Kwon & Aoki

Andrew Vo

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“Deportation is part of a regime of neoliberal governance that rewards “personally responsible” and

“self-sufficient” immigrants and refugees and punishes the rest.” The rest in this case would be

considered the bad unwanted immigrants. However Loeun Lun, a cambodian refugee who committed

a crime and served his time was still deported although he got a job, married, and had a family when

he was released. Loeun tried to turn over a new leaf. He became personally responsible and self-

sufficient, but he was still considered a criminal alien. It seems like if you were an immigrant or

refugee and you were caught committing a criminal act, you’re entitled to being a criminal alien and

there is no way out of being deported.On one hand we have the criminal aliens, the bad immigrants.

On the other hand we have those who are considered the good immigrants. I think there is a form of

hegemony or hegemonic idea in being a good immigrant. Because in order to not be deported

immigrants have to consent to the system’s rules that underlines what it means to be a good

immigrant. So now this will lead to there being resistance to the system to get rid of the deportation

of immigrants, but immigrants have to stay in the lines of being a good immigrant or they risk being

deported. Which is one of the reasons why AYPAL has very little power in a system that poorly

represents them.

The short cut of the film in lecture shows an Asian American man who speaks for Asian American.

He has years of experience on him and the way he dresses looks very rebellious and strong. The beret

reminds me of a resistance group. Aoki has gone through many challenge to have the respect and

position he has today.