This May, we celebrate ... and resist

ASIAN American Pacific Islander Heritage Month will have a more serious tenor this year.

May is traditionally a month we take time to learn and celebrate our history and heritage, try out some of the old family recipies, young people learn the traditional dances and songs, but this year there is a sense of urgency that had been missing from previous observances of AAPI Heritage Month.

A website has been created to help Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to express their opposition to the direction the country is moving. it was created by #AAPIsResist. 

#AAPIsResist is a coalition of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) national, local, and student organizations committed to strengthening our organizing and advocacy in resistance to the administration’s hateful, discriminatory, and harmful actions and its broader effects on our communities.

"During this year’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) in May, we are celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) resistance, both past and present, in order to strengthen our commitment to achieving broader racial, environmental, economic, and social justice," states the website with suggestions and "how-to" advice on how to take your resistance to the next level.

From the incarceration of Japanese/Americans to the deportations of Southeast Asians to the uptick of hate violence against Muslim and perceived-to-be Muslim communities, we center APAHM as an important political moment to reflect on our communities’ ongoing resistance.

Much of the rise in hate incidents parallels the rise in white nationalism emboldened by the new administration in Washington which wants to turn back the clock on the progress made since the Franklin Roosvelt presidency. That includes discarding environmental protections, equal rights for communities of color, women and the LGBTQ issues and, some say, attacks to come on social security and Medicare.

"We are calling on AAPI organizations and individuals to take part in the #AAPIsResist Month of Action throughout APAHM to show that we are not afraid to stand up and speak out and that AAPIs are #NotYourModelMinority." 

Indivisible: A practical guide for resisting the Trump agenda

Courtesy of NAPAWF

The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum participate in the Women's March on New York City. They
have a series of forums planned in the coming months.

SINCE DONALD TRUMP'S inauguration as the 45th President of the U.S. last Jan. 20, The People have risen in a dramatic display of democracy in action demanding they be heard, insisting that their  Congressional representatives listen to their concerns about policies seeking to undo generations of progress for all Americans.

It is inspiring!

You have packed town halls, demonstrated in the streets, protested at airports in spontaneous displays of patriotism. You have held meetings in your homes, organized forums and staged boycotts.

From the white bandanas worn by models during New York's Fashion Week to the government employees who have started their own social media sites to the judges defending the Constitution in the courts, you have done whatever you could to show your displeasure of the current administration.

From the days immediately after the election when we thought all was lost, the future looked dismal and hope had disappeared with the previous administration, we have regained our sense of hope and we see bright lights on the horizon.

"We will look back on this Trump ban as a shameful chapter of US history," said Bill Ong Hing, a University of San Francisco law professor who has worked to defend American civil liberties.

Hing explained that several organisations - San Francisco's Asian Law Caucus, as well as New York's Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund - are among the legal minds participating in the nationwide fight against the order.

RELATED: The Resistance will be televised & live-streamed

As someone who has worked for a politician, one of things that we emphasized in our office was to battle complacency and apathy. There were times when I doubted the future of democracy with so few people voting, attending town halls and taking part in what we dubbed, The Process.

I can tell you that there are not many more powerful influences than having a constituent, or a group of constituents, meet with their elected representative to voice their concerns and issues. Although we preferred thoughtful give-and-take, there were times when it became unruly but we got the message, nevertheless.

A group of staff members of politicians got together to share what they learned on the job so that you can be more effective in communicating with your elected official. They've been joined by scores of volunteers to work on this guide on their own time. They seek to emulate the tea part for progressives

The video below gives you the highlights in an understandable format. For more details, click here. It's good stuff and I can tell you from experience: It works!

In order for our voices to be heard and perhaps change a few votes in the House and Senate, maybe even change a mind or two in the White House, we have to be persistent, beyond the first three weeks of Trump, beyond the first 100 days, but we have to plan and strategize for the long term.

In the short term, we have to act whenever one of the President's executive orders or the GOP dominated Senate makes up new rules to silent the opposition. But in the long-term, we have to think of ways of improving the Affordable Care Act, keeping Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security - all of which are being targeted by the Trump administration and Republicans, and all of which will take time to completely undo. 

Deporting millions of immigrants who have lived in the U.S. most of their lives, issuing travel bans aimed at refugees and Muslims, denying climate change and other issues such as eliminating the EPA and Education, returning to a fossil fuel dependence top a long list of other issues that are in the Trumpeters' long-range plans

Remember, as the demonstrations in the last few weeks have shown: There are more people who voted against Trump than voted for him. You are not alone.


Democracy is not a sport for bystanders. You need to get off the sidelines and into the game, participate and be knowledgeable in order for our government to work for you.

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Human trafficking ring busted in southern California; 28 victims

The suspects who allegedly operated a sex-trafficking operation, are, from top left, clockwise: Jiuyin Cu, Hsin Chieh “Jerry” Wang, Runan Xia, Yiwen Wang and Defung Hu

A HUMAN TRAFFICKING ring that forced at least 25 Chinese women into prostitution in motels across Southern California, where they earned millions of dollars for their alleged captors, was busted this month and five people were arrested, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday. 

