Review of The Fence

By Claire Shin & Linghan Wang


On Thursday, July 16, we watched an HBO documentary called The Fence. On October 2006, President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006 that started a project to build a fence hundreds of miles along the US-Mexico border. According to the documentary, the project utilized 12 designs, hired 19 construction companies, 350 engineers and more than 7,000 construction workers.


So what project was this exactly? Was it an economic stimulus plan that created new jobs through construction of the fence? Aside from any economic function that the construction might serve, the fence was primarily built with the goal to prevent terrorism, drug smuggling and illegal immigration from entering into the United States from the US-Mexico border.


Quoted during the documentary, President Kennedy once proudly said, “we [had] yet to build a wall” to impede free human migration within and across the United States and other countries; now the US government decided to build a wall due to concerns that immigrants that crossed the border illegally posed a threat to the national security.


However, the fence project was not properly equipped with the technical capacity to perform the designated function. The U.S. government had spent 30 years at Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge building an inhabitable and vital living space for wildlife animals. Despite reiterating several times that it would try its best to protect wildlife, the U.S. government ate its words by building the fence right through the refuge, separating many animals from their sources of food and water.

It was unsurprising that damages were incurred not just to animals. During the rainy season, a portion of the fence in Arizona became a virtual dam that withheld water on the Mexican side and impeded the water flow into U.S. territory. With 20 feet of water drowning the town, compared to only 6 inches on the U.S. side, many family businesses were destroyed or forced to relocate to other areas.

Compared to the insurmountable costs of construction of the fence, was it adequately executing the task of preventing terrorism, narcotics or illegal immigration? In actuality, the government might be aiming at a false target. Of the 29 people who committed terrorist acts in the United States in the last quarter of century, 24 arrived through plane and 5 were born on native soil. Sadly the fence was unable to effectively prevent either drug smuggling or illegal immigration, as the criminal groups were always able to find new ways to respond to the barriers positioned to stop them.

On August 8, the staff and interns will be visiting Stewart Detention Center at Lumpkin, GA, where many undocumented immigrants and many people who overstayed their visas are detained. We will be able to meet the detainees in person and might also be able to provide them with language assistance. Many Mexicans attempted to cross the border into this country carrying the hope for better living conditions and more optimal occupational opportunities. Though many have lived in the detention center for years, each and every one of them deserved proper human dignity as a birthright, and Asian American Advancing Justice -Atlanta is determined to help them preserve that right.

[It's the Interns] Meet Yao Sun

It is time to meet our AMAZING Interns!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Interns" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!

·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

Hi, my name is Yao, and I am from Qingdao, China. I came to the United States for college three years ago. Now I am a rising senior student at Emory University. My major is international studies with a focus on Asia and economic policy. I have been taking part in nonprofit organizations since freshman year and I love the experience of working with enthusiastic people.

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

At first, I met the staff from Asian Americans Advancing Justice at a career fair held in Emory University. I was very impressed by the works of AAAJ. Later, I learned more about the organization, which has been dedicated to make changes for Asian American community. I would love to be part of that and to help promote better life and unite Asian Americans to demand social equality and political rights.

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

I expect to learn a lot from this internship, and I have been doing so. I volunteered at several events that AAAJ held before I got this internship. For example, I participated in the fourth Annual Asian American Legislative Breakfast and Lobby Day, which gave me life experience with governmental officials and leaders from various groups. When advertising new immigration laws to Burmese immigrants, I learnt a lot about the latest immigrant policies and its relation to the federal legislation process. As this internship goes on, I expect to keep learning about related public policies, laws, regulations, problems, and difficulties Asian American community is facing.

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

Growing up in China, I felt the difference of being an Asian for the first time when I came to the United States. Looking from the experiences of many of my friends and my own, I think that Asians in the U.S. is not only the minority ethnic group but also the unheard. I recognize my identity as being an Asian and I feel that the voice of Asians continues to diminish if they do not demand social justice, political power, and legal rights for themselves.

