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UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, Guest Speaker
» Engagements
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Spoke about U.S. immigration policy, to Professor Bill On Hing’s class of approximately 85 people.
SF State University, Guest Speaker
» Engagements
San Francisco, CA
Spoke about the Community Response Network, to approximately 30 broadcasting students.
UCSF, Guest Speaker
» Engagements
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Spoke about the health impacts of incarceration, to approximately 40 future doctors, dentists, community health workers.
Camp Sweeney, Guest Speaker
» Engagements
San Leandro, CA
Spoke at one of Alameda County’s juvenile facilities, on the importance of education, respect and accountability, to approximately 100 youth.
Sponsored by National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
2008 Reflections
» Engagements
The year of 2008 breezed by like a sparrow riding with the wind of a tornado. Sometimes I don’t even remember all the things that have had happened in my life.
I’ve been in the “Free World” for 22 months. However, I feel like I’ve been here all along. Who would’ve thought that I am still in the United States? My immigration status remains the same – deported. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is still waiting to secure my travel document from the Chinese government so it can process my deportation. I’m still under ICE’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. I have to check in with ICE three times a month. My appeal in the ninth circuit court of appeal has been pending for over two years. I have no idea when the court will issue a decision.
Therefore, my status in the US is still uncertain. Fortunately, with the support and dedication of my friend Ben Wang, we were able to secure the commitment from Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Mike Honda to express their support to sponsor a private bill on my behalf to stop my deportation in the 2009 congress. With Obama as the president, hopefully my chance of getting the private bill passed increases. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, I continued to work full time in the Community Youth Center (CYC) of San Francisco. Since my 20 months of employment in CYC, I was promoted three times. Currently, I’m the Senior Project Coordinator responsible for two components that work on decreasing the violence in the schools and the community – the Community Response Network – Asian Pacific Islander (CRN-API) and Intervention.
The stigma of being a formerly incarcerated person has worked for me and against me. There are those who will continue to doubt me. That’s fine. As the saying goes, “You can lead a cow to water, but you cannot force it to drink.” One thing remains unchanged for me is my dedication to service the youth and community to the best of my ability. I find it extremely rewarding to be able to utilize my experiences to provide services to the often under-funded and under-served API population. Therefore, it is humbling to be accepted and validated by most of my peers and community for what I do. Because when you give me a chance, you give thousands of other an opportunity to change their lives.
I have attached a chronology of some of the things that I’ve done this year. They are the direct results of your support and faith in me.
In my reflection of this year, I realize that sometimes I’m disconnected with society. There’re so many things that I did not learn or understand as a result of my incarceration. Therefore, sometimes I unknowingly hurt the people I care about, myself included. At times, I find myself thinking that being in prison is better than being in the so called “Free World.” I feel like I am living in a lie and that my life is one big lie.
I know that I have much to reflect on and take direct actions to make changes. That’s why I ask all of you to keep me humble and continue to guide me in this finite journey of life.
Thank you for being there for me and being my mentors. Your presence in my life reminds me of how rich and lucky I am.
As we embrace the year of 2009, let’s continue to be kind and loving to ourselves so we can pass the same loving kindness to others.
May you and your families be happy and healthy.
My heart bows to you,
Your humble servant,
Eddy Zheng
2008 Engagments
» Engagements
January 15, 2008
presentation on gangs at Francisco Middle School, spoke to approximately 45 youth in Cantonese
January 17, 2008
guest speaker at Jame Deman Middle School for the Silence to Violence week, spoke to approximately 120 youth
January 25, 2008
spoke at the press conference with Chinese media to sponsor Senator Leland Yee’s SB1199, which allow youth who were sentenced to life without parole a chance to apply for parole after serving 25 years
February 3, 2008
tabling at the Oakland museum with East Wind book store for the Lunar festival book presenter to promote the book “Other, an Asian & Pacific Islander Prisoners’ anthology.”
