June 20, 2018
/From Kavi Vu:
1993 - my family is reunited from years of separation after my sisters, 4 and 6 years old, fled from island to island to seek refuge after the Vietnam War. (I’m in the back in my mom’s arms wondering who this stranger is hugging my dad.)
If you've never had your family ripped away from you, maybe you will never understand the pain that refugees must endure to seek basic human rights.
Governor Nathan Deal, it’s not different from you missing your daughter Katie Deal when she goes on her national country music tour for the summer. Except that tour has an end date and you know you will see her again.
Brian Kemp It's no different from your Father's day post "No title or job will ever matter more to me than "Dad" ... except that you only care about protecting your own title as a dad.
Casey Cagle It's not much different from you and Nita celebrating your dog Bailey on national puppy day because she's part of the family. But you treat your dog with more respect and compassion than you treat refugee families.. because of the place someone is born?
I call out your families because they have names and lives just like the kids being ripped from their parents today. The difference between your love for your family and refugees' love for their families is not different except that you have the privilege to tell them you love them to their faces.
#KeepFamiliesTogether #WorldRefugeeDay
June 18, 2018
/From our president, Tung Nguyen:
Some people are bemoaning how polarized this country is. But whose fault is it? Is it with people, both Democrats and independents, who think that it's immoral to separate kids from their parents and to do nothing about mass murders in schools? Or is it with people who continue to support a party that do all of those things while boosting a lying dictator wannabe?
The good news is that if Obama's ratings were predictive of the 2010 mid-term results, Trump's ratings will mean a defeat of his agenda in the 2018 mid-term. Please do all that you can--give money, get out the vote, keep up the pressure. Nothing short of winning back at least one chamber of Congress can stop this house of horrors.
May 2, 2018
/From author Thi Bui:
News keeps coming faster than I can draw it.
Here is the beginning of a comic I am working on for The Nib, out later this month. In the meantime, the man who is in it is real and his deportation is imminent...UNLESS he can get a pardon from Gov. Brown. Please take five minutes to call or write a letter!
URGENT: PJ BringPJHome just heard that the Ninth Circuit denied his appeal, so he is immediately deportable. Our information says that the Cambodian government officials will be doing interviews for travel documents in about 1-2 weeks in Pennsylvania, so the timeline is extremely urgent now.
PLEASE CALL:
Dan Torres - Director of Immigrant Integration in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.
(916) 324 -2472
Kristina Lindquist - Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary
(916) 445 - 0873
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.'s Office
(916) 445 - 2841
READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPT:
My name is ____, and I represent ____ (an organization, community group, or just the city or county where you live). (If you know PJ personally, describe how you know him). I am calling in strong support of Borey "PJ" Ai's pardon application. The Ninth Circuit denied PJ's appeal, so he is immediately deportable. We need your support NOW more than ever.
Borey "PJ" Ai has been incarcerated in ICE immigration jails for over one year, after already serving 20+ years in state prison. He was only 14 years old when he was sentenced to life in prison. He has never been to Cambodia, and would face extreme hardship due to not understanding the language, culture, and customs. PJ has transformed his life while in prison, becoming a counselor, youth mentor, and facilitator of self-help groups. He was instrumental in KidCAT, a group at San Quentin that helped pass SB260 and 261. He has widespread community support -- as demonstrated by support letters for pardon from the API Legislative Caucus, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, Chinese for Affirmative Action, The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization, Asian Prisoner Support Committee, and more.
(Share why PJ's case is personal or meaningful to you).
Thank you for your consideration of PJ's pardon. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.
TO SEND A SUPPORT LETTER PLEASE CLICK LINK BELOW
https://docs.google.com/…/1QdfT72LxL1WyT3uV6sdTss786j-…/edit
Mail to: Governor Edmond G. Brown Jr.
c/o Kristina Lindquist
Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
May 1, 2018
/From our president, Tung Nguyen:
After the emotions of 4/30, I crashed last night. Woke up this morning, and the question that popped up in my head was, if it wasn't for all that suffering for everyone, I wouldn't be here, the person I am, with family and friends that I love. Most of the young Vietnamese Americans I know would not even exist if it weren't for the end of the War throwing their parents together.
All those time travel stories? How come they are never about successful refugees traveling back in time with a chance to save everyone but then losing everything they now have in the process? If I could have killed Hitler, I would, but would I, if in the process my children don't exist?
I don't know whether that is survivor guilt, glass half full, or genuine puzzlement at how to understand life.