Description

ince 1972, the Asian Law Caucus has fought for civil rights for Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. Of particular concern are Southeast Asian communities–refugees and the descendants of refugees from the conflicts of the 1960s and ‘70s in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. These Asian-Americans are much more likely to be poor and incarcerated than other Americans and Asian-Americans overall. And because so many fled Southeast Asia with their parents as infants or children, they may not be US citizens and thus are subject to deportation after incarceration—though they grew up here and know little or nothing of the homelands of their parents.    The Asian Law Caucus has taken on the cases of many of these individuals and has advocated for changes in the law which would make deportation less likely. But the ALC team also recognize the importance of storytelling. US laws affecting immigrants reflect attitudes about immigrants that won’t change as a result of litigation or legislation. Stories though—the stories of real people affected by such laws—may help to shift attitudes. And so ALC launched the Yuri Kochiyama Fellowship in 2016, which supports formerly incarcerated Asian-Americans and provides them a platform for telling their stories.   There have been four fellows to date, including Ny Nourn and Danny Thongsy, both of whom have received gubernatorial pardons following their release. ALC seeks funding to continue the fellowship for three more years. Luce funds would pay the Fellows’ stipends; ALC is seeking other funds to engage artists, documentarians and others to help share the Fellows’ stories in publicly-accessible and engaging formats. For their part, the Fellows will advocate for the rights of the formerly incarcerated, speak publicly about their experiences, and grow their own leadership capacities. Former Fellows Nourn and Thongsy have already stepped into leadership roles–Nourn as Co-director of the Asian Prisoner Support Committee and Thongsy as Campaign Coordinator of the Justice Reinvestment Coalition of Alameda County.   The fellowship helps to grow new civic leaders and to support the social and political reintegration of those who have served time in prison. How democracies handle punishment and rehabilitation—especially for those whose socioeconomic circumstances increase the likelihood of incarceration—helps to determine the level of trust communities invest in that democracy and its institutions. With the highest incarceration rate in the world—0.8% of all Americans are currently in prison or jail—the US must recognize the challenge to public trust posed by its carceral policies.   This project is also in keeping with the Asia Program’s new emphasis on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders; Asia Program Associate Yuting Li took part in the conversations with ALC and sees opportunities for collaboration with other Asia Program partners.