More on: Arizona State University

Be the Change Within

Oct 03, 2011
» Reflections

It’s been a pleasure to be a guest lecturer at Arizona State University. I’m grateful for the invitation from professor Jeff Ow, Wendy Cheng and Kathy Nakagawa from the Asian Pacific American Studies to allow me to kickoff the second annual National Ethnic Studies week in ASU. I was able to share with approximately 300 students from all diverse backgrounds. I was encouraged by some of their presence.

I’m also grateful for the presence of my host, tour guide, photographer, bodyguard and chauffeur Bryan Smith and his lovely wife Alison for their generosity and hospitality. It’s great to have good friends in difference places.

10-3-2002

When it comes to visiting in the Ad Seg, the person(s) come to visit is/are always a surprise. I never know who’s coming to see me until I see the person. I was called for a visit at eleven o’clock. It’s Thursday. Most of my friends work on weekdays so I had no idea who’s coming to see me. I was glad none the less. I didn’t have to wait long to find out who came up. S surprised me. I didn’t recognized her from a distant. She was much calmer than the S I remember. It’s been three years since the last time we talked or saw each other. We had a great visit. We talked about many topics: personal, politic, education, prison, etc. I felt we’re old friends. Somehow, we were able to visit for two hours and twenty minutes. The Officer must’ve forgotten about us. I loved it. I wrote S and sent her my poem, the proposal letter to politicians and guideline to write support letters. I appreciate her friendship. I asked her to visit Mike. She’s doing well.

I received the wedding invitation from K. I hope she’ll be happy. I got two letters from J. she’s a good and detailed story teller. She shared pretty much everything with me. Her partner is jealous of me because we write to each other often and in great volume. I wrote her back and sent her the 9^th circuit decision. She’ll be back in April.

I wrote B a brief letter to thank her and V for their support. I wrote PLO W and told him I will go forward with the hearing. I also asked him to confirm his role as my attorney. I know he don’t like my decision, but I have to call the shots this time. I still don’t trust him completely. I’ll fire him if necessary.

I pray that things will work out for Rico and Mike tomorrow. Rico received a response from Barbara Lee. She forwarded the letter to Senator Prerata. Hopefully he’ll look into the situation with us.

May our families and friends are well.

Be the Change Within, Guest Lecturer

Oct 03, 2011
» Engagements

October 1-7 is National Ethnic Studies Week and the School of Social Transformation invites the ASU community to a lecture on October 3 and a teach-in/panel discussion on October 6 to mark the occasion.

Activist, community organizer, and former prisoner Eddy Zheng will speak about his experiences and perspectives concerning youth, education, immigration, and the prison industrial complex, as well as coming into political consciousness while reading ethnic studies texts behind bars.

Eddy Zheng is a Chinese immigrant who spent 21 years of his life in prison for crimes he committed at the age of 16. Since his return to the free world, Eddy has dedicated his life to serving the youth and communities of the greater Bay Area. Currently Eddy is a Project Manager with the Community Youth Center of San Francisco. He is a Mayor Appointee of the San Francisco Reentry Council, a member of the board of directors for the San Francisco’s Neighborhood Vision Project, a national advisory board member of the Asian American Law Journal, a member of the Community Police Advisory Board, and the co-chair of Asian Prisoners Support Committee, based in Oakland. Eddy led a book project that culminated in the publication of Other: An Asian and Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology and is the subject of a forthcoming documentary, “Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story.” He hopes to use his experiences to inspire and motivate young people to invest in their education, raise awareness about the detrimental impact that the prison industrial complex has on the Asian and Pacific Islander population, and promote racial harmony among people of color.

The talk will be introduced by Jeffrey Ow, lecturer in Asian Pacific American Studies in the School of Social Transformation.

Organized by Jeffrey Ow and Wendy Cheng

For more information, contact Professor Wendy Cheng.