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

I would like to help better the social and political statues of Asian American Community. Also, I want to provide information and knowledge to those who do not have access to them. To do so, I have to equip myself with the knowledge and skills needed, and I expect to gain more knowledge and improve my skills from this internship.

·    What is your song of the year?

I am not so sure about my song of the year, but I am very fond of Ella Fitzgerald recently.

·    Any Last words???

I am excited to be on board and I saw everyone busy working and enthusiastic about what they were doing on the first day of my internship. I hope to be part of that. 

Did Ellen Pao’s gender get in the way of her career?

(Ellen Pao, From Wikipedia)

By Yao Sun

Ellen Pao has been in the center of the spotlight in 2015. She is one of the few females working in Silicon Valley, serving as the interim CEO of the popular social media site Reddit until a couple of weeks ago. Ms. Pao is a highly educated and aspiring woman. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University, an MBA and a JD degree from Harvard University. She was born to Chinese immigrant parents and is both fluent in English and Mandarin. In early February 2015, Pao sued Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers for sexual harassment and racial discrimination. Her lawsuit draws people’s attention back to the male-dominated culture of Silicon Valley.

At the center of the lawsuit is Ms. Pao’s former boss John Doerr who forced her in an affair and then retaliated against her when she broke if off, according to Ms. Pao. She also accused Kleiner of treating her “despicably, maliciously, fraudulently and oppressively” from “an improper and evil motive amounting to malice.” However, a few days later, the firm said that Ms. Pao did not succeed at Kleiner because she “lacked the ability to lead others, build consensus and be a team player, which is crucial to a successful career as a venture capital senior investing partner.” There are different opinions about Pao’s lawsuit: some are saying that she is taking advantage of being a woman to cover up her incapability as an employee. Others are defending Pao and saying that her lawsuit is one of the many as nearly every month there are accusations from female employees of men behaving badly at the workplace in Silicon Valley. Deborah Rhode, a law professor at Stanford, told the New Yorker reporter Vauhini Vara that, “the sort of evidence you’re seeing in the Ellen Pao case is very typical of what’s out there in Silicon Valley. There are no smoking guns; much of it is what social scientists call micro-indignities—small incidents that viewed individually may seem trivial, but when viewed cumulatively point to a practice of insensitivity and devaluation that can get in the way of work performance.”

Before people had decided on how they felt about Pao, she was once again in the headline. In early July, more than 213,000 Reddit users demanded Pao to leave her position as the interim chief executive of Reddit in response to the abrupt dismissal of a well-liked employee earlier this month. “The attacks were worse on Ellen because she is a woman,” said Sam Altman, a member of the Reddit board. “And that’s just a shame against humanity.” However, according to Ms. Pao’s own account, it was not her decision to fire the AMA moderator Victoria Taylor and she was just scapegoating for someone else. Former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong also bluntly commented that Pao was set up to fail from the start of her hiring at Reddit, which echoed Ms. Pao’s claims (http://gawker.com/former-reddit-ceo-youre-all-screwed-1717901652). In addition, Reddit’s former chief engineer Bethanye Blount backed Ms. Pao by pointing out that she believed Pao had been placed on a “glass cliff”, a term used to describe women being set up for failure by being put in leadership roles during crises. And Pao was, indeed, hired by Reddit two years ago in the midst of an internal reform. However, the board of directors at Reddit denied their accusations and insisted that there was no sexual or racial discrimination, or setup against anyone at Reddit.

