[0:00] Welcome to the ONS podcast with your [0:03] host Lana Jacobson. [0:05] >> Good day community. It is the ONS [0:07] podcast brought to you by our partners [0:09] at Face to Face Academy. For those who [0:11] are tuning in for the first time, ONS [0:13] stands for Office of Neighborhood [0:14] Safety. I'm your host, Lenia Jacobson, [0:17] and I'm part of the ONS team. This [0:19] podcast was created for departments like [0:21] ours and community organizations to [0:23] connect you to alternative public safety [0:26] measures, programs, and your local [0:27] growth and healing opportunities. [0:30] Today's guest, we have Minnesota 8. [0:35] Please welcome co-founder and executive [0:37] director, Mont Chum. Take 30 seconds and [0:40] tell us about yourself. [0:42] >> Um, hi again. My name is Mont Chum. I [0:45] have four children. [0:47] >> Okay. two grandchildren. I really just [0:50] love community and love life. I've, you [0:53] know, now been doing this work for [0:54] almost 9 years and I'm just so grateful [0:57] and blessed to be able to really help [0:59] community in ways that I never thought [1:02] was possible. [1:03] >> And for our audience, Mata does not look [1:05] like a grandma. So kudos to you, girl. [1:09] Okay. So, what is your favorite food to [1:11] cook? [1:12] >> My favorite food to cook is a lama. [1:15] >> Okay. It's a Cambodian like or a [1:17] Southeast Asian like sweet and sour [1:19] soup. Not the traditional sweet and sour [1:21] soup that y'all are thinking about. I [1:22] mean, it's so flavorful, very pungent, [1:26] has like just lots of really good stuff. [1:29] >> Okay, so what's in it though? [1:30] >> The protein you could use is like [1:32] chicken, shrimp, beef riblets, fish. So [1:37] those are the protein, but then you have [1:38] like pineapples, lotus roots, okra. It's [1:42] wonderful. [1:43] >> I love okra. Is there a sauce like cuz [1:45] the soup do you pour it like over rice [1:47] or do you just eat it like [1:48] >> Well, everybody's different. I don't [1:50] like to mix my soups and like my rice. [1:53] You do eat it with rice. Okay. [1:54] >> But like tamarind flavor, so that's what [1:57] makes the sour flavor. [1:58] >> Okay. Okay. M. Okay. Which best [2:01] describes you? I'm okay with Minnesota [2:04] winters as long as we don't have a lot [2:05] of snow. Or I love love love the snow. [2:09] There's so much to do. [2:11] >> I love both. [2:12] >> Okay. I'm a true motan. I've been here [2:14] all my life since I came here escaping [2:17] the war. So, [2:18] >> okay. Thank you. Next to Mont, we have [2:21] Minnesota AIDS community organizer Kevin [2:23] Hoon. [2:24] >> Hello. [2:25] >> Hi. Kevin and I have had the pleasure of [2:27] meeting Duran Wilders's community equity [2:29] program. And he's one of my classmates. [2:32] And one of the things that I enjoyed [2:34] about Kevin is he keeps it very real. [2:36] like I can tell him stuff and he will [2:39] look at me like girl [laughter] [2:42] and what else happened and he's really [2:45] like he's very mannerable though so like [2:47] he won't say anything that could get us [2:50] in trouble when we be talking about [2:51] certain things me and Kevin have had [2:52] some conversations I'll just leave it at [2:53] that Kevin take 30 seconds and tell me [2:55] about yourself [2:56] >> yes hello my name is Kevin I am the [2:58] community organizer at Minnesota 8 I [3:01] grew up all my life here in Minnesota in [3:03] the outer suburbs came into the cities [3:05] for college and then stayed in [3:08] Minneapolis St. Paul, but specifically [3:10] to St. Paul. I grew up in the Frogtown [3:12] neighborhood just cuz Yeah, cuz my [3:14] grandma watched like my grandma and [3:16] grandpa babysat me. Um, so I have a lot [3:18] of memories on University Avenue and [3:21] Komo Lake is still my favorite to this [3:23] day. [3:23] >> Amen. I'm a Frogtown girl, too. Okay, so [3:26] Kevin, if you could go anywhere at the [3:29] expense of someone else, where would you [3:31] go? [3:32] >> I would go to Vietnam. Um, I haven't [3:35] been back since I was 8. Um, and I've [3:38] always wanted to go back. Um, I wanted [3:40] to go in 2020. Um, but the pandemic [3:42] happened so I wasn't able to go and so I [3:45] still haven't had the chance yet. [3:46] Hopefully, it's soon. [3:47] >> Okay. If you had an extra $4,000, [3:50] what would you do with it and why? And [3:52] tell the truth cuz so many people name a [3:55] charity or something like that and [3:57] because they think it's the right thing [3:58] to say and that's beautiful, but like we [4:01] spend a lot of time in this work taking [4:02] care of everybody else. So, what would [4:04] you do for