Table of Contents Introduction 3 We the Youth Collective The Roots 4 Cassie Eng Immigration/Incarceration 7 We the Youth Collective Untitled 8 Hope Joseph Reflection 10 Isabella Salgado Collaboration with ICE 11 We the Youth Collective The Effect of a Loved One’s Incarceration on a Family 12 Sophia Gallon Impact on Families 13 We the Youth Collective Storms 14 Hulissa Aguilar Action Center 16 We the Youth Collective Call to Action 17 We the Youth Collective Bios & Words of Encouragement 18 We the Youth Collective Found Freedom Poem 20 We the Youth Collective 2
Introduction The immigration and incarceration systems have impacted thousands of families in the United States through the harsh and unjust policies our country has created.The separation of families has been a huge issue for generations. However, the perspective of the youth is often silenced. We are youth from all over the Bay Area, born in this country, with different family ancestral roots, including Mexico, Fiji, and the Philippines. We are proud of our immigrant roots. Recognizing our immigrant roots has helped push us to make a change. Being of all different ages, we still share similar struggles. Growing up, we weren’t taught how to fight to keep our family together from an anti-immigrant system. Additionally, we were never prepared for the pain that comes with having your loved one taken away from you. No one is ever mentally prepared for the impacts of this system. However, soon enough, we realized that we were not alone.Through the organization, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, we were able to meet one another and reunite with our families. We The Youth was created to help inform youth on the immigration system and its policies. In addition, we hope to educate others on this country’s immigration history through colonialism and imperialism, for these issues are not new. In the preamble of the Constitution it states, “We the People of the United States… establish justice”. However, it is clear that is not true or happening. The immigration, criminal justice, and incarceration systems all criminalize and scapegoat immigrants. The collaborations that occur are against human rights, yet they still occur. We have all seen and experienced the negative impacts of these unjust systems, which often result in deportations or incarceration. Justice has not been served until all are free. That is why it is so important we use our power and help educate others. Change will happen when everyone is aware of the injustice that exists within our immigrant communities and families. Through the different stories you will read in this zine, we hope to create unity and strength within others who share similar experiences. We have so much power, more than we even know. We can and will help change this country’s immigration system. We the youth are the future. We must stand together to help keep our families and communities together.
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The Roots by Cassie Eng
When we think of a tree, the first image that comes to mind is the trunk, the most visible part above ground. But what about below the surface? If we dug deeper (literally), we would uncover a system of branches that feed, hydrate, and provide foundation for the tree. These are the roots. Although at first they may be forgotten, they are the powerful agents that have kept the tree alive and functioning since the beginning. In this zine, we share stories about immigration and incarceration. While these two issues create the body of our tree, it is important to first understand the systems that created and continue to support these injustices: the roots of colonialism and imperialism.
Colonialism is the act of a group forcefully exerting control over another
group/people and/or their land. This violent process is carried out with the intent of creating colonies1 to gain power, resources, and wealth. Here are some examples: 1
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land that is under the political control of another, distant power/country/government
> Philippines and Mexico In the sixteenth-century, European explorers were venturing out in search of “new lands” they could claim for their kingdoms. (“New lands” are in quotes because they were only new to the Europeans. All of the colonies had centuries of human civilization before colonizers landed on their shores.) The first European to reach the Philippines was Ferdinand Megellan in 1521. Even with such early contact, Spain did not secure their colonial rule over the islands until 1571 because of resistance from the indigenous2 Tao. It is important to remember that indigenous communities were not helpless and submissive but rather perseverent and independent. The Philippines was a colony of Spain for 327 years, then was a colony of the U.S. for 48 years (until 1946). The colonization of Mexico was another story of resistance. In 1519, Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico with a Spanish Army of 500 soldiers. The indigenous Aztecs fought back, launching a violent two-year war. By 1521, Cortés secured the capital Tenochtitlan (aka Mexico City), making Mexico a colony of Spain for the next 300 years. > Fiji While there was early European contact with explorer Abel Tasman in 1643, Fiji did not become an official colony of Britain until 1874. The central Cakobau government had a lot of internal conflict between indigenous groups and Fijians and European allies. It is said that Fiji came under 96 year British control by the requests of the Fijian chiefs in the hopes of stability and peace.
