Illustration by Havannah Tran
Asian Prisoner Support Committee is proud to release selections from our forthcoming anthology, ARRIVING: Freedom Writings of Asian and Pacific Islanders. For six weeks, we will publish a new piece on our website every Thursday!
ARRIVING captures—in their own words—stories of Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals inside prisons, detained by ICE, or recently released from ICE or prisons, as well as stories from impacted family members. These reflective pieces detail their experiences with war, memory, prison, transformation, healing, and home.
Over the past three years, APSC, Hyphen, and volunteer mentor editors have worked with 34 writers to create ARRIVING. Please read and share this digital version of ARRIVING.
Formosa by Tien-Hsiang Mo
The chickens are anxious in their cages, their heads bobbing up and down, back and forth, waiting for their day of execution. The narrow street is lit with thousands of naked bulbs, strung up in crooked, zigzagging lines.
Spinning With the Earth by Kenny Lee
Remembering the summer days in our childhood, a truly beautiful place,
Mountains high and green, they reflect the colors in reality.
Song birds on the wind, trees in concert with the river and its gurgling voice.
From Surviving Systemic Violence to Liberating People from Prisons and ICE Detention by Ny Nourn
For anyone to survive nearly 16 years of incarceration immediately followed by ICE detention and the threat of deportation would be nothing short of a miracle. With 16,000 Southeast Asian refugees in the United States currently facing deportation, however, these conditions are far from uncommon.
Organizing for Freedom: An Interview with Charles “Bula” Joseph
I was granted parole and eventually released from CDCR on May 17th, the day after my birthday. I woke up at 4:00 a.m., made sure I had all my stuff that I was taking with me, and made a cup of coffee. And I waited and waited.
White World by Kamsan Suon
“It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” yelled Tom. I looked at him. He was a white American boy with blond hair and blue eyes. He sat a few rows to my right. Everyone in my first-grade class turned their heads and bodies the moment Tom yelled and looked at the windows behind me.
Video Vault Unlocked: Scenes From A Biopic by Hung T. Ly
“Over there!” yells the driver
in a Nissan coupe, pointing up in my direction.
An order prompts the front seat passenger to pull out a handgun.
In 2007, our organization helped to compile, edit, and self-publish “Other: an Asian & Pacific Islander Prisoners' Anthology.” This book has sold several thousand copies and has been taught in college classes across the nation in Ethnic Studies, Asian American Studies, and courses on the carceral system.
There is a limited quantity of availability, which can be purchased at Eastwind Books of Berkeley.