AAWW presents Undocupoets Petition Reading

Friday, March 27 at The Asian American Writers' Workshop



Did you know that many writing contests require you to be a US citizen? This requirement ends up discriminating against millions of undocumented writers of color a year. If you also think no poet should be excluded just because of where they were born, the Asian American Writers Workshop invites you to their Undocupoets Petition Reading, requesting that writing contests change their guidelines and get out of the business of checking passports. Featuring Wo Chan, Sonia Guiñansaca, Jennifer Tamayo, Javier Zamora and Christopher Soto, it's happening Friday, March 27 at the Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York.

Here are some more details about the reading:

Domestic Violence Survivor Faces Child Abduction Charges, Deportation | #StandWithNanHui

By Jenn Fang. Cross-posted from Reappropriate.



This is a terrible story of the American legal system getting it really wrong.

Nan-Hui Cho is a single mother of 6-year-old daughter Hwi. Cho is currently imprisoned in the Yolo County jail facing trumped up child abduction charges after she made the impossible decision to take her daughter home to South Korea, in hopes of escaping the physical and emotional abuse inflicted upon her by the child's father, Iraq war veteran Jesse Charlton.

For five years, Cho cared for Hwi in South Korea; for that same five years, Charlton sent over a hundred emails to Nan-Hui that ranged from concern to threats of hiring a bounty hunter. Unbeknownst to Cho, Charlton also filed charges against Nan-Hui for child abduction. When Cho -- a Korean national in the process of applying for permanent residency -- applied to travel to Hawaii to check out schools for the American-born Hwi, ICE was notified by the US embassy in Seoul and Cho was arrested and sent to Yolo County to stand trial on the child abduction charges. Meanwhile, Hwi was sent to live with Charlton -- a father she didn't know -- who has since denied Cho a chance to see her daughter.

Cho's first trial last December on the child abduction charges ended in a hung jury. Now, she faces retrial and, if she loses, will likely be deported without ever having a chance to see her daughter again.

The RAISE Scholarship 2015

A scholarship for pan-Asian undocumented people living in the United States



RAISE (Revolutionizing Asian American Immigrant Stories on the East Coast) is currently accepting applications for the RAISE Scholarship, the first scholarship specifically for pan-Asian undocumented people.

There will be five $500 non-renewable scholarships awarded in spring 2015 to different applicants in the areas of Arts & Culture, Higher Education, Leadership, Community Service and Professional Development.

The RAISE Scholarship is made possible by artist and writer Sahra Vang Nguyen, and presented in collaboration with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund in New York City.

Here are some more details about the scholarship:

Our Story: A Movement of Undocumented APIs

Monday, August 11 at United Teachers of Los Angeles



Hey, Los Angeles. You're invited to Our Story: A Movement of UndocuAPIs, a four-part film/panel discussion series showcasing the stories of undocumented Asian and Pacific Islanders, presented by ASPIRE-Los Angeles, APALA-LA, Advancing Justice-LA., and the UCLA Labor Center. The latest event, featuring the films Why We Rise, Return to Sender and Us, is happening this Monday, August 11 at UTLA.

Here are some more details about the event:

Letters From UndocuAsians, August 13

A Theater Performance By Undocumented Asian Youth



Letters from UndocuAsians is a theater production written, directed, and performed by undocumented Asian youth members of RAISE (Revolutionizing Asian American Immigrant Stories on the East Coast). The production is inspired by the everyday lived experiences of undocumented immigrants -- from navigating friendships to maintaining family in the face of immigration policies. If you're in New York City on August 13, you can catch a performance at the Barrow Street Theatre.

Here are some more details:

Apply to CultureStrike's UndocuWriting Retreat

Calling undocumented writers! Apologies for the short notice, but I want to make sure you know about UndocuWriting Retreat, an intensive writing workshop for undocumented writers, powered by the pro-migrant arts organization CultureStr/ke. The Retreat, happening August 13-17 in Oakland, is intended to help young undocumented writers of all levels, backgrounds, and interests tell their stories.

Ten writers will be selected to participate in the retreat. Travel and lodging will be provided for all workshop participants, and there is no fee to apply. But you'll have to act fast -- the applications are due on July 12. That's this Friday. Here are some more details about what you'll learn and experience at the retreat:

#UndocuAsians Film/Theater Performance, May 20

Heads up, New York. On Monday, May 20, catch a performance of #UndocuAsians, a new film and theater performance by undocumented Asian youth. The night opens with a short film following the lives of three undocumented Asian American youth followed by an onstage performance by more than a dozen undocumented youth, all members of AALDEF's undocumented youth group). Poet Kelly Tsai will be a special presenter.