you? [4:06] >> Yeah, $4,000. Um, [4:08] >> I think it would probably go to like a [4:11] down payment to a house. Like, I think [4:13] home ownership is something that is, you [4:16] know, on my mind. Um, as someone in [4:18] their 20s and so I want to be best [4:21] prepared to build that generational [4:24] wealth for my family that growing up I [4:26] did not have. [4:27] >> Awesome. Awesome. I would take care of [4:30] Amazon [4:31] [laughter] [4:32] cuz my Amazon bill is killing me right [4:34] now. Okay, so let's jump right into this [4:38] questions. We're going to start this [4:39] episode off different because most of [4:41] the time we jump right into the [4:42] questions and just start from there, but [4:45] we're going to do a little bit of [4:46] storytelling at the beginning of this [4:48] one because this is this is an [4:50] incredible story and it needs to be [4:51] told. So M, I'm going to ask you tell us [4:54] the story of Minnesota 8. [4:57] Yeah. So, it was August of 2016 um when [5:00] eight Cambodian men were picked up to be [5:02] deported to a country that most of them [5:05] never set foot in because our families [5:08] escaped the genocide and came to the [5:10] United States after like the war and we [5:13] were displaced here. Um and so one of [5:16] those individuals was my brother. He was [5:19] just a few months old when we came here. [5:21] And during that time there was an [5:24] increase in the nation about 279% in [5:26] Southeast Asian removal. And you know we [5:29] really didn't know what to do. We were a [5:31] ton of women and children who had never [5:33] organized before. I mean I came from a [5:35] medical finance accounting background [5:38] >> um and found myself being an organizer. [5:41] >> It was a lot of hard work. I think even [5:43] right now as we're going through the [5:46] experiences right now, it's really [5:47] ret-raumatizing [5:49] >> for me because I have a lot of survivors [5:51] guilt. Um during that time, we were also [5:55] um we literally knocked on everybody's [5:57] doors, legislators, we flew out to [6:00] Washington DC so many times just so that [6:03] anybody would be willing to hear us. And [6:05] we got a lot of nos before we finally [6:07] got like a yes. [sighs] And in the midst [6:10] of it, we were able to win the release [6:12] of three of the men. Unfortunately, five [6:15] of them were deported. And it was under [6:18] this very president 8 years ago. [6:22] >> We were also the first Southeast Asian [6:25] campaign. We were formerly called the [6:26] release Minnesota 8 campaign. Um, and [6:29] really made nationwide attention. And [6:31] that was also the reason why when the [6:33] sanctions had happened with Southeast [6:35] Asia back in 2017, the Minnesota 8 were [6:40] the first individuals that received [6:43] travel documents. There were threats [6:45] that were happening even though Cambodia [6:47] at the time wasn't accepting anybody. [6:49] They ended up putting our men on those [6:51] first few flights to be deported. [6:54] Thankfully during our campaign we were [6:56] able to have four of the guys that had [7:00] stays of removals that were granted and [7:01] that basically gave us the opportunity [7:04] to really go back into immigration court [7:06] to fight for these guys. And mind you [7:09] these are men and women also but our [7:12] campaign in explicitly is is around the [7:15] eight Cambodian men in Minnesota who've [7:17] lived here like almost all their lives. [7:18] like [7:19] >> we came here July of 1984. [7:21] >> Mhm. [7:22] >> And so these crimes, you know, they were [7:25] really crimes of poverty. If you guys [7:27] remember in the early8s there was the [7:29] refugee resettlement program that really [7:32] was a failed program for Southeast Asian [7:35] folks who really it was a way that [7:37] America was trying to hide what they [7:41] did. They secretly bombed our countries. [7:43] in Southeast Asia. We are to this day [7:45] the most heavily bombed countries under [7:48] US history. [7:49] >> So we I like to say like the reason why [7:52] our people are here is because America [7:54] was there. In fact, just two months ago, [7:58] some really celebrated and some, you [8:00] know, there's a lot of pain and hurt, [8:01] but [8:02] >> 50 years since our people came to the [8:04] United States because America was was [8:07] there. [8:08] >> And so we made nationwide attention. And [8:10] because of that, again, when this threat [8:13] had happened, our guys were the first [8:15] ones that were facing deportation, we [8:18] were able to go back and then win the [8:20] release of the three guys. But because [8:22] this administration fully