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Araiza, Fatima <br />From: Carolina Vilchis < <br />Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2023 3:56 PM <br />To: eComment <br />Subject: Re: Solidarity with Palestine <br />To the Santa Ana City Council, <br />I am writing this letter in support of the resolution you will be voting on today in Solidarity with the Palestinian <br />People for a Ceasefire. <br />I was born and raised in Santa Ana and graduated from Saddleback HS. I then graduated from Stanford <br />University and majored in Xicana Studies. I also have a Masters in Public Health from UCL As a professional <br />who lives and works in the community I am urging the Santa Ana city council to vote for the resolution that <br />shows Solidarity with the people of Palestine and demands an end to genocide and apartheid. <br />Having majored in Xicana Studies at Stanford University helped me become more aware (although I was <br />already aware due to how my parents raised me) of the importance of showing solidarity as Xicanas and people <br />of color with the Palestinian people, especially because the U.S. is complicit due to its support of Israel, <br />including financial support and supplying them with weapons of mass destruction. At Stanford I was involved <br />in MEChA's leadership and since I was a representative for the Students of Color Coalition, I remember when <br />my friend Omar Shakir who now works for Human Rights Watch, approached me to see if MEChA would co <br />host an event with Students for Justice in Palestine to bring awareness to Palestine and how our struggles are <br />interconnected since we too are dealing with a physical wall the represents US imperialism, and the real and <br />violent effects that these physical walls have on our people. This was around 2007, but sadly violence continues <br />to escalate and U.S. involvement persists. <br />Human rights continue to be abused in Palestine and as privileged people living in the First World, we have the <br />obligation to speak out and vote for leadership at the local, state and federal level who are against genocide and <br />aparteid. I really hope that the city council can be on the right side of hxstory when you all have the power to <br />speak out against injustice and vote in support of the Resolution in Solidarity with the Palestinian People for a <br />Ceasefire. <br />Best, <br />Carolina Vilchis <br />