Arriving With Our Stories
February 28, 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Speakers: Borey “Peejay” Ai, Chanthon Bun, Maria Legarda, & Nghiep “Ke” Lam
In collaboration with: Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality & Asian Prisoner Support Committee
About
Co-presented by Asian Americans for Civil Rights & Equality and Asian Prisoner Support Committee (APSC), Edge on the Square celebrates the closing of Walking Stories, featuring readings from Asian Prisoner Support Committee’s recent anthology, Arriving: Freedom Writings of Asian and Pacific Islanders, and a panel discussion with APSC4.
Arriving: Freedom Writings of Asian and Pacific Islanders weaves together powerful stories of Asian American and Pacific Islanders journeying from migration to school to prison to deportation to reentry and beyond. These nuanced voices intimately express the pain, regret, grief, forgiveness, resilience, love, and hope that come with personal transformation. This courageous anthology explores what it means to be in the process of arriving—in a moment, in a memory, in a dream, in a home, in yourself—when we dare to heal.
These stories, like those represented in Walking Stories, showcase the multifaceted nature of human existence and how in sharing our narratives, we can cultivate interconnectedness, empathy and invested involvement in the world around us.
About the collaborators
Borey “Peejay” Ai
As a Community Advocate at APSC, Peejay Ai advocates for policies to end the impact of the migration-to-prison-to-school-to-deportation pipeline, leads in coalition spaces to help end mass incarceration, and supports anti-deportation defense campaigns.
Peejay is one of 4 APSC staff members at risk for deportation. Since his release from ICE detention 5 yrs ago, Peejay has been an invaluable advocate for communities impacted by incarceration and deportation.
Chanthon Bun
As the Reentry Coordinator at APSC, Chanthon Bun supports people to enroll in educational opportunities, find housing & employment, and speak publicly about the experiences of incarcerated people and the impacts of incarceration and deportation in the community. Bun is one of 4 formerly incarcerated APSC staff members at risk for deportation. Bun’s lived experiences and leadership help inform APSC’s work, in which his contribution to our community is truly valuable.
Nghiep “Ke” Lam
As the Reentry Navigator at APSC, Nghiep 'Ke' Lam provides reentry support for people returning home after incarceration. Ke aids formerly incarcerated people in seeking housing, enrolling in education opportunities, and providing job assistance and other resources needed for successful reentry. Ke is one of 4 APSC staff members at risk for deportation. Since Ke joined APSC, our org thanks to his leadership, has been able to center the needs of impacted people. Ke is a huge asset to our community, and his crucial work is valuable and needed.
Maria Legarda
As the Re-entry Consultant at APSC Maria Legarda is passionate about women’s rights, ending the deportation of immigrant and refugee communities, and healing the systematic trauma of incarceration. She uses her lived experiences to inform her work and advocacy at APSC. APSC’s work is directly led and informed by our impacted staff members. Without the invaluable experience of people like Maria, APSC would not be able to successfully serve our community.
About the Anthology, ARRIVING: Freedom Writings of Asian and Pacific Islanders
This anthology of writings captures the lived experiences of incarcerated Asian Pacific Islanders in prison in hopes of bringing broader attention to the social injustices faced. It is the intent that their stories shed light on their struggles and experiences. Over 30 courageous voices intimately express the grief, love, and hope that accompany the journey to arriving--in a moment, in memory, in a home, in yourself. A project of the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, ARRIVING builds on APSC's first groundbreaking anthology, Other: an Asian & Pacific Islander Prisoner's Anthology published in 2007.
This anthology captures the lived experiences of incarcerated Asian Pacific Islanders in prison in hopes of bringing broader attention to this social injustice faced by APIs. We believe that these stories shed light on this pipeline, expose it, and interrupt it. However, shedding light on this issue is not enough. It is crucial that we take action to address the systemic racism and oppression that API communities face in the criminal legal system.
We must push for policies and reforms that prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration instead of punishment and exclusion. We must also work to change the narrative around APIs in the media and public discourse, recognizing the unique struggles and experiences they face.We hope this anthology will heal, inspire, and empower readers to take action, make change, and build solidarity with people impacted by the carceral system.
