Southeast Asian Community Blog

The Green Papaya is a community blog dedicated to the struggles, experiences & hystories of Southeast Asians living in America. Collectively, we hope to build an online forum in which we may share our stories with one another. If you would like to post please click the 'Submit Here!' link below!

[thegreenpapaya]

Vietnamese Rock and Soul from the 1960s and 1970s, This is badass. “The tracks that form this collection cut a window into a rich musical Vietnamese music scene that has long been obscured, and for the most part, forgotten. As the scope of electrified Vietnamese music from the 1960s and 1970s begins to be revealed, it becomes evident that this was among the heaviest and most eclectic musical scenes of South East Asia at the time. These songs tell of war, love and what war does to love. All of them were recorded in makeshift studios and even US army facilities while the Vietnam War raged -- and were issued by a handful of Saigon record companies on vinyl 45s and reel or cassette tapes.”

[fongtranpoetry]

“Don’t be an Activist” by Fong Tran & Chaz Ashley

Chaz and I believe so much in this video and its need to be shown to our fellow activists and agents of change. In honor of the people that choose to stick out by speaking up, in honor of all the folks that choose the hard path because they understand its the right one. We hope you find fuel from this piece Shout out to Dale the Gentleman of Burgundy Suite Records for helping us bring this vision to life! Shout out Casey Groat for our music! Shout out Sol Collective for providing the space and art! This was a long time in the making and we couldn’t have done it without everyone’s incredible collaborative energy. - Fong and Chaz Tumblr link to Words of Poem: http://fongtranpoetry.tumblr.com/post/119476674737/dont-be-an-activist Chaz Ashley Instagram: chaz1124 Tumblr: openlychaz.tumblr.com For show bookings or workshops email [email protected] Directed and Edited by Dale Muong of Burgundy Suite www.theburgundysuite.com/ Sound & Music by Casey Groat caseygroat.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/caseygroatmusic Facility and Art by Sol Collective https://freesolarts.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ArtCultureActivism/www.theburgundysuite.com/ Sound & Music by Casey Groat caseygroat.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/caseygroatmusic Facility and Art by Sol Collective https://freesolarts.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ArtCultureActivism/

[westsidescholar]

This year for Halloween, I am passing on my childhood books to the youth. I want to encourage our trick- or-treating youth to pick out a book they like from my collection and be rewarded with a treat afterwards. I encourage those who value books and the importance of reading to join me in this effort.

Growing up, I loved to read and would always max out on library rentals with dozens of books stacked waist-high. As I’ve gone through K-12 education and higher education I found my excitement and love for reading faded with each passing year. The freedom to read the books I wanted decreased as I got accustomed to reading assigned books that didn’t continue lighting the flame to read. It was only after graduation that I started reading more and rekindled my relationship with reading. I want our youth to have a strong relationship with books so they will retain their love for reading and the imagination, creativity, and knowledge that comes with it.

Research has proven that children who read more at a young age are more likely to read later into their adult lives. In addition, leisure readers are more likely to achieve higher rates of academic and professional success, as well as become more civically engaged.

The books I’m giving away are from times when I went to book fairs at school, local bookstores, and regrettably unreturned books from the library (I forgot, I promise!).

The books and series I grew up with were Captain Underpants, a Series of Unfortunate Events, Choose Your Own Adventure, Goosebumps, Animorphs, among countless others.

I encourage you or anyone you know who are giving out treats this year to take a look at your bookshelf, box of books in the garage, attic or wherever you can find books, to pass them on to our youth. And if you don’t have any books and are able to, perhaps pick some up at your local thrift and discount store to pass out—if you can buy new books, even better!

Let’s remind our youth the fun in reading, the joy of learning and the value of stories and knowledge.

What books did you grow up with? Which books will you give out this year?

Happy Halloween and Happy Reading! “There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” –Marcel Proust This post was originally published on westsidescholar.wordpress.com

[thegreenpapaya]