If we look Ellen Pao’s incidents at a larger picture, we can see how female employees and women of color still face barriers to gain recognition because of their race and gender.  Back in 1994 also in Silicon Valley, Rena Weeks, a legal secretary, filed a complaint against Martin R. Greenstein, a well-regarded partner at the Baker & McKenzie law firm for sexual harassment. The jury awarded Weeks seven million dollars in damages.  Even though later a state jury cut it in half, it was still a stunning amount. However, two decades later harassment and other forms of discrimination are still preventing women from getting equal treatment and career opportunities. Melissa Hart, a law professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, pointed to some of the language that Kleiner Perkins and its employees used to describe Pao’s problems at the firm: she wasn’t a team player, she raised her voice. In theory, these are traits that could make any employee look bad, but in practice, as social scientists have documented, discussions of these traits themselves have gendered implications. When a firm argues that a woman didn’t do well for these kinds of reasons, Hart said, “You need to stop and inquire, ‘What was meant by that?’ ” (http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-ellen-pao-trial-what-do-we-mean-by-discrimination)

From both cases, we can see that people have been asking questions about whether Ellen Pao was a competent employee and a capable CEO. If we look from a different perspective, then more people should be asking whether she would be treated differently if she were a man.

[It's the Interns] Meet Saisha Mediratta

It is time to meet our AMAZING Interns!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Interns" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!

·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

My name is Saisha Mediratta, and I am a rising senior at Northview High School.  I immigrated to the United States when I was 1 to Long Island, New York. I am the Captain of Northview’s Speech and Debate Team and the President of my school’s Advanced Choir. I’ve been a part of Girl Scouts for 13 years which has provided me with a unique cultural experience because of my community’s diverse demographics. I love to dance, sing, camp, kayak and read in my free time.

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship after co-founding New American Youth Leaders, a youth group based at the High School level, which promotes the same issues as Advancing Justice. I got the opportunity to work with Ms. Helen and the Advancing Justice team at several canvassing events and voter registration booths, and I saw a tangible change in the Asian American community. People came and asked question, picked up flyers, contacted the organization, etc… I knew I wanted to do what I could to bring opportunities and outlets that my own family struggled for, to a larger group, and also promote civic engagement among those already capable.

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

Advancing Justice has become a voice for many Asian Americans being discriminated against system, and controlling that voice is an enormous responsibility. I hope to gain a wider knowledge of the struggles facing the Asian American community apart from those I have witnessed firsthand, so that I too can become a voice to advocate for a community that I care so passionately about. Through an understanding of these issues, I hope to learn how to engage these groups in more productive solutions than those that are offered more publicly, and empower members of the Asian American community to utilize their rights as citizens to advance policies and candidates that represent them.

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

From a young age, I experienced a duality in identity. Although I would never truly be Indian, I would never truly be “American” either. However, the experiences from both cultures, both so diverse, have given me a unique perspective on issues that face both communities. I can see the social hierarchy of India objectively because I am not fully immersed in that society, and I can also see America’s more liberal culture from a conservative perspective, while maintaining my own beliefs and ideas distinct from both points of view. My parents faced their own struggles as immigrants, and although we received our citizenship several years ago, my cousins continue to face bureaucratic barriers to their status as citizens. The path is unique and unimaginable, affecting everything from their education to their financial aid to their health insurance.

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

I hope that my share of experiences can help those facing a similar situation. Carlos Slim once said that “It’s important to give a better country to your children, but it is more important to give better children to your country.” I firmly believe that only by educating and informing the New American leaders of our country can we hope to inspire positive change. I don’t think I would have celebrated who I was if it wasn’t for mentors and role models so successfully utilizing their background as a strength rather than just a fact.  I have the privilege of coming across so many young girls experiencing the same identity issues I was through Girl Scouts, and by sharing my experiences and work, I hope to inspire them to do the same for someone else.

·    What is your song of the year?

Elastic Heart-Sia because Sia is a singing goddess 

·    Any Last words???

I’m super excited to be a part of this organization, and I hope to continue with Advancing Justice in the future. 

Reflection on America by the Numbers "Politics of the New South"

By Leslie Wang

On Wednesday, July 8, 2015, we watched Politics of The New South. An episode of the documentary, America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa, which tracked the City Council and Mayor election of Clarkston, GA, which took place in 2013. What made this election to be under the spotlight was that as Clarkston saw a change in the demographic composition. From a predominantly white neighborhood to one with a majority of African-American and immigrant residents, many former refugees were seeking a political presence by running campaigns to win the office. Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta (AAAJ), which was AALAC at that time, engaged in registering voters.

