3rd Annual API Youth Summit

Presented by State Senator Mark Leno, CYC & AYAN

A day-long conference to empower Asian and Pacific Islander youth (age 14-20) through
workshops and presentations on topics including self-esteem, identity, conflict mediation,
violence prevention and building coalition.

Community Vigil to Address Violence and Racial Tension in Southeast San Francisco and Honor Life of Huan Chen

Chinese for Affirmative Action announced details of a Thursday, April 8, 6:30 p.m., community vigil to honor the life of Huan Chen, who passed away on March 19, and to raise awareness about the need to address violence and racial tension in Southeast San Francisco. Chen was attacked on March 22 on a light rail platform.

The vigil is being organized by a group of community members – Sally Chan, Allison Chen, Linda Chu, Calvin Hom, Edward Hom, Sharon Hom, Norman Fong, Joe Huang, Michael Leung, Vincent Pan, Roger Tan, Michael Yip, Emily Yuen, Eddy Zheng – who met at the offices of Chinese for Affirmative Action to discuss the recent violence along the Third Street light rail in Southeast San Francisco on April 4th .

The theme of the vigil is “Stop the Violence, Start the Healing” and will begin at 6:30 p.m. at 3rd Street and Palou Avenue. The organizers are inviting all members of all communities to participate. The organizers see the vigil as an important step in the community’s healing process and a way to demand that the recent violence stop.

Edward Hom, one of the active organizers, said “The point of the vigil is to show that we are united against violence. There will be more actions to come because these are long-term problems, but for right now, we want the community to come together to start the process.”

Joe Huang, who lives in the Bayview, said “All of us who live in this neighborhood and this City are safer and stronger if we support one another. Coming to the vigil is just one way of doing that.”

Allison Chen, a resident in Southeast San Francisco, said, “Those of us who live in this area know that there are many problems that are difficult to talk about and difficult to address. But if we don’t start now, when will we ever?”

Vincent Pan, executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, expressed, “Our organization is doing what we can to support these new leaders — we believe that tremendous untapped power and potential is in the community and with the people.”

About the Event

Facing deportation after 21 years behind bars, Eddy Zheng is grateful just to be breathin’. With music by DOSH and poetry by Paul Dosh, this artistic collaboration brings Eddy Zheng to the stage to tell the remarkable story of the movement he created that freed him from prison and now fights for the rights of Asian prisoners in California. A national advisory board member of the Asian American Law Journal, Eddy Zheng is the recipient of the Asian Law Students Outstanding Leadership Award and the Chinese World Journal Community Hero Award, the editor of Other: An Asian and Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology, and now works for the San Francisco Community Youth Center.

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