The "Open Secret" of abused Hmong child bride goes public in Minnesota lawsuit

At the age of 14, Panyia Vang was allegedly a victim of rape and was left impregnated before being bond to a traditional Hmong Marriage. Now at the age off 22, Vang seeks $450,000 from the American citizen who allegedly sexually abused her. Originally born and raised in the Laos countryside, she had aspirations of becoming a singer but was one day misled to take an all-expense paid trip to Vientiane, Laos to audition for a music video and meet with a local movie star. After arriving to Vientiane, she was introduced to 43-year-old Thiawachu Prataya who said her new clothes for her auditions were waiting in a suitcase in his hotel room. It was there that she claimed in a lawsuit that Prataya raped her. When she attempted to run away that night, he captured her and raped her again, she alleged in the lawsuit. After Prataya learned that Vang was pregnant months later, he forced her into marriage. She now lives in Hennepin County, Minnesota and nears Prataya's residence in Minneapolis where she arrived in the U.S. through a sponsor from her father, an asylee who lived in Minnesota. However, she required that Prataya who was an American citizen to bring their child from Laos. Though she settled in Minnesota with her child in 2007, Prataya alledgely continued to force her into sexual encounters with him by blackmailing her through holding her immigration documents and threatening to take her baby away. Vang's story brings up critical issues of child sex tourism, and allegations of initial rape in Laos and subsequent forced marriage in America. This story is familiar to Minnesota's 90,000 Hmong population which is the country's second largest after California. Sia Her, executive direction of the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, when growing up in St. Paul, took notice of how adolescent girls would be on the arms of older Hmong American men and how these young wives would suffer abuse. Now older, Her hopes that the suit will change the community's perception so that more cases like Vang's can see the light and to encourage other young women to let their voices be heard. Read the full story: Washington Post

[ayegeelee-deactivated20190106]

Sexual Violence, Sexuality, & Self Harm

Content Warning: Sexual Violence and Suicide About 5 days ago, I attempted suicide for a 2nd time ever in my life.  I’ve contemplated many times throughout my life, but only attempted 2 times. I’ve been trying to come to terms with my sexual orientation and understanding my queerness at deeper levels.  I’m starting to see how closely my sexual identity is intertwined with trauma of sexual violence and how it is associated with my feelings towards people.

Growing up, I never really had male figures who showed me love.  The presence of my father was invisible and so was my brother’s love.  However, there was one person who showed me love.  I was 7 years old and he was like 14.  He was my babysitter, the one my family would leave me with when they were at work or still at school.  He was a neighbor.  He was someone that would protect me from the bullies and take care of me.  I truly admired him a lot, but I think he began loving me too much. I don’t really talk about this much, but I feel like I need to as it is a process of healing.  I was sexually assaulted and molested a young child by this man.  I tried closely to erase as much of this from my head, and I have by forgetting most of the details.  However,  I still remember how I felt when it all happened.  I felt worthless, extremely vulnerable, and simply did not want to exist anymore.  I remember having thoughts of wanting to die at this very young age.  It also didn’t help that I felt I was the core reason my mom was sick because it was after me when she was diagnosed with diabetes.

I genuinely believe that my experiences and trauma associated with this man has strongly shaped my sexuality.  It is a strong reason why I am attracted to masculinity, there is a part of me that wants to fill a avoid that has been taken from me by masculine men.  This is also why I haven’t had sex yet.  I’ve had several opportunities in college, but refused because it’s too triggering for me. I’m still on this painful journey of understanding myself and trying to wrap myself on the complexities of my identity.  I’m trying to understand how trauma is carefully weaved into my experience and how I tend to go overboard with my actions.  Just as far as wanting to take my own life.   The person who I had loved did not love me back.  It’s a simple fact of life, that this shit happens and its OKAY!  However, it wasn’t okay with me.  It brought me back to moments of sexual violence, where I felt extremely vulnerable where I loved someone hurt me bad.  I felt that empty void again that slowly consumed me where I felt that death could cure me of this pain.   If it were for my one friend who actively reached out to me that night, I probably wouldn’t have been here.  Like homegurl called like 20x, used many avenues to get a hold of me, and eventually called the police.  The police actually made me feel shittier, cause they were hella condescending, but thats besides the point.  I think the most important part that made me want to throw up the medicine I swallowed (besides the fact my body rejecting it), was her.  She showed me that love exists in many forms and reminded me that I am loved, and people do love me.  It gave me a reason to live, but I still think I need to find my own reasons to live.  It should be because I love myself, but I’m far away from that.  I’ll take my time and hope all is good. I also feel hella bad, because I threw so much shade at her, I like lashed out all my insecurities at her all that night.  I was angry that she called the police and etc when I shouldn’t have.  I hope everything is going to be okay, but I think within time we will heal.  My parents don’t know what happened that night and It’s probably better for them not to know. I think right now, I just need to genuinely do me, because I’m realizing how broken I am.     

[thegreenpapaya]

Action Alert: Sign-On to Letter Telling Congress that Southeast Asian Americans SUPPORT Syrian Refugees

The surge of Syrian refugees seeking humanitarian protection has recently made national headlines as one of the biggest crises of our time. Unfortunately, anti-immigrant and anti-refugee groups are dominating the conversation with increasingly divisive language. Their hateful rhetoric challenges the humanitarian responsibility that once welcomed Southeast Asians into the United States following decades of war, trauma and genocide.

