Please visit the NEW Asian Prisoner Support Committee website

The new site is http://www.asianprisonersupport.com

apscinfo.wordpress.com is the ARCHIVE

Other: Voices of Asian Prisoners (Critical Resistance Conference)

9/27/08
Video coverage of our panel workshop at the Critical Resistance Conference in Oakland, CA
(in 8 parts)

“Other: Voices of Asian Prisoners”
Saturday, Sept. 27th, 2008
Critical Resistance Conference in Oakland, California

Panel workshop featuring Rico Riemedio, German Yambao, and Eddy Zheng. They discuss changes that have occurred in the Asian prison population over the past 20 years, concerns and struggles particular to Asian prisoners, and how Asian prisoners build community and resistance inside the Prison Industrial Complex.

Part 1:

2011 Year-End Update!

Asian Prisoner Support Committee (APSC) 2011 Year-End Update!

2011 has been a busy, productive, and exciting year for APSC. Thank you for all of our members, supporters, and friends for helping us make some important strides this past year!

We were blessed to welcome home Viet Mike Ngo after serving over 20 years behind bars. APSC was originally formed in order to support Mike Ngo, Eddy Zheng, and Rico Riemedio, who were sent to solitary confinement for advocating for Ethnic Studies at the San Quentin college program. Ten years after they were all sent to the hole, we are very fortunate to have all three of these brothers with us in the community today. Big salute to Mike, Eddy, and Rico for overcoming so many challenges and giving back to the community after their release from prison. APSC has also been very fortunate to work with Harrison Seuga, who came home from San Quentin in 2009.

At San Quentin, APSC has continued to work with a group of amazing men to develop the first ever curriculum focused on the cultural needs of incarcerated Asian and Pacific Islander men. The pilot program will also provide opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges across racial lines. Eddy, Kasi, and Ben are now “brown card” holders through the TRUST program, which provides us with more access at San Quentin. We look to hold the first classes in Spring 2012. Thanks to the ReDistribution Fund, APSC received a small grant that will help support this innovative program. APSC also participated in the 8th annual health fair at San Quentin in August, with several Doctors from Asian Health Services providing health education.

APSC was able to participate in the 2nd annual Solano health fair this December, where our dear friend and ally, Dr. Sue Chan, provided health education on hepatitis to hundreds of prisoners. We look forward to participating in more health programs at Solano prison as well as support the work of the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander cultural group.

The amazing Terry Park represented APSC in the Mr. Hyphen contest to bring home a $1,000 prize towards APSC projects! His Tiger Mom air guitar performance stole the show to win the Asian American male handsomeness/talent contest. Thank you Terry!

We have continued to provide presentations about the impact of the prison industrial complex on the Asian American community at colleges, including a great partnership with Roger Chung and his classes at Laney College, and Harvey Dong and Siri Brown of UC Berkeley. APSC attended the Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples Movement Conference in Los Angeles, where Eddy Zheng and Alex Sanchez spoke about the impact of the prison industrial complex and deportation on immigrant communities.

APSC continues to sell and distribute the “Other: An Asian and Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology” and “Letters from the Pen” ‘zines to the public and educational institutions to raise awareness and generate funds. The anthology is available at Eastwind Books of Berkeley and online here: http://www.asiabookcenter.com/book/9780981692609

APSC is also home to a new documentary film project by Ben Wang called BREATHIN’: THE EDDY ZHENG STORY. By highlighting Eddy’s struggle for redemption after two decades in prison, the film will raise awareness about the growing issues of incarceration and deportation for many Asian communities. We have filmed over 50 hours of footage! For more info, go to www.eddyzhengstory.com

APSC is part of an exciting new initiative of Chinese for Affirmative Action called Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), along with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA), API Equality, Hyphen Magazine, and the Network on Religion and Justice. This alliance will enable APSC to expand our efforts to raise awareness about the prison industrial complex and raise funds through CAA’s fiscal sponsorship. If you are able, please consider making a tax deductible donation to APSC in order to help us achieve our goals for 2012! You can make an online donation here: https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?Action=GC&CID=987

On behalf of APSC, we wish all of you a happy holiday season and best wishes in the new year. Please free to contact us at our PO Box. We look forward to working with you more in the new year! Some of our goals for 2012:
– Pilot the first ever curriculum at San Quentin focused on the needs of Asian and Pacific Islander prisoners, focusing on culture/history, health issues, and reentry/immigration needs.
– Raise awareness about the impact of the prison industrial complex through speaking presentations and sharing prisoners’ writings and artwork.
– Build alliances with women API prisoners at Valley State Prison and Chowchilla!

Sincerely,
Asian Prisoner Support Committee
PO Box 1031, Oakland, CA 94604 / apscinfo@gmail.com

ART: Hope is Not Lost | Khoi Huynh

Hope is Not Lost | Khoi Huynh

STAT: Asian Deportation

Between 1998 and 2006, there was a 61.6% rise in total deportations of people of Asian nationalities

(DHS)

Letter from Harrison Seuga

This is for You:

This is to anyone that wants to hear it, but especially for those that need to hear it, to save their own life or at the least to save themelves, their family, and some innocent stranger from a lifetime of pain and suffering. I am speaking to you, who are unique and strong. You who are full of potential and wise. Yes… You, who are just one mistake, one decision away from being in Juvenile Hall or San Quentin. One mistake away from throwing away all the good and love you have to share with your family and loved ones.

This is to anyone that wants to hear it. My name doesn’t even matter. I am the guys in your neighborhood, the brother-father male figure that just disappeared one day, the name everyone still talks about on the streets but no longer exists- that’s me. That’s possibly you.

At seventeen I was charged as an adult and sentenced to State Prison for Murder. For my homeboys, for my set, for being down, my reward has been the last 21 years spent in prisons up and down the state. At 18 I was sent to Pelican Bay Prison, I got my G.E.D. while I was there. I can’t help thinking how I could have graduated from high school and went to my prom, instead of a cell and the craziness of having to deal with 1000 other killas.

ART: Follow Your Dreams | Khoi Huynh

Follow Your Dreams | Khoi Huynh

STAT: Prison Spending in CA

Prisons are now more than 10% of California’s budget, the fastest growing State expense. The prison budget has increased 205% since 1985, 52% during the last 5 years alone.

Letter from Leng Vang

To the youngsters who may care about themselves:

Hi my Name is Leng Vang. I am Hmong and I’m 30 years of age and the fourth oldest in the family. I have three older sisters, three younger brothers and then there’s the baby sister. I also have half brothers and one half sister. My dad had two wives.

My Dad was born and raised in North Vietnam and my mom was born in Laos. During the Vietnam war my family ran from the war to Thailand and was settled in a refuge camp. That’s where I was born. After two years we were sponsored and settled in Montana and lived there for only about two years. We then moved again, coming here to California leaving my Dad’s first wife and my half siblings.

ART: Keys and Heart | Khoi Huynh

Keys and Heart | Khoi Huynh

Letter from Na Joe Her

To the Young People of the Bay and Beyond,

My name is Na Joe Her. I am 34 and I have been in prison since I was nineteen years old. My family and I are Hmong who came from the mountain regions of Laos after the Vietnam War. We first settled in Lowton, Oklahoma in 1979 when I was four years old. My family then moved to San Diego a couple years later because the Oklahoma weather was too cold for my parents.