Imperialism is the belief that a society or people have the right to
conquer and rule over others and/or their land. This mindset is used to justify colonization and is a set of values built on white supremacy3. Imperialism says that because one group is naturally better or superior, it is their duty to govern the “savage” other. It creates a false sense that the imperialists are saviors, helping the less fortunate become civilized and capable. > Philippines and Mexico Imperialism leads to the erasure4 of culture. Because it is believed that the colonizers are superior, anything indigenous is diminished and discouraged. Example: the national languages of the Philippines (Tagalog, which has Spanish vocabulary embedded) and Mexico (Spanish). As Spanish colonies, missionaries and Spanish officials governed not only how the countries were run but how the education system functioned. Most indigenous languages were lost at the price of learning Spanish in schools and churches. > Fiji Imperialism gives colonizers the power to reshape a country’s culture, social structure, and economy. The British, embodying the imperialist belief that they are more intelligent and their ways of life are superior, launched transformative policies in Fiji that would allow them to maximize their own 2
historically originating from a specific place, native
3 a belief and system that says white people are superior and should have the power to control society, often at the expense of communities of color or groups deemed inferior 4 removal, wiping out, extinction
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wealth. Example: the introduction of Indian indentured servants/slaves5 (as India was also a colony of Britain). This allowed for the exploitation6 of cheap labor and led to decades of tensions between social groups. This conflict is still present today in the political instability of the government. In the past forty years, four coups7 have occured (1987, two in 2000, and 2006).
5 a laborer who signs a contract to work for a specific amount of time without pay (in the hopes of being paid later or working off debt), this has been argued to still be considered slave labor 6 to treat others unfairly/unjustly to benefit from their work, violently and maliciously taking advantage of others 7 sudden and violent attempts to overthrow/takeover the government
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Immigration/Incarceration While countries like the Philippines, Mexico, and Fiji are no longer under colonial rule, the legacy of colonialism and imperialism is still long lasting. Violence against communities of color, dehumanization of those seen as “foreign” and “less civilized,” the idolization of white powers, and wealth disparities through exploitation continue to exist. Systems like mass incarceration and detention are the legacies. The violence never went away. It only changed forms. Our current immigration system ignores the factors that lead people to migrate in the first place. Upon coming to the US, there isn’t enough support for people to transition and navigate their new lives or obtain citizenship. Some of the factors that lead to incarceration of immigrant groups include crime, poverty/ financial problems, racist systems, or migrating “illegally” because they can not wait the 10+ years for documents. When an individual who is a non-citizen is incarcerated for a crime, they often become at risk for deportation.
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Untitled by Hope Joseph
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Reflection by Isabella Salgado My father has been fighting his immigration case for two years now. The uncertainty of not knowing when his case will end makes it so much more stressful. There is no mental note you can make and prepare yourself. All you know is the process is long but there is no guarantee on whether it will be six months or 6 years.You just have to keep waiting till the case is won. And even after you feel the case has come to an end and you get excited for the outcome, it usually ends up getting dragged on. Ice will keep appealing, as a tactic to frustrate the immigrants and give up on their cases. Our concern for my dad and his health pushed us to protest for his release from the ice detention center. We began to attend protests, and advocated for his release. He is finally out with an ankle monitor while his case continues. Which helped with the stress that came with the thought of my dad becoming sick w COVID-19, but there is still the uncertainty on how much more time and money it willl take to ensure him C.A.T. Or even whether he will even win his case. I have faith my father will win his case. My hopes for my father is to watch me graduate and walk the stage. My dad has been absent in most of my life due to incarceration. And because of this I wish he would have the opportunity to come watch one of the big moments, a milestone in my lifetime to makeup for all the ones he’s missed. 10
Collaboration with ICE
After serving his time, Keo is transferred to ICE from state prison (from What are ICE transfers?)
Illustration by Chanthon Bun The U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security. It is organized into four offices: Investigations, Intelligence, Detention and Removal Operations, and Federal Protection Services. ICE is meant to prevent terrorism in the U.S by targeting people, money, and materials that can be connected to terrorism and criminal activities. However, it has become apparent that ICE is not doing only what they claim to. The collaboration between our incarceration system and the immigration system is unlawful. However, they continue to work together, targeting immigrant groups within our prisons and parole systems. This practice, known as ICE transfers, has become the main pipeline for ICE to “double-punish” and deport immigrants. The individuals in jails, state prisons, private prisons, or federal prisons who receive parole, immediately upon release, are transferred over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Around 80% of incarcerated immigrants arrested within the interior of the country (not at the border) detained in California ICE detention centers were transferred from jails and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The process of how an individual is transferred is not long. However, the impact and trauma caused are never-ending. 1. CDCR tells ICE when someone will parole. 2. ICE will send back a detainer. 3. CDCR lets the person parole a few days early and then they are directly picked up by an ICE private subcontractor and transferred to an ICE detention facility waiting for deportation. Transferring our immigrants criminalizes them and breaks our communities apart. These transfers are preventable, as they are not even required by law to occur. ICE should not be in our prison systems. For criminal enforcement and immigration issues are two different things.
