Housing and Homelessness are issues of great concern across the country. In the Silicon Valley, our housing crisis reaches across a vast swath of socioeconomic levels and robs many of the American Dream. Even if you work hard, acquire an education and gain employment, home ownership, or simply having a roof over one’s head, may not be within reach. Of the most profound tragedies in this crisis are veterans.
It’s time for a rewrite of the American Dream: a dream inclusive and attainable for every person living in this great country we claim an exceptionalist attitude toward. A dream inclusive and attainable for those who fought for us so that we can remain tied to this dream.
A dream which honors the sacrifices made by our veterans and their families - a sacrifice some of us may never know the depths of.
We must determine the perimeters of a new dream. It must address the defects in our laws and culture that allow prejudice, fear mongering, and hatred to abound; elements that segregate us and relegate vulnerable people to poor living conditions, toxic environments and poorly funded schools. It must address the needs of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
The dream of America is worth defending.
Who we choose to represent us will determine the perimeters of our dream.
In Congressman Honda’s words:
During World War II, about 12 percent of the total U.S. population were a part of the armed forces. During the war, my father taught Japanese to US military officers; he was to allowed to move to Chicago to help the war effort while the rest of my family and I remained incarcerated in an internment camp. Not all the men we taught Japanese to came home.
New generations of service members continue to risk their lives for a country they believe in every day because it is made up of people, institutions and values worth defending.
Please join me in saying thank you to our servicemembers, veterans and their families and in making a solemnpromise to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
As the Lead Democratic Member on the powerful Appropriations Committee that allocates spending, Congressman Honda used his position to address a need for homeless veterans in Silicon Valley.
I was honored to host Secretary Julián Castro of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, for a discussion on homelessness in Silicon Valley. We held the discussion at Onizuka Crossing--once the land of an Air Force base--and now the site for affordable housing units that will house homeless veterans and families. As the senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I'm proud that I have secured over $2.4 million for housing projects in our community. Thank you to all the MidPen Housing staff for their work in preparing this facility for a robust conversation on how we can combat homelessness in Silicon Valley.
Congressman Honda is running to keep his seat in California’s 17th district. His voice has long been a voice for human rights. To ensure his voice remains a cogent force among shapers of freedom and dreams, vote for him on June 7th, and again on November 8th.
Contact Andrew Munson, Field Director Mike Honda for Congress
andrew@mikehonda.com
Office: 408.641.1717
Give $17 to help Honda win #CA17
Congressman Honda is endorsed by 90 for 90,a voter mobilization advocacy group that was started to honor a living civil rights legend Dr. William Reid Sr, who served as a surgeon in Korea. On Memorial Day, donate to Congressman Honda and to any of 90 for 90 endorsed candidates.