came in, they [8:25] ended up appealing two of the guys to [8:26] the Board of Immigration Appeal. One of [8:29] them again was my brother. So, he ended [8:31] up being the longest person in ISIS [8:34] detention. And I'll share this. I mean, [8:36] I I would do the same for anybody, but [8:39] this was my baby brother. [8:40] >> Mhm. He broke a couple windows at a bar [8:43] and he broke the windows because he was [8:46] in a bar fight. Somebody it was out of [8:47] character and they were, you know, drunk [8:49] and and, you know, try to like have this [8:51] altercation with him. So, of course, he [8:53] was defending himself, but [8:55] >> he ended up being charged with property [8:58] damage and for immigration purposes, [8:59] it's considered an aggravated felony. [9:02] And over decades later was when this [9:05] happened and he was facing deportation. [9:07] And when he was sentenced, he was [9:10] sentenced to a year just for breaking a [9:12] couple windows. And we and we know that [9:14] like with anybody, if you're not a [9:15] person of color, you pro that probably [9:17] wouldn't have happened. But [9:18] >> because of the refugee resettlement [9:20] program that happened in the '8s and [9:22] then so the war on drugs and then all of [9:25] that and then the gang task force, [9:27] anything that they could do to tack that [9:29] on to our community members gave them [9:32] the ability to give them a larger [9:34] sentence. And in this case, just like [9:36] breaking a couple windows that was not [9:38] like intentional, right? He ended up [9:40] like facing deportation years later. And [9:42] that was based off the IRA IRA law that [9:44] was passed in 1996. And mind you, these [9:47] are all things I've learned over the [9:48] last nine years, like through my lived [9:50] experience, but I had never known this [9:52] before. So I was completely in this so [9:54] that I could not only save my brother, [9:56] but the other community members and [9:59] folks to come in the future. So during [10:02] that time, my brother's case [10:03] specifically was in Ramsey County. So we [10:06] were able to make systemic change. [10:08] Ramsey County didn't realize that the [10:10] way that he was sentenced would end up [10:13] impacting him long term. Mhm. [10:15] >> And so they learned a lot through our [10:16] year campaign. We worked with them quite [10:19] a bit and we were able to then get my [10:22] brother to be able to file what's called [10:25] postconviction relief. Okay. [10:27] >> And then we were able to get him [10:28] reentenced and then that ultimately was [10:32] they could no longer deport him. And so [10:34] because of that even though it was [10:36] appealed to the board of immigration [10:38] appealed appeals, they had to mandatory [10:40] release him because he was no longer had [10:42] like a final order of removal. Okay. [10:45] >> Mhm. Okay. [10:46] >> Yeah. And so with that, to this day, [10:48] Ramsey County Attorney's Office is the [10:50] only county attorney's office in the [10:52] state of Minnesota that has hired an [10:54] immigration attorney to work in their [10:56] office to help mitigate collateral [10:58] consequences. Okay. And we're so [11:00] thankful that through our crisis and [11:02] pain that our families experience, we [11:04] were able to make systemic change by [11:06] opening up the eyes of, you know, a [11:08] really big entity, right? That Yeah. So [11:13] your brother is still here. [11:15] >> He is still here. [11:16] >> Okay. Okay. Praise God. But [11:18] unfortunately, it seems that's how it [11:20] works with people of color, right? [11:22] There's always got to be some sort of [11:24] sacrifice, [11:26] >> you know, on behalf of our backs in [11:28] order to create change. And that's the [11:30] part that's upsetting. [11:33] >> Yeah. [11:33] >> Yeah. [11:34] >> So, what does the organization do to [11:37] this day for the St. Paul community? [11:40] >> Yeah. The Minnesota 8 right now um today [11:43] has I like to explain like four buckets [11:45] of work. So from the original release [11:48] Minnesota 8 campaign the work continues [11:50] in supporting our community members that [11:53] are facing detention and deportation. Um [11:55] so trying to see if there is legal [11:58] pathway um so just like Mont's brother's [12:00] case find a way to citizenship right [12:03] he's a citizen now and so that is one [12:06] part other parts include uh community [12:09] organizing base building u building [12:11] power within our youth um so we've in [12:13] the last 2 three years have had a youth [12:16] program over the summer where we would [12:19] help Asian-American youth in high [12:20] schools