State Rep. Kim Tae-seok attended the premiere of the short documentary "I AM NOT AN ACTIVIST." The film explores anti-Asian violence and the desire to empower individuals by creating a grassroots self-defense group, the Dragon Fight Club (DCC).
The filmmakers, including director Dan Chen and executive producer Millicent Cho, followed the DCC group to train community members on self-defense and de-escalation strategies. A recurring theme raised by the film's participants is why so many AsiAn-Americans feel abandoned and frustrated by the political system, especially those who utter cliches in the face of real fear and pain.
After the screening of the film, Kim said he discussed how the wave of anti-Asian violence in New York has affected his role as a policy maker and, most importantly, as a father. He also blamed reliance on large nonprofits and private sector contractors for undermining the government's ability to deliver real solutions to the people. "As a legislature, we need to have a serious discussion about how certain large nonprofits are making our communities unsafe," Kim said. They are replacing government services and giving us more financial and physical anxiety. Until we make progress on this front, my community will continue to look for ways to empower each other - as we have always done."