Clarkston had a City Council that was all white in 2012. With three former refugees running for office in 2013, Clarkston was now responding to the demographic shifts that upheld the voices and needs of the immigrant and refugee community. Ibrahim Sufi, who escaped from Somalia, was the first former refugee to run for mayor in Clarkston. What drove him was the understanding that solutions to the problems in a community had to come from inside that community and by its people. With an ever-growing refugee composition, Sufi saw a need to engage that group and to include their needs in public policies.

The unemployment rate and poverty level in Clarkston was 2-3 times the national rate. Ahmed Hassan, a businessman himself, realized that refugees needed to understand how to run business to flourish in this new country that they settled. To make that happen, what Hassan saw as necessary was the representation of local minority groups in the decision-making process so that the voice of the refugees could be heard.

From the perspective of Birendra Dhakal, local elections determined what happened to the community. As the first Bhutanese-American to run for office in Clarkston, GA, Dhakal did not proceed without difficulties. He practiced a religion that was different from many people, and his family was not very sure about the pace that he was diving into local politics. Advancing Justice Atlanta had a candidate training program in which Dhakal participated. Dhakal also proved himself to be a determined candidate by campaigning and talking to people. He gathered the support of his family and the acceptance of many voters gradually down the road.

The progress that happened in Clarkston, GA, did not happen overnight. The city proved its capacity by electing its first Black mayor in 2010, and as the mayor, Emanuel Ransom, mentioned, the town sought further minority representation by seeking City Council members from minority groups. The process continued when Clarkston elected Hassan as a member of the City Council, which further unanimously appointed him as the vice mayor of the city.

If there were any doubts remained of whether the election represented what the residents of Clarkston really wanted, the turnout rate for the election was 21% of the registered voters in 2013, which was 8% higher than in the last election. With many more diverse voices included in the office, Clarkston could expect a more inclusive set of public policies.

To find out more check out the link for the preview of "Politics of the New South - America by The Numbers"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj6PF5Oe4mQ

[It's the Interns] Meet Leslie Wang

It is time to meet our AMAZING Interns!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Interns" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!

·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

Hi! My name is Leslie (Linghan) Wang. I am from Beijing, China. I came to the United States to attend college three years ago. I am a rising senior at Emory University, and I study Economics and Sociology. I got to know Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta and its dedicated staffs by volunteering at several of its events.

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

As an international student, I have heard so many tales about the United States being an almost perfect society where people are living amazing lives, free from inequalities and discrimination. However, the education that I attain in the U.S. offers me a different picture that this is a country where inequalities persist and discriminately deprive the promised rights of its people. Only then did I realize how much help is needed to the disadvantaged group, who did not enjoy the so-called “trickled-down” privileges brought by the wealth of the country as a whole. What made me apply for this internship is not just that there are people who needs help, but also seeing the courage of normal Americans to face the facts. So rather than saying that I decide to apply, it is more accurate to say that this internship found me. It found me in a state ready to give my hands to people in need and to challenge myself with facts and tasks that I have never thought of before.

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

Knowing that there is a larger disadvantaged, more diverse group than I imagined, I wanted to see with my own eyes how they live and what are the real help that they need. It is one thing to learn from reading about the history and the social, economic conditions of the minority groups in America. It is another to witness their everyday lives and apply the theories in the practices of providing help. Comprehending the lives of the minorities is a crucial step to understanding their difficulties and concerns, and a prerequisite to providing the meaningful help to them.

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

For the three years that I have spent in the United States as an international student, I have never seen myself as an Asian. I thought that I am Chinese and when I thought of the word Asian, it refers to Asian Americans, which means that a person is first an American then an Asian. I then still think that I am Chinese when I realize that Asian is a race, like White, Black, Latino, etc., instead of mere nationality. Personally, I feel more accurate in identifying myself as Chinese but not Asian because I know that I always have a home country where I can find my culture, language, history, and roots. Even in a foreign country by myself, I always know I can return, and there will be someone waiting for me. But being Asian Americans means, not limited to, English, American football, and immigration.  It means an American identity cultivating an Asian cultural background. 

