Palestine Writes Outraged by the Smithsonian's Cancellation of the Asian American Literature Festival (AALF)

PALESTINE WRITES LITERATURE FESTIVAL EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH  THE ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE  FESTIVAL (AALF) COLLECTIVE AND DEMANDS THE SMITHSONIAN REVERSE THEIR CANCELLATION OF THE FESTIVAL, WHICH WAS SET TO TAKE PLACE NEXT MONTH

PHILADELPHIA (July 20, 2023): The Palestine Writes Literary Festival and its leadership express absolute solidarity with the organizers, speakers, attendees, and everyone affiliated with the  2023 Asian American Literature Festival, which was set to be held at the Smithsonian in Washington DC in August. We are outraged by the abrupt cancellation of the festival by the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center, the attempt to blame and discredit the AALF organizing committee itself, and the potential that homophobic and anti-trans sentiments are behind the cancellation. Furthermore, we are troubled by the incredible harm done to the writers and artists who were scheduled to present, to the bookstores and vendors prepared to attend, and to the entire community of Asian American creatives. 

Organizing an extensive literary program is an immense undertaking, requiring thousands of hours of labor, and the Smithsonian’s sudden decision to abandon its commitments is unacceptable and insulting.

Canceling a major cultural event a few weeks before it was scheduled to be held shows deep disrespect of and disregard for the views, needs, and perspectives of the Asian American community, especially in a historic moment when anti-Asian hate is on the rise and when our nation needs the voices of Asian Americans more than ever. 

We join the AALF Collective in demanding that this decision be reversed and this vital and necessary Festival be reinstated. 

We encourage you to follow @aalfcollective on Instagram to learn how you can be an ally to AALF.