May 1, 2017
Blog Response: Aoki (Film) and "Deporting Cambodian Refugees: Youth Activism, State Reform, and Imperial Statecraft"
Richard Aoki was an
Asian American civil rights activist and a member of the Black Panther
Party. When Aoki was young, he and his
family were sent to a Japanese internment camp. This is where he attributes his
interest in civil rights and politics. Aoki was known to be radical and blunt,
something that Asians aren't typically known for. He spent much of his time
fighting for civil rights, often protesting and being jailed. Although Aoki is
rather radical, I think that he is a good example for Asian Americans to stand
up for what they believe in and not be silent. He didn't fear the consequences
because he was so passionate about his work.
Sooh Ah Kwon
connects with Aoki in that they're both about civil rights activism. Kwon
highlights the AYPAL's youth's struggles of activism against IIRIRA, which
deported refugees even long after serving their prison sentences or those who
committed non-serious crimes. The AYPAL youth campaigned to their congressional
representative to propose a repeal to the IIRIRA but were met with encouraging
words and no action. Because of their inability to vote, the representative
didn't feel obligated to actually help them come up with a plan. I was
impressed with how much effort the AYPAL youth were putting into their
campaign, setting up press conferences, block parties, and going door-to-door
to gain support. I think out of all age groups, I think teenagers/young adults
get the most unfair treatment. They're expected to be mature but are treated
like kids, leaving them no voice to make adequate contributions to society.
AYPAL's struggles to help refugees shows how hypocritical the system is and how
much certain groups are favored over the other. It's saddening because many
people believe that the youth are the future, but stereotypes and laws prevent
the youth from their full potential.
No comments:
Post a Comment