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Wanted to speak with you about my story
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Wed, Sep 18, 2019 06:56 PM
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Hi {NAME}, My name is Tammy Duckworth. I am a combat Veteran, a mom and a United States Senator serv
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Hi {NAME},
My name is Tammy Duckworth. I am a combat Veteran, a mom and a United States Senator serving the people of Illinois.
I’m also a proud Thai-American woman with a family story that, in many ways, mirrors the story of so many people who’ve contributed to this great country: my mother is Thai-Chinese and my father’s family has served the United States in uniform during every period of conflict since before the Revolution. I grew up in several Southeast Asian nations as my father served in the military and helped deliver humanitarian aid before we eventually made our way to Hawai’i, where we arrived nearly penniless and may not have survived if not for the generosity of strangers who helped us stay afloat. And those first few months were made even harder because my mother, the wife of a U.S. citizen and a mother to two U.S. citizens, did not have a green card and had to wait in Thailand.
We never worked harder than when we were at our poorest, but we survived -- and I made it through high school and college (working two jobs and with the help of student loans, of course) before enrolling in graduate school with the dream of one day becoming a diplomat for our great nation. That didn’t end up happening, because I fell in love with the military -- a pure meritocracy -- instead. My classes in graduate school were filled with people who had served in uniform, and I was impressed by their military values and was to enlist in ROTC, which led to me becoming a commissioned officer (and helicopter pilot) in the Army Reserve.
After 9/11, my Army National Guard unit was deployed to Iraq and I once again saw the military values and training I’d been so impressed with in graduate school -- only this time, they saved my life. In November 2004, the Blackhawk helicopter I was flying was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. In an instant, I lost my legs and partial use of my right arm. I could have died that day, but my buddies wouldn’t give up on me. Even though they thought I was dead, they found a way to land the aircraft and -- despite their own injuries -- defended the site from the enemy long enough to extract all of us to safety. It’s thanks to them that I’m alive today.
Ever since I was recovering from my injuries at Walter Reed, I’ve made it my mission to protect and advocate for my fellow servicemembers and Veterans. Whether as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Congressperson or U.S. Senator, I live every day hoping to repay my buddies’ sacrifices -- because I don’t ever want any of them to regret their decisions that day.
As a woman, a Wounded Warrior, a Thai-American and a mother of young children, I have experienced first-hand many of the ways that our nation’s government is not prepared to accommodate everyone. Opponents have hurled racial insults at me and discounted my service. I got pushback trying to update Senate floor rules so that I could both do my job as a Senator and take care of my infant daughter Maile last year.
Some of the worst barriers to participation in politics for AAPI candidates and other marginalized groups, however, are not so obvious. I know all too well that it can be difficult for women and candidates of color to raise funds and be taken seriously as candidates for public office, which is why I’m so happy to be supporting ASPIRE today.
Right now, ASPIRE is trying to build as big of a team as possible to support progressive people of color running for office. Can I count on you to join the team by making a donation of $5 today? Here’s the link to give: [(/__6KXYx_uUY3vAO6NsH_8YU4_vOI4rbeCOlVMYfJqQE=?refcode=ASP20190918)
Thank you so much for your support,
Tammy
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