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

As an observer of the history and struggles of Asian Americans, I wanted to be a storyteller who can share the things that I have seen in the United States. I want to share it with those who may be the future immigrants, in my country of origin. Knowing the frustrations and obstacles that may lay before immigrating to the United States may help them realize that all the difficulties people face might not be individuals problem. So whenever these future immigrants leave their homeland and go to a place where they hope to attain a better life, they would be ready to ask for help.

    With the past three years as an international student in college, I have never stopped learning and shared my experience with my Asian American friends, especially my Chinese-American friends. Even though we were raised in radically different environments, part of us still answers to the cultural calling that has bred our ancestors. It is both constructive to my understanding of their lives in America and to their knowing of their roots and self identities.

·    What is your song of the year?

A Cantonese song originally produced in 1988 and became popular again in China last year because of a song competition. It is called Affection for you (Xi Huan Ni, in Mandarin), by G.E.M.. Forgive me that I did know how to spell that in Cantonese. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ1g8ShGaVU

·    Any Last words???

I wish I come in to this office as a learner that I first learn from the staffs about their motivations and experience in working with the local communities. I hope that I learn from the other interns about their perspectives and concerns. The most important wish is that I could learn from the people that I help, because what makes them in a disadvantaged position may be something that I did not know or understand and can provide future insight in helping other people.

[It's the Interns] Meet Claire Shin

It is time to meet our AMAZING Interns!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Interns" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!

·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

Hi! I'm Claire Shin, and I'm a Korean-American living in Savannah, Georgia. I'm a rising junior studying Political Science and Asian American Studies at Wellesley College. I am part of the executive team of the college's Asian Alliance, which strives to empower Asians in America through advocacy and political awareness while forming inter-minority coalitions with other students groups.  My hobbies include gaming, watching movies, and cosplaying. I'm also an enthusiast of music and Shakespeare.

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

I first heard of Asian Americans Advancing Justice after attending a Korean American Medical Association conference where Executive Director, Helen Ho was the keynote speaker. Listening to her keynote speech sparked my interest in the affairs of the Asian American community. Since then, I have studied Asian American history alongside with Political Science, taking an avid interest in Asian American politics and legal affairs. 

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

I applied for this internship as I wanted to gain experience and learn as much as I can as this is the work I will pursue in the future; I also desired to work in the office founded by my inspirational figure. Despite Asian Americans featuring prominently in the title of this organization, I have learned that it also assists in immigration issues pertaining to other people of color, such as Latinos(/as/x). I want to learn more about not just immigration, but about immigrant life and how to empower these communities. I hope to learn more about people whose voices are silenced in mainstream media and how to help bring about positive change to their lives.

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

I was born and raised in the South, and I wasn't able to interact with Koreans or other Asian Americans due to the surfeit of them in the small Georgia town where I lived. As such, I always felt like an outsider to Asian American culture and affairs, and I was determined to learn not only about my own culture but also that of others like me in college. The more I learned about Asian American history, I also learned of the struggles our community still faces, and was inspired to help empower the Asian American community and to promote our voices.

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

At the moment, I don't have a concrete role I would like to fill in the Asian American community, but I know I want to be a part of promoting Asian Americans in the political sphere or through popular media, whether it's assisting with voter registration or producing a television show with prominent roles of color that go beyond the media stereotypes. Maybe both.

·    What is your song of the year?

My choice for song of the year would be "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen. It's less annoying than "Call Me Maybe" and there's an awesome Vine by a Korean user named 햄튜브 ("hamtube" woah when did my font change) who emulates this song as an ode to her cat, which I strongly identify with. Here, I'll link it, it's very important: https://vine.co/v/eWggmLLxhp0

·    Any Last words???

I'm honestly so excited to get to work here after dreaming about this internship since high school, and I'm so grateful I get to work with amazingly talented, wonderfully kind people!