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The Effect of a Loved one’s Incarceration on a Family by Sophia Gallon We won. We won and it’s better now, right? He’s back and it’s better now. That’s what the headlines say. But the past is not erased. The pain, the nightmares, the trauma, the tears. And in exchange for his presence that’s what we were given. Still hurts. It’s supposed to be better now. But, my mom still can’t get a good night’s rest, afraid she’ll miss something, like she did that day. The doctor still says she has anxiety. My sister will not get back her junior and senior prom. She won’t have beautiful pictures With Dad at her quinceanera. She will have the memory of sadness of him missing that day. My baby sister still gags when we drive by the school she was attending and he was taken from us. They told her in the parking lot. And as for me, I will always feel envy walking past the picture on my best friend’s fridge of her and her dad at the father daughter dance mine missed. I will always remember the embarrassment of having to explain to my teachers the reason for my absences. But it happened to HIM. He is a person and it happened to him. But together, my family is a people. We were all under attack. We were all hurting. And crying. And missing each other. It was an attack on ALL of us. We all had the right to hurt. It hurt just a bit less because we had each other. It wasn’t just his story. It was our story.
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Impact on Families Those who immigrate and search for refuge in the United States have their own stories. Something happened to them. But not just to them. These are real people who have families who love them. So when they are taken by ICE, their daughters, sons, wives, husbands, moms - all of them are affected, all of them hurt. The immediate family faces a difficult family. When a parent is incarcerated, a family’s livelihood is at risk. The financial support that was provided by that parent is gone. The stress that sets in for the parent who’s shoulders the financial stability now lays upon can be unbearable. Rent, groceries, electricity, water - the costs add up and if the main provider for a household is no longer there - can be so incredibly difficult to deal with. Other lingering effects of families who have suffered through incarceration are the mental health damage that comes along. Imagine this - you do not know if you’ll either be able to stay in your home with your family and friends, the life you’ve built around you, or you’ll have to completely unroot your family if you are unable to stay. The stress and anxiety that come along with the whole situation are enough to last a lifetime. Finally, just the yearning to see someone you love, missing a family member is heart wrenching. Many immigrants who are incarcerated are transferred far away from their home towns and cities. Having someone so close to you be taken so suddenly and so far away feels like abandonment. But, having a family member incarcerated close to you can be so bittersweet.You can see them, hear them - but only through the black and blue phone on your ear.You can’t hold them or hug them - the glass panes stop that from happening. When ICE detains immigrants, it doesn’t stop at one person. It’s the whole family that is affected. It is a whole community that hurts, that stresses, that pains.
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Storms by Hulissa Aguilar Everyone has storms in life. Ones that are unpredictable. Ones that break and damage those around them. My storm is one out of my control, a storm that can make or break my family. There’s always one thing after another. The storm never ends. We never know when the lighting will hit. Never know the moment he’ll leave, until the moment he was taken. ICE created a storm making rivers between us, leaving my family drenched and uneasy. Having to grow up without his presence. Forgetting what it was like to hold his hand. When the storm ended, he came back home to see us but the ICE continued to melt. Our lives are constantly being defeated. For years and years, our lives have been poured on. Afraid of the lighting that will pound upon us, and pull him away, again. Never knowing what the future may look like. Our lives are out of our hands. My future undetermined, because of a storm created to defeat. But I will not fall into the water. I am stronger than the storm that once separated me from the person who I call my father.
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Action Center Over the past few years, the We the Youth Collective have taken action to support their families and communities by speaking at public events and participating in vigils and rallies.
Hulissa speaking at an event in front of Senator Harris’s office calling for an end to family separation, April 2019.
Hope, her mother, and Grandmother, and faith leaders holding a vigil outside of Governor Newsom’s office urging a pardon for her father, Dec 2019.
Sophia and Bella with their family outside of West County Detention Center offering support to a family who’s loved one was detained inside, Feb 2018.
Isabella and her family at a vigil at San Quentin honoring the lives lost to COVID19 and calling for more releases, July 2020.