in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and [12:23] the suburbs really understand what it [12:25] means to be Asian-American and what [12:26] history comes with that identity. And [12:29] then lastly, we do advocacy. So, we are [12:33] at the capital here working on [12:35] legislation being in parts of coalition [12:38] to really work on bills that will affirm [12:42] our um immigrant communities um and [12:45] welcome them here in Minnesota. And so [12:48] to the question like which area and [12:50] population, we specifically serve uh [12:53] Southeast Asian folks, but we are [12:55] working in solidarity, right, with other [12:57] immigrant orgs and other orgs that serve [13:00] people of color and marginalized [13:01] communities. And so we are based in [13:03] Frogtown and a lot of Southeast Asians [13:06] are in Frogtown and the surrounding uh [13:08] neighborhoods as well. Um and if you you [13:10] know are in the metro area, you know the [13:12] significance of Southeast Asians in [13:15] Minnesota, in the Twin Cities. Um, I [13:17] think if you go to other uh metropolitan [13:19] areas across the United States, the [13:21] Asian populations are not always like [13:23] super Southeast Asian. So, that's like [13:25] one unique part of Minnesota's history. [13:28] And the other part that I really want to [13:29] highlight is Minnesota has had a history [13:31] of welcoming immigrants and refugees, [13:34] right? And so, that is something that [13:35] our state should continue to hold and um [13:38] be proud of. At the federal level, we're [13:40] not seeing that rhetoric be the same. [13:43] >> That part. So, I feel like you already [13:45] answered this. Do you have any other [13:47] support programs that you guys offer [13:49] helping the community rehabilitate and [13:51] thrive like for families who are [13:54] currently going through this or who have [13:56] been through this [13:58] >> because it's a tragedy when this happens [14:00] and like Mont said earlier, it can be [14:02] triggering especially with what's [14:04] reoccurring right now. [14:06] >> So, do you have any programs that are [14:08] helping community rehabilitate? [14:10] >> Yeah, thank you for the question. And I [14:12] think right now one of the best ways [14:14] that we can support our communities is [14:16] helping folks understand their rights. [14:18] So amen. [14:19] >> Yes. So uh providing those know your [14:21] rights trainings uh for people to [14:23] understand that you don't have to be a [14:25] citizen like there's are certain rights [14:27] that apply to everyone whether they are [14:29] a citizen or not. And so we really want [14:33] to help across all immigrant communities [14:36] as well. Um, and so we are part of the [14:38] immigrant defense network, which is a [14:40] network of different organizations [14:42] working with different immigrant [14:43] communities right now that are feeling a [14:46] lot of fear, feeling unsafe, not wanting [14:49] to go to the grocery store or eat out at [14:51] a restaurant because they are afraid of [14:52] what might happen to their parents, [14:55] brothers, sisters, children. And so [14:57] we're living in really scary times. And [15:00] providing that know your rights is one [15:02] way for folks to feel supported. Um the [15:05] other way is really um helping people [15:07] just find community um with these folks [15:10] who have been formerly incarcerated and [15:12] who are trying to build their lives and [15:14] continue to build their lives for the [15:16] last like 20 years find each other and [15:19] be together as they both are fearing the [15:21] same thing detention and deportation. [15:23] >> So I have a question that's not really [15:26] on the list but I'm hoping that you guys [15:27] can help me help me with this one. Is [15:30] there any sort of process that [15:33] immigrants can do to have like petty [15:35] things like that expuned or or taken? I [15:38] mean, like throwing a rock at a window. [15:41] >> Yeah. It's really unfortunate. [15:42] >> I have a whole lot of nasty words for [15:44] that. I mean, like, come on. [15:46] >> Yeah. It's awful. You know, I think we [15:49] get those questions a lot. I think for [15:52] us as impacted community members, those [15:54] were all the questions that like we [15:56] asked as well. Like my dad was a freedom [15:58] fighter for the United States, y'all. [16:00] Like it wasn't even honored, right? Like [16:02] a lot of the people that we're working [16:04] with right now, like their families fled [16:06] genocide and the majority of them were [16:09] actually freedom fighters for the United [16:11] States against like our very