On October 8, the House Judiciary Committee will be holding a hearing entitled "Terrorist Threat from Refugees." It is important for Congress to hear from the Southeast Asian American community, who represent the largest group of refugees ever resettled in the United States.

SEARAC is submitting a statement in support of increasing the number of Syrian refugees accepted into the country. Will you to support? Click here to read the statement and sign on. Deadline is Tuesday, October 6.

Originally posted on SEARAC.

[thegreenpapaya]

Action Alert! Tell ICE to release Chea back to his US citizen wife and children!

Protesters are rallying now in San Francisco to tell ICE to release Chea Bou from detention and stop his deportation. Even if you are not in CA, you can join the action. Call Sarah Saldaña, ICE Director, 202-732-3000 Sample script: "My name is _______, and I am calling to ask ICE Director Saldaña to review the case of Chea Bou (A025 020 938), an Oakland-area man currently detained in Dallas, Texas, and awaiting deportation. I am deeply concerned about the Dallas Field office's denials of prosecutorial discretion in his case given that: Mr. Bou has been living in the US for 35 years, is married to a US citizen, and has three US citizen children, two of whom are minors. Mr. Bou arrived to the US as a refugee fleeing the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the extreme violence and terror he witnessed at a very young age. Although Mr. Bou got caught up in a drug conspiracy case at his place of employment four years ago, this was a first time offense for which he served his time of 12 months and one day. His family has already undergone extreme loss. In 2006, they lost a son to community violence, and just three years ago, they lost another son to leukemia. Mr. Bou's wife, Sambath, struggles to support their family on her own. Because she works long and late hours at a factory, she must leave her kids with a relative to bring them to school each day. The family feels a great financial burden in the absence of Mr. Bou. Mr. Bou lives a very active faith life. He has been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1985, volunteering at events and donating money to support the local Cambodian community. He clearly poses no threat to the community and only seeks to reunite with his loved ones.

[asiansdoingeverything]

Name Krysada Phounsiri Location San Diego, CA, USA What do you do? I am a dancer (Bboy Lancer), poet (Dance Among Elephants), photographer (Snap Pilots), and a systems engineer for a biotech company. I feel that each avenue of my life presents their own unique challenges. I love breaking, it’s what I love to do the most, yet I get the most hate/criticism for my passions. Equally, I get the most love from it as well. Writing a work of poetry was a means to tap into my life/family’s/community’s history. I am Lao-American, and to gain visibility on our stories and our issues is a struggle on its own. Added with the numerous rejection letters I’ve gotten to submit my work, it’s still challenge to tap into the places where I want to inspire. Photography is another passion that I truly want to grow in, the struggle there is not being able to fully express myself in it as that requires me to pretty much quit my job, which I can’t. As you stated in the description, we are passionate about things not connected to a paycheck. I’m constantly trying to figure out a way to make it happen, but bills need to be paid and I am supporting my parents financially at the moment. More Bboy Lancer, ProDance, Unearth) | Dance Among Elephants | Snap Pilots Share what you do. http://bit.ly/ADEsubmit.

[thegreenpapaya]

Life After the Bombs

“Decades ago when I stood on the riverbank in Vientiane, I pondered a question I knew I’d never be able to answer. How could seemingly rational people—Americans like me—imagine they could win the war in Vietnam by subjecting Laos to such indiscriminate destruction? When I wrote that a secret war was being fought in Laos, it made headlines around the world. In truth the U.S. military intervention in Laos, which began in the 1950s and lasted until 1974, never had been secret. All you had to do was ask any Laotian what was happening in the country. Every lady selling lotus blossoms in the morning market, every rickshaw boy offering you every imaginable enticement, knew all about not just the Ho Chi Minh Trail but the secret CIA army and the secret U.S. bombing of civilian populations. They also knew about the secret U.S. involvement in the opium trade.

In 1968, the year of the Tet Offensive in neighboring Vietnam, I took a group taxi from the Mekong lowlands to the Bolovens Plateau. When the driver refused to go farther, I walked on. U.S. fighter bombers screeched overhead. On the horizon, along the tree line, I saw scurrying figures in camouflage. It was the only time during the war that I actually saw North Vietnamese troops—or U.S. warplanes dropping bombs. I was 23, yearning to uncover the truth.” Read More: National Geographic

[thegreenpapaya]

"Dance Among Elephants" Pre-Sale

Just two months ago, was the announcement of Lao-American Krysada Binly Panusith Phounsiri's poetry-collection "Dance Among Elephants". Now on the 40th year since the Lao Diaspora, the book has arrived and is available for pre-sale!  Featuring 75-pages of original photography and poetry, Binly expresses and explores his family experiences and struggles in the context of the Lao Diaspora.    The pre-sale price will be $15.00 from it's original retail value of $19.99. You can pre-order Binly's debut book here. 