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Calls to Action Currently there are numerous actions that can be taken involving immigration. It is important that we use our voices and power to contribute to make change. We must all stand together and fight for the future. A future with no walls and borders. A future without discrimination and separation but equality and unity. Our future is shaped by the present. So let’s create a better tomorrow by starting TODAY! The power of the youth is limitless. Support freedom campaigns to stop the deportations of our community members > Charles Joseph, father of Hope, is facing deportation to Fiji. Let Governor Newsom know you support his pardon by emailing and tweeting: bit.ly/KeepCharlesHome > Phi ‘Tommy’ Pham, a Vietnamese refugee and incarcerated firefighter, was supposed to have his first day of freedom on June 16, 2021 but instead California prison staff called ICE to have him arrested. Join us in demanding that Phi be released: bit.ly/ FightforPhi Advocate for more humane policies at the state and federal level > Pass the VISION Act (AB 937) which would stop ICE transfers: bit.ly/VISIONAct, and tweet the We the Youth Video > Learn about what immigration policy can be for unaccompanied minors that doesn’t involve detention: humanimpact.org/healthnotyouthdetention Donate funds to strengthen our immigrant support safety net > https://www.im4humanintegrity.org/2020/03/strengthen-thesafety-net/ 17
Author Bios & Words of Encouragement Sophia Gallon is currently a sophomore in high school. Her father was detained by ICE in 2017, and with the help of IM4HI, was released in April 2018. She has been working with IM4HI for a couple of months and has contributed to the “We the Youth” zine youth project. She enjoys reading, bike riding, spending time in nature and watching many, many sappy movies. It’s okay to feel angry.There is help out there.There are people who are looking after you and no matter how alone you can feel, you are truly not. Hulissa Aguilar was born and raised in the Bay Area, where she currently attends high school as a sophomore. She is a very active 15 year-old who enjoys playing sports, working out, reading, drawing, and baking. Aside from her extra curricular activities, she’s also been a very big advocate for her dad’s campaign and for immigrants overall. Through the incarceration of her father in 2017, she met IM4HI and has worked alongside them, including an internship over the summer of 2021. You are stronger and more powerful than you think. In these moments of distress, where your life feels uncertain, stand your ground and stay hopeful. For there is always light at the end of every tunnel. Hope Joseph is a soon to be freshman in high school. She was born and raised in Sacramento. She uses art by different forms, especially by drawing anime to express her feeling and to create different alter egos. While she is not drawing, she educates herself about immigration and different organizations that needs to be heard by working with IM4HI. Hope has been a part of IM4HI for more than a year, helping to prevent her Dad’s deportation. Even though it may seem intimidating, it’s encouraging at the same time because of the people that are there with you. Cassie Eng is a first year college student. From the Bay Area, her passions include food, dance, and social justice. She works with IM4HI as a summer intern, aiding with the Filipino and Pacific Islander outreach/community building initiatives. She is incredibly grateful to have been able to work on this zine with the other girls. She hopes that whoever reads this gains a deeper understanding of the systems of incarceration and immigration and begins to ask critical questions about the world around us.
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Isabella Salgado is a recent graduate from Vintage Highschool in Napa Valley. She began advocating for her Dads release from ICE in 2020. Bella Astorga is currently a student at Foothill Community College, with an interest in sports media/communications. Her stepfather was detained by ICE in 2017, and released in 2018. Bella enjoys watching sports. Special thanks to the youth mentors who helped to facilitate the We the Youth zine project. Rhummanee Hang (she/they/gkoat) is a poet, dancer, and community organizer who was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She has used art as activism since she was 13, honing her dance, theatre, and spoken word skills as a member of performance and dance companies in Oakland and Sacramento. Rhummanee supports World Trust Educational Services as the Communications Manager, keeping folks connected to World Trust. She also serves as CoDirector of AYPAL: Building API Community Power, a youth leadership development and movement building organization for API youth in Oakland. Gala King is a second generation, Filipina-American, mama of two, and Regional Organizer with the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. IM4HI is a statewide organization that engages the faith community, and families impacted by immigration and incarceration. IM4HI has partnered with the families of all the youth in this project, supporting their campaigns for freedom from detention, stopping deportations, and experiencing healing and wholeness. Havannah Tran is a Vietnamese-American movement illustrator/designer and anti-deportation organizer, born and raised in Orange County. She works on individual freedom campaigns to stop direct transfers from California state prisons to immigrant detention with the Asian Prisoner Support Committee. In 2019, she graduated from Wellesley College with degrees in English and Computer Science. When she’s not working to free them all, Havannah can be found cheering on the Los Angeles Lakers and stanning BTS.
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Found Freedom Poem I. We all crave for it. Running. Enjoying life. No longer chased by fear. II. Freedom feels like the wind passing through you. It is like you are flying. III. Freedom is finding peace with yourself and with life. I see myself free.
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