After a six-month investigation, the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies took the five suspects, all described as Chinese nationals, into custody Aug. 4 for their alleged involvement in a human trafficking sex operation taking place in Ventura County and eight other counties.

"Commercial sex is nothing short of modern-day slavery," said Undersheriff Gary Pentis at a news conference in Thousand Oaks. He added that such operations are pervasive. "This is a hideous crime that has an impact on all of us."

The five suspects who were arrested in connection with operating and controlling the operation were identified by the authorities as 40-year-old Hsin Chieh "Jerry" Wang of Covina, 33-year-old Defung Hu of San Gabriel, 42-year-old Yiwen Wang of Covina, 63-year-old Jiuyin Cui of Rosemead, and, 32-year-old Runan Xia of Alambra.

In February of 2016, members of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office conducted prostitution stings at local motels in Ventura County. The stings were aimed at targeting advertisements for sex found on the social website Backpage.com.  Following the stings, detectives identified a potential victim of human trafficking and uncovered evidence revealing a larger group was operating across the region.  

RELATED: Faces of human trafficking may look familiar

A task force was formed from local, state, and federal agencies to gather additional evidence. The investigation revealed a sophisticated human trafficking network responsible for trafficking women for the purpose of commercial sex.  The network was run much like a corporation and investigators identified five members of the organization.    

Wang was identified as the head of the human trafficking ring.  Wang oversaw the organization and worked with a Defeng Hu.  Hu coordinated the transportation and lodging of the victims at various motels in nine California counties.  Hu was identified as the network's dispatcher and took calls from hundreds of men each month who were answering sexually explicit ads found on Backpage.com.  Hu negotiated sex with the men and directed them to motel rooms occupied by the victims. 

 

The "sex for money" transactions ranged from $100 to $160 dollars and proceeds from the crimes were laundered through as many as 50 bank accounts at nine financial institutions. Investigators obtained substantial evidence showing that Jerry Wang and Defeng Hu were responsible for running the overall network and benefiting from the proceeds. Investigators also determined that Jerry Wang's sister, Yiwen Wang, laundered the illicit proceeds from the commercial sex by investing in real estate.  

Franchise Tax Board investigators determined that Hu and Yiwen Wang both failed to report the illicit income earned from the human trafficking ring on their state income taxes.  

Jiuyin Cui and Runan Xia were responsible for transporting women between the different motels in the nine California counties and for maintaining the motel rooms. They also provided the bare necessities for the victims, which included food, water and toiletries.

Detectives identified approximately 28 victims in central and southern California. All of the victims were identified as Chinese women in their 30s and 40s, who were in the country for a short time on what appeared to be legitimate visas for tourists or students.  

After arriving in the country, some of the victims relinquished their passports to members of the human trafficking organization.  Most of the victims spoke little or no English and they were placed in motels and areas that were often unfamiliar to them. 

Once placed in a motel, they rarely came out of their rooms for any reason.  The victims were expected to engage in commercial sex acts from early in the morning until late at night, every day, as directed by Hu.  During the investigation, some victims were found to have also been victims of physical abuse and robbery by commercial sex customers.  Hu compelled the women to continue providing commercial sex acts despite their repeated objections and requests to stop working. 

The victims continuously incurred debt as they were forced to pay the drivers, Cui and Xia, for transportation between motels, motel room costs, food, and in some cases, the advertisements on the Internet placed by Wang and Hu.

Investigators executed search warrants and arrested the five subjects on Aug. 4. Bail for each suspect was set at $5-million by the Ventura County Superior Court. 

At the same time as the arrests, investigators from the FBI, local law enforcement agencies and victim services advocates from local agencies contacted eight victims who were actively operating out of motels throughout central and southern California.  The victims were offered services, including food, shelter, transportation, clothing and medical services.  

In addition to the arrests, investigators seized approximately $350,000 in cash at the various locations, froze bank accounts containing approximately $730,000, a car valued at $30,000 and froze three residential properties valued at approximately $1.8 million.  These assets were frozen because investigators believed they were profits from the criminal organization and as a result of money laundering.       

For more information on human trafficking, go to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center website.

Dear Asian Americans ... Black Lives Matter

Rafu Shimpo photo

Asian/Americans show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

AHHH - YOUTH! (That exclamation is not intended to be dismissive but instead, an expression of admiration.)

The power of the internet was on display in full force yesterday as hundreds of people contributed to a powerful letter from a younger generation of Asian/Americans to the generation of their first generation immigrant parents.

The open letter was started on the morning of July 7th, 2016. Its original intent was to be a multilingual resource for Asian/American children who wanted to talk to their immigrant parents about anti-Blackness and police violence. 

"We wanted to write a letter—not a think-piece or an explainer or a history lesson—because changing hearts and minds in our community requires time and trust, and is best shaped with dialogue," the writers said on their website. "We also want to do our part to normalize support for Black Lives Matter."