February 7, 2008
spoke at the public hearing on violence prevention at 101 Gough
February 20, 2008
gave a presentation to Professor Dao’s class at San Francisco State University Burk Hall, approximately 40 students were presented
February 23, 2008
Keynote speaker and panelist for Bay Area Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, received Outstanding Leadership Award of 2008, spoke to approximately a hundred people
February 26, 2008
gave presentation at Longfellow Middle school of Berkeley, California to approximately a hundred students
February 26, 2008
hosted a 26 members Chinese delegation from People’s Republic of China and presented a talk on public safety
February 29, 2008
gave a presentation at Youth Chance High to six students
March 5, 2008
gave presentation in Professor Dariotis’ class at San Francisco State University to approximately 40 students
March 5, 2008
attended Community Youth Center’s gala and performed original slam poem “Ahh Imagine”
March 12, 2008
gave presentation at Professor Russell Jeung’s class at SFSU to approximately 40 students
March 15, 2008
panelist and presentation at the Challenging the Myth symposium at SFSU, approximately 200 people were presented
March 19, 2008
gave presentation at Professor Eric Mar’s class at SFSU to approximately 40 students
April 4, 2008
gave presentation at Chinatown YMCA to approximately 15 youth
April 8, 2008
Keynote speaker at the 7th Annual Ethnic Studies Conference at UC Berkeley, there were approximately 500 people presented
April 17, 2008
gave presentation at Mission College at Santa Clara on “Other: an Asian & Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology” to approximately 80 people
April 28, 2008
gave presentation at Roosevelt Middle school in Oakland to approximately 100 people
April 29, 2008
gave presentation at Skyline High school’s Asian Youth Society to approximately 15 students
May 5, 2008
written and performed the poem “Pass it On” at the 30th annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration in the Hearst Theatre to approximately 200 people
May 6, 2008
book reading and presentation at John Adams campus of City College of San Francisco to approximately 25 people
May 8, 2008
gave speeches at Skyline High school’s Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Assembly to approximately 1,400 students
May 13, 2008
East Meets West author talk and book signing at downtown campus of City College of San Francisco to approximately 65 people
May 20, 2008
gave presentation at Havenscourt Middle School from 8am to 3pm to approximately 150 students
May 22, 2008
Master of Ceremony for Asian and Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership’s 10th anniversary celebration
May 27, 2008
presentation at Oakland’s Lincoln Square playground to approximately 25 youth
May 30, 2008
bully presentation at Galileo High school from 9am to 4pm to approximately 150 students
June 3, 2008
presentation at Palo Alto High from 7:50am to 3:15pm to approximately 300 students
June 3, 2008
presentation at Camp Sweeney, Alameda county to approximately 150 youth
July 9, 2008
TV interview with CYC’s Executive Director Sarah Wan at TV-36
July 15, 2008
presentation at Alameda Probation Center to approximately 60 youth and adults
July 22, 2008
presentation at De Anza college with Yuri Kochiyama, Marlo, and Loan Dao to Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute to approximately 70 students and faculty
July 24, 2008
presentation at James Denman Middle School to approximately 60 students and adults
July 30, 2008
presentation at Petaluma Kamp to approximately 50 CYC’s summer program middle and high school students
August 22, 2008
moderator for the first CYC/AYAN and Assemblyman Mark Leno’s Asian Pacific Islander youth summit at the State building
September 27, 2008
conducted a workshop at the Critical Resistance 10 conference on Voices of Asian Prisoners to approximately 35 people
October 21, 2008
gave a presentation at CYC to six supreme court judges from Beijing, China accompanied by San Francisco juvenile Judge Sing and staff from DuiHa
October 28, 2008
presentation at East Bay Hayward college to approximately 45 freshmen students on the Prison Industrial Complex
October 29, 2008
presentation at Galileo High’s Chinese class to approximately 30 students on Asian gang and the importance of education
October 29, 2008
presentation at Balboa High’s Scare Stiff program to approximately 15 students on the importance of education and self respect
November 15, 2008
presentation at the Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) conference in San Francisco to approximately 30 people on my transformation and experience as a facilitator in prison
November 17, 2008
presentation at Galileo High school on Asian gang issues to approximately 15 staff
November 18, 2008
presentation at UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies freshmen class on the Prison Industrial Complex to approximately 30 students
November 20, 2008
presentation at the California Wellness Foundation sponsored Violence Prevention Conference on the Community Response Network to reduce violence in the city of San Francisco to approximately 50 people
December 11, 2008
presentation at Laney college, Oakland with the Asian Prisoners’ Support Committee to approximately 35 students on the Prison Industrial Complex and issues involved the API population in prison
December 12, 2008
presentation at Galileo High’s college and career senior class on the importance of education and career choices to approximately 30 students
4th Annual Youth Justice Summit, Guest Speaker
» Engagements
Over 200 youth, families, youth agencies and community partners convened at the San Francisco Public Library to listen to expert panelists discuss violence intervention and prevention in schools, gang activity among youth, and the impact of the San Francisco gang injunctions on young people.
Galileo High School, Guest Speaker
» Engagements
Spoke on anti-violence and gangs, to approximately 50 kids.
10:45am – 3pm.
June Jordan School, Guest Speaker
» Engagements
Addressed morning assembly and three workshops
8:30 to 1:30 pm.
Spoke to approximately 200 students
Sentenced Home, Panelist
» Engagements
Panelist at the Film screening of Sentenced Home at San Francisco’s Koret Public Library, with Sin Yen Ling, Angie Junck, Keo, and Carol.
Sentenced Home
