister Maya woke up, and paying bills after we went to bed. As president, I will build an Opportunity Economy where every American has the opportunity to own a home, to build wealth, to start a business. 

I will cut taxes for 100 million Americans, lower costs on necessities like food and groceries, and address the housing shortage by building three million new homes and taking on those corporate landlords who are unfairly buying up properties and increasing rental prices. My mother saved for well over a decade to buy our first home. I was a teenager when that day finally came, and I can remember how excited she was. I want all Americans to get their foot in the door, achieve their dreams of homeownership, and feel that excitement like my mother was able to.

My plan will lower the costs of starting a small business, including by increasing the tax deduction for entrepreneurs from $5,000 to $50,000. Small business owners are civic leaders as much as they are business leaders. They mentor, hire locally, and are part of the cultural fabric of our communities and deserve to be lifted up in every way.

I also have a plan to lower health care costs, especially for people as they age, so they can grow old with dignity. I will defend the Affordable Care Act, which many Vietnamese Americans rely on, and strengthen Medicare to cover in-home care for seniors, easing the strain on families providing intergenerational care. I took care of my mother when she was sick with cancer, and I understand the strain that eldercare can put on families.

I will confront crime and anti-Asian violence. While Donald Trump incited hate and failed to protect us during the pandemic, I have fought for the right to live without fear. As Vice President, I delivered $15 billion to local law enforcement and public safety initiatives, and enacted legislation to combat hate crimes. Vietnamese refugees know the importance of these issues. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Vietnamese fishermen on the Texas Gulf Coast faced violent opposition from the Ku Klux Klan, who tried to drive them out through intimidation and terror. Our nation must learn not only from our best moments, but also from our darkest ones to ensure that they are never repeated.

We also need to fix our broken immigration system. I will sign the bipartisan border security bill that Trump sabotaged for political gain, because he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And I reject the false choice between securing our border and creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly, and humane. We can and must do both. 

This election, the stakes could not be higher. Donald Trump and his allies would cut Social Security and Medicare, and strip away health care protections by ending the Affordable Care Act, with no plan to replace it. He will impose what I call a “Trump sales tax,” intending to put an at least 20 percent tax on everyday necessities, which economists have estimated would cost the average person more than $4,000 more a year. His policies would cause a recession by mid-2025 and drive up inflation.

Now, let’s be clear: Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of him ever getting back into the White House are brutally serious. Trump threatens to be a dictator “on day one”—he speaks of terminating the Constitution and using the military against Americans. His own national security officials warn he is unhinged and unstable, and out for unchecked power. Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he would be immune from criminal prosecution. He would wield the powers of the presidency not to improve your life, not to strengthen our nation, but to serve himself.

We cannot let this happen. And I promise to fight for our freedoms and global leadership.

I have traveled to 21 countries and met over 150 world leaders to advance America’s interests. In 2021, I became the first sitting vice president to visit Vietnam and reaffirmed our commitment to its security in the face of the People’s Republic of China’s aggression. At the same time, I raised the issue of human rights and will never shy away from difficult conversations. And while Trump cozied up to tyrants and dictators, I will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals—because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs.

Throughout my life, I have always served one client: the people. The United States is home to the largest number of Vietnamese immigrants in the world, and you deserve a leader who sees you and stands with you. We love our country, and one of the highest forms of patriotism is to vote and fight for our ideals. Together, we can realize the promise of America.