"Becoming a reality in this galaxy. Pre-orders are now available. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Lao Diaspora. I'm honored to have my poems out this year to reflect that and my personal movement. Read this post for more info. I'm feeling the warmth hitting me. smile emoticon" 

-Posted on Krysada Binly Panusith Phounsiri's Facebook

Digital Mockups Posted on Sahtu Press' Facebook Page

[yersays]

[thegreenpapaya]

"The Love Market" is a documentary that features ethnic minority groups including the Hmong and the Mien people of Sapa, a remote town in Northern Vietnam. In the film, the customs of marriage, love and sex of the Hmong and the Mien are explored in the context of the Love Market. This Love Market is an annual market of a long Hmong Tradition where married or single people go to love without restraint.

[asafo2020-deactivated20171024]

Solidarity

[thegreenpapaya]

Hi, This is Gaolee. If you're reading this, hopefully it means that you're interested in supporting my asylum-seeking/refugee friends in Thailand.  The man in the middle of the photo was an asylum seeker whom I met while working as a translator/English teacher in Bangkok. I became close to his family, and they are finally reaching out to me for help; it's been a year since I've last seen them.  They've done a tremendous job living on their own in a country they've had to call their new home. Everyone takes part in keeping food on the table; they survive by depending on each other. The young ones are in school, the older girls found work in factories, and the men are gone for days if not weeks at their jobs. Their story is actually the story of many who are just like them in Bangkok, but I happen to be one of the people they are reaching out to for help. I am giving his family money in order to help them pay for their rent for this month. However, I'm not sure it will be enough; I barely make enough to save, given that I have a huge debt from graduating a 4-year university and other responsibilities. I cannot give them as much as I'd like to at this moment. I want to support them in any way possible, though, which is why I'm seeking your help. If a few people donated, it could honestly help them pay for their rent right now. Their rent need is very cheap compared to American standards - less than $100 total will do for this month. However, if more than a few people chose to give, and they had enough to pay for their rent from these donations, I would store away what is left of the fund in case they need help again in the future. If all you have is $5 worth of change, that'd be enough to support these people. I am asking friends and family who know me and are familiar with what I did while I was in Thailand in regards to refugee assistance. If you do not know me or their story but would like to in order to decide whether you'd like to give, please send me a comment/message. To help these asylum seekers, please donate here.  I thank you on behalf of these asylem seekers in need and myself. Ua tsaug ntau. -Gaolee Vang (Originally posted on Go Fund Me)

[thegreenpapaya]

Current undergraduate and graduate Hmong students, Hmong National Development (HND) will be awarding a one-time Educational Scholarship for $1,000! Deadline to apply is Dec. 15, 2014 at Midnight (Central Time)! Details: tinyurl.com/HNDscholarship2014

[thegreenpapaya]

On Mike Brown, Eric Garner and My Family's Experience

On Mike Brown, Eric Garner and my family's experience:

When my family arrived to the U.S., they stayed in an impoverish Black apartment complex, down the street from the Buddhist temple that sponsored our asylum, in East Palo Alto. It was later torn down so an IKEA could be built right on top of it.

When I interviewed my mother for a family history project, she, in her early days here, didn't expect the U.S. to be filled with what was reminiscent of the Vietnam War. "Although we never experienced the war there, I feel there is a war here between our neighbors and the police," she reflected.

"How could the best country in the world let some people wither away through addiction, self-abuse, and violence? I had never been so afraid and confused in my life." Here, she learned about race in the U.S., and to this day, she holds onto this heavy, heavy baggage - not everyone is equal.

Although my older brothers were picked on by their Black peers, they and I nonetheless connected with the stories and spirituality of the Black experience through soul and hip hop music. Although our parents interpreted race relations differently, we all agreed that there is something incredibly wrong when particular populations are continually disadvantaged and treated differently.

Today, as someone who fluidly identifies as an Asian Pacific American, Southeast Asian, and Vietnamese American, I continue to look to the Black community for inspiration on how, all of us, could work to move toward a place more equal than this, together. ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬  -Son Chau (Originally posted on Facebook)

[solongfarewell42069]

It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, it’s just because I can’t. It’s because I don’t know how. I’m still trying to tell you. I’m still holding on so tightly to the stitched words and patched up language of my childhood. Even in my perfect English, There are some things I just don’t know how to say. Xong phim is a Vietnamese word that does not exist in English. It means I am done. It means I am through with you. I am at the end of my rope.

Alex Dang, Broken Tongues (via cactuslungs)