RELATED: Asian Americans need to reach out to help heal the nation's racial divisions

Though the conversation has expanded due to the interests of so many people, their goal is publish this letter and as many translations as possible so that people can share it with their parents by early next week.

I know, there are many "older" Asian/Americans who might want to call the letter writers "Unrealistic Idealists." I remember being called that once. Maybe you were called that too. Remember those college days protesting against the Vietnam War and the draft; or, you went on strike for ethnic studies; maybe you were there blockading the cops from entering San Francisco's International Hotel; or you were marching in support of the farm workers in California; or you demanded justice for Vincent Chin.

Young people in Asia also demonstrated against colonialism, dictatorships, unfair elections, for women's rights, for human rights, to free political prisoners, for a more open society. 

Maybe you were there, too: At EDSA to force Ferdinand Marcos to flee the Philippines, at Tianaman Square, witnessed the Partition in south Asia, at Tokyo's Diet in 1968, took part in Myanmar's 1988 uprising, or in Hong Kong when it was returned to China. Every Asian country had its protests, usually sparked by its young people. Some ended in victory, many failed.

But you know what? Every little bit helps. Changes in attitudes are not going to happen overnight. Starting this conversation is another chip on that big ol' mountain of ignorance and intolerance that has haunted this country from its very beginning.

The model minority myth is what non-Asians would prefer us to aspire to and it is a useful stereotype in order to separate us from other minority groups. However, protests  and demonstrations are as much a part of our heritage as working hard and attaining good grades.

Read their letter:
Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, Grandfather, Grandmother:

We need to talk.

You may not have grown up around people who are Black, but I have. Black people are a fundamental part of my life: they are my friends, my classmates and teammates, my roommates, my family. Today, I'm scared for them.

This year, the American police have already killed more than 500 people. Of those, 25% have been Black, even though Black people make up only 13% of the population. Earlier this week in Louisiana, two White police officers killed a Black man named Alton Sterling while he sold CDs on the street. The very next day in Minnesota, a police officer shot and killed a Black man named Philando Castile in his car during a routine traffic stop while his girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter looked on. Overwhelmingly, the police do not face any consequences for ending these lives.

This is a terrifying reality that some of my closest friends live with every day.

Even as we hear about the dangers Black Americans face, our instinct is sometimes to point at all the ways we are different from them. To shield ourselves from their reality instead of empathizing. When a policeman shoots a Black person, you might think it's the victim's fault because you see so many images of them in the media as thugs and criminals. After all, you might say, we managed to come to America with nothing and build good lives for ourselves despite discrimination, so why can't they?

I want to share with you how I see things.

It's true that we face discrimination for being Asian in this country. Sometimes people are rude to us about our accents, or withhold promotions because they don't think of us as "leadership material." Some of us are told we're terrorists. But for the most part, nobody thinks "dangerous criminal" when we are walking down the street. The police do not gun down our children and parents for simply existing.

This is not the case for our Black friends. Many Black people were brought to America as slaves against their will. For centuries, their communities, families and bodies were ripped apart for profit. Even after slavery, they had to build back their lives by themselves, with no institutional support — not allowed to vote or own homes, and constantly under threat of violence that continues to this day.

In fighting for their own rights, Black activists have led the movement for opportunities not just for themselves, but for us as well. Many of our friends and relatives are only able to be in this country because Black activists fought to open up immigration for Asians in the 1960s. Black people have been beaten, jailed, even killed fighting for many of the rights that Asian Americans enjoy today. We owe them so much in return. We are all fighting against the same unfair system that prefers we compete against each other.

When someone is walking home and gets shot by a sworn protector of the peace — even if that officer's last name is Liang — that is an assault on all of us, and on all of our hopes for equality and fairness under the law.

For all of these reasons, I support the Black Lives Matter movement. Part of that support means speaking up when I see people in my community — or even my own family — say or do things that diminish the humanity of Black Americans in this country. I am telling you this out of love, because I don't want this issue to divide us. I'm asking that you try to empathize with the anger and grief of the fathers, mothers and children who have lost their loved ones to police violence. To empathize with my anger and grief, and support me if I choose to be vocal, to protest. To share this letter with your friends, and encourage them to be empathetic, too.

As your child, I am proud and eternally grateful that you made the long, hard journey to this country, that you've lived decades in a place that has not always been kind to you. You've never wished your struggles upon me. Instead, you've suffered through a prejudiced America, to bring me closer to the American Dream.

But I hope you can consider this: the American Dream cannot exist for only your children. We are all in this together, and we cannot feel safe until ALL our friends, loved ones and neighbors are safe. The American Dream that we seek is a place where all Americans can live without fear of police violence. This is the future that I want — and one that I hope you want, too.

With love and hope,

Your daughters, sons, nieces, nephews and grandchildren

Not your model minority: Asian Americans have a history of protests and demonstrations.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.