Issues We Work On
Countering White Nationalism
White nationalism in the US context is the ideology that white people should hold power in a nation that only consists of their race. This ideology says increased rights of people of color, religious minorities, LGBTQ people, and non-white immigrants cause economic and cultural damage, and particularly blame Jewish people for conspiring from within powerful institutions to bring the downfall of white people. To understand more, we recommend this Explainer from Facing History & Ourselves. PJALS organizes with everyday people to counter white nationalism.
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Imperialism/Anti-War
Imperialism in the US context is the drive for American control via war and militarism, economic control, and territorial expansion. American Imperialism has been propped up and acted out through “Manifest Destiny” and colonialism, Christian justification and dominance, the enslavement of Black people, the genocide of Indigenous people, and the climate-disaster extraction economy. PJALS recognizes and works to illuminate the deep connections between militarism, colonialism, structural and ideological white supremacy, Islamophobia, and antisemitism, locally, nationally, and worldwide. We believe that all human, financial, and community costs of war are unacceptable. For all individuals to thrive, our country must commit to inclusive democracy and reject exploitation and violence in all forms.
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Ending Mass Incarceration
Mass incarceration refers to the result of national and local policy choices which criminalize and imprison people who are experiencing crises such as chemical dependency, mental illness, houselessness, and which disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color. The United States is the leading country in incarceration and prison populations with more than 2 million people held behind bars. Our population makes up less than five percent of the world’s population, but our inmates make up nearly 25 percent of the world’s inmate population. About 60 percent of the population of incarcerated people in America are Black or Hispanic. One in three Black men and one in six Hispanic men will go to prison in our country. For more, please see the Montana Innocence Project and the documentary 13th. PJALS works to end mass incarceration and systemic racism in Spokane County’s criminal carceral system.
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Immigration
Immigration is driven by many factors, including economic exploitation, family reunification, or the desire for better opportunity and greater security. Immigrants can also be refugees, driven from homelands by natural disaster or war – as the button says, “War creates refugees.” In the US context, immigration rules and politics are shaped by white supremacy and manipulated sense of scarcity. PJALS works to end political attacks on immigrants and to support comprehensive immigration reform based on human rights and immigrant justice.
Interested in helping PJALS work on this issue?