countries [16:14] because of the way that things were [16:15] framed. And so to your question, we [16:20] really tell our community members that [16:22] if they actually had anything expuned, [16:25] we want them to reverse it. [16:27] >> Okay. [16:27] >> Because it's actually not good for their [16:30] cases, no matter if it was [16:32] >> breaking a window or peeing on the side [16:34] of the road or whatever. Because what it [16:37] is is is that the way that it's [16:40] portrayed is that when you look at the [16:42] term aggravated felony, it's really just [16:46] an immigration term because my brother's [16:49] >> charge on a local level was actually a [16:52] gross misdemeanor, but for federal [16:54] purposes, it was an aggravated felony. [16:57] And so when people read about that, of [16:59] course, it looks really egregious, [17:01] right? But that's that wasn't the case. [17:03] And so we tell folks not to expune [17:05] anything. Expungements is really more [17:08] beneficial for those of us who are [17:10] United States citizens. [17:12] >> Okay? [17:12] >> But if you're a citizen, you wouldn't [17:14] even be put in this situation in the [17:16] first place, right? [17:17] >> Because then it would be like double [17:18] jeopardy. And in this case, it's really [17:20] just ambiguous, right? Like people are [17:22] being, you know, they already served all [17:24] their time and then they come back out [17:25] and then decades later now they're being [17:27] picked up going through ISIS detention [17:29] all over again. And like my brother [17:30] served 40 days of his 365day sentence, [17:33] but then spent over a year in ISIS [17:35] detention all across the United States. [17:38] >> But yeah, the expungement is not good [17:41] because it'll look like we're hiding [17:42] something, but it's not like really [17:45] >> that's what we do. Like that's what some [17:47] of the things that you can do, you know, [17:49] like legal pathways so that folks can [17:51] get a job or folks can get an apartment [17:53] and things like that, [17:54] >> right? But for immigration purposes, [17:56] it's actually really not good for our [17:58] community members. And so we we really [18:00] try to let folks know not to do that. [18:03] That we look for other pathways as I [18:05] mentioned earlier around like [18:07] postconviction relief or like a pardon, [18:10] etc. But it is very case specific. [18:12] >> Um, [18:13] >> and I'm talking about like some of these [18:16] some of these cases could be like I have [18:18] air quotes y'all, but it's like domestic [18:20] assault, right? And I think about like [18:22] the history of our communities where [18:23] like [18:24] >> you know we had maybe like pre-arranged [18:26] marriages or [18:28] >> you know things like that or you get [18:30] into a fight with like you know [snorts] [18:32] your brother or your sister and you like [18:34] throw a like a remote control at them or [18:37] something but the police was called and [18:39] in in Minnesota they're like well you [18:42] know if a police is called and you don't [18:44] press charges like they can still press [18:46] >> they press charges. [18:46] >> Yeah. And so it's ridiculous. And so [18:48] then when you're not a citizen, then [18:50] that's something that can impact you [18:52] later. And mind you guys, we came to [18:55] America like as refugees. So I'm a [18:58] believer. I believe in Jesus Christ. And [19:00] it's so hard because like in our [19:02] community there's a lot of unlearning [19:04] that has to happen because Catholic [19:06] charities, right, like white like [19:09] saviors came to really like rescue our [19:13] people when we first came to America, [19:15] but then left us to like learn [19:18] everything ourselves. Like they didn't [19:20] teach us, you know, how to use the the [19:22] stove or the oven or anything like that. [19:24] They didn't help us to process our PTSD. [19:26] My family came to America in July of [19:29] 1984. What happens in July? [19:31] >> All the fireworks. [19:32] >> Yes. I watch my mom like literally hide [19:35] underneath a table this short because of [19:37] the trauma that she dealt when she was [19:39] over, you know, when she was back in her [19:41] homeland. [19:42] >> And so it is just really really [19:45] difficult. And I bring that up because [19:47] there's just like so much pain and [19:50] heartache that our people, our [19:52] communities ha have to understand [19:55] because the refugee resettlement program [19:57] really failed our people. And I want to [20:00] just go back to your question around [20:02] like the other programs that we also [20:04] offer. Um Kevin did a really