reposted from here with permission from the author
By Raj Jayadev
On Oct. 24, the San Jose Mercury News released the video of a San Jose State math major getting beaten and tased by the San Jose Police Department in his home on Sept. 3, 2009. Police were called to the scene after 20-year-old Phuong Ho allegedly wielded a knife during an altercation with his roommate. All the viewer can hear, in between groaning cries of pain and calls for mercy, are the cracking sounds of the batons as they meet 20-year-old Phuong Ho’s head and body, and the torturous zapping of a Taser gun. It is, in a word, disturbing. Read the rest of this entry »
On September 22, 2009, the Berkeley City Council voted 9 to 0 in support of the Berkeley Thai Temple. The vote came as a relief to the Thai community in the Bay Area who had been waiting for over a year to know whether they would be able to continue their tradition of merit-making in Berkeley.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano recently highlighted her department’s efforts to reach out to build “stronger relationships with Arab and Muslim Americans, as well as South Asian communities across the country,” seemingly reflecting an awareness of how the war on terror has stigmatized and cast irrational suspicion on these groups. Despite the best of intentions, however, Napolitano’s self-assurance is premature. DHS’s engagement of vulnerable communities emphasizes form over substance and, historically, has amounted to mere public relations.
Outreach efforts conducted by the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), for instance, have long fallen short of repeated requests from vulnerable communities. Just last month, a coalition of over a dozen civil rights organizations issued a letter (PDF) to Secretary Napolitano reiterating a series of substantive and structural concerns, while proposing concrete solutions to fulfill the new administration’s promise to pay greater respect Read the rest of this entry »
My name is Michael Tsui, and I’m 21 years old. I’m an undocumented student recently transferred to San Jose State University to study Computer Engineering. I want to talk to you about the DREAM Act, but before I do, I want to tell you about my story, about how I came to the United States. Read the rest of this entry »
Below is the story of 21-year old, Stephanie, who is an advocate for the federal and California DREAM Act. She is a member of the immigrant youth group, ASPIRE – Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights Through Education.
My name is Stephanie and I am 21 years old. I was born in Guan Dong, China. Once people get to know me more and know about my personal history, they reply; “Oh! Stephanie, you are so mature!” Every time I hear that, it reminds me of what I have gone through independently for six years. The things I have gone through were full of tears, sadness, loneliness, happiness, obstacles, homesickness, hopes, and dreams. Read the rest of this entry »
This a really cool way to address and promote the issue of immigration reform. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center has released four short video documentaries urging Congress to enact a fair and humane immigration reform that includes measures to support the successful integration of immigrants. Here’s the press release: Read the rest of this entry »
Below is testimony given by Ju Hong, a 19 year old student at Laney College in Oakland, in a recent legislative visit to the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. Ju is the school’s first Asian American student body president. His activism is part of a national Asian American and Pacific Islander Week of Action urging Congress and the President to pass a fair and humane immigration reform bill that upholds the rights of all Americans. Read the rest of this entry »
We are almost eight years out from the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Our country faced immense challenges in the immediate aftermath, and national leaders acted swiftly to respond to crises across the board. History has borne out the hard truth that many of the ongoing controversies both foreign and domestic in which are embroiled are, in fact, of our own making. But, moreover, we now know that a genial, soft-spoken Asian American attorney by the name of John Yoo steered the direction of key national security deliberations in the White House from 2001-2003. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by asianlawcaucus 
On September 22, 2009, the Berkeley City Council voted 9 to 0 in support of the Berkeley Thai Temple. The vote came as a relief to the Thai community in the Bay Area who had been waiting for over a year to know whether they would be able to continue their tradition of merit-making in Berkeley.
Posted by: Christopher Punongbayan
(photo: CNet)
