Aoki and Deporting Cambodian Refugees

Danielle Marie Herrera
Prof. Maira
ASA 4
2 May 2017

Aoki documented the life and legacy of Richard Aoki, a Japanese-American activist and one of the founders of the Black Panthers. In the film, Aoki discusses his childhood in a concentration camp with his parents and brother, stating that there is a "mythological" common misconception suggesting the Japanese went to the camps quietly and without protest. I think this was really interesting because although he was in the concentration camp as a child, he was still able to thrive as an adult activist. Some of his most notable work was at UC Berkeley as a member of the Asian-American Political Alliance. I thought it was particularly powerful that he said the AAPA was meant to empower all people of color, because it shows that people of color are united against white supremacy and white privilege. No matter the degree of difference between groups, these folks can come together in light of a greater oppressive attitude.

Soo Ah Kwon's "Deporting Cambodian Refugees: Youth Activism, State Reform, and Imperial Statecraft" examines the effects of the IIRIRA on permanent and refugee Cambodian residents, who would face the possibility of deportation even after their prison sentences. I find this striking because it reveals that there exists in the U.S. a desire for removal of people of color regardless of the legality of their stay here. Kwon's article bears resemblance to Shah's as the organization AYPAL is also utilizing youth to propel their own campaign. The teenagers in Laotian Daughters were also assisted by a larger organization, APEN.