Journal: Aioki FIlm and Deporting Cambodian Refugee Reading

Aioki Film

            The film talks about Richard Aioki, who was a very radical and strong activist. I thought it was very admirable and impressive how much change he was able to bring through his acts of resistance. Most people described Aioki as the opposite of quiet and how he had no fear. Growing up in Oakland, where there were not many Asian Americans, Aoiki represented the minority; yet, he was still able to speak out and be blunt and direct about what he believed. This reminded me of the Laotian youth who also was able to resist in order to bring change to challenges they were facing as model minorities.

Deporting Cambodian Refugees by Soo Ah Kwon

            I was very surprised and felt bad when I heard about the issue of the deportation of Cambodian refugees. After serving their sentence, the refugees are not released but are instead transferred into a detention center for deportation to Cambodia. I think this is very unfair and unjust. In the ethnographic study, Kwon follows and studies youth members of AYPAL. AYPAL is a youth activist group who campaign for and end to the deportations.  This reminds me of the article we read in class about members of APEN fighting for issues they directly have. These activist groups challenge higher power in order to bring change. The author notes an interesting topic of how through their efforts, two things were revealed: the limitations of “power of youth” in democratic processes and the limits of liberal democratic state. In society, youth are looked down upon. There is a common stereotype that labels youth as “incomplete adults” or “not quite citizens”. Because of their age, youths are deemed as lacking knowledge and experience. However, this is not correct, as youths should be able to participate in politics and granted equal rights as a “complete” citizen. I thought how it was interesting how the youths recognized the lack of power they had in swaying people of higher power. So they took a different and interesting approach. They found common ground with refugees as both groups have little power in affecting state power.