amazing [20:06] job, but I also wanted to also share [20:09] that our story came from crisis. [20:13] >> But I really believe that for me [20:15] personally, it was a platform that God [20:17] had given me to be able to help other [20:19] people really advocate and be a voice. [20:21] Cuz growing up, I think it's really a [20:22] stigma in Southeast Asian communities [20:24] where you don't talk about your pain, [20:26] the trauma that you experienced or [20:27] anything like that. And now we provide [20:29] like storytelling opportunities. You [20:31] know, a lot of our elders are becoming [20:33] ancestors these days. And so we also [20:35] provide basic needs through like mutual [20:37] aid and direct services, right? Like we [20:39] also um have taken a really holistic [20:42] approach on the work that we are doing [20:44] now. And it's not just deportation [20:46] defense work, but it really is also [20:48] understanding the basic needs and like [20:50] housing is one of that, right? So, we've [20:52] been able to just last year be able to [20:54] pay almost $100,000 in rent for our [20:57] community members because so many people [20:59] don't want to burden their families [21:00] anymore. And [21:01] >> that's amazing. [21:02] >> Yeah. Thank you. And so with that and [21:04] then we also do like case care [21:06] management accompaniment. We are, you [21:08] know, really helping community members [21:10] with just their basic needs and the [21:12] individuals that have been deported. Um [21:15] we do still also support their families [21:17] and their loved ones here in America. [21:19] And then we work with our national [21:21] partners to also provide care packages [21:23] over to them. And then we also do [21:25] reverse care packages which is an [21:27] opportunity for them to also be able to [21:30] like give to their family members that [21:31] are here like children and things like [21:33] that. [21:33] >> That's amazing. You guys are doing such [21:36] good work. Like I didn't know all of [21:37] that that I'm glad you were here to talk [21:40] about all of that because you can only [21:43] learn so much from your a website, [21:46] right? Or by word of mouth. But like [21:48] having these one-on-one conversations [21:50] like this and the community needs to [21:52] hear this like those who don't know need [21:54] to hear this. You know what I mean? So [21:57] this is wonderful. So tell me about your [22:00] Taking Root project and what does [22:02] solidarity look? How does that play a [22:04] role in your project? [22:05] >> Yeah. Um, so Taking Root is a [22:07] documentary uh made by our national [22:09] partners at Vietle um in who is based in [22:12] Philadelphia but it really captures the [22:14] Southeast Asian resettlement in the [22:16] United States and here in the Twin [22:18] Cities St. Paul. Um, we have that [22:20] resettlement here too. As you heard [22:22] earlier, Montel was talking about um, [22:24] her own family story. Um, and so the [22:28] episodes cover a variety of different [22:30] things such as the failed resettlement [22:33] programs, but then one of the episodes [22:35] actually talks about how the antilack [22:38] policies that were passed actually [22:40] impacted our refugee communities as [22:42] well. And so solidarity really looks [22:44] like being there for each other and not [22:47] letting these um greater narratives turn [22:50] people against each other. Um because [22:52] ultimately that solidarity is so [22:55] important. Yeah. [22:57] >> It was it was the black people, right, [22:59] that really paved the way for even our [23:01] folks coming. [23:02] >> And a lot of people don't know that like [23:04] in our community there's so much [23:05] anti-blackness [23:07] >> in our communities. Like colorism is [23:10] even real in our communities. Like [23:12] growing up I was a lighter [23:13] >> Cambodian so like comparing me to my [23:15] sister who's darker and here every day [23:17] I'm like trying to get darker, right? [23:19] >> Yeah. [laughter] [23:20] >> Um but yeah. Yeah. I noticed that in a [23:23] lot. I know I had I had a call me [23:25] ignorant but I was like 20some years old [23:28] where I was going into like the doctor's [23:30] office and there was a Latino fella who [23:35] was mad because I didn't hold the door [23:37] for him. and he sat started yelling at [23:40] me and said that you just don't like me [23:43] because I'm white I'm a white Cuban and [23:48] you're a black Cuban and that's why you [23:50] closed the door on me and I was like I'm [23:51] not even Cuban [laughter] [23:53] >> I was like this [23:58] >> I was like okay that's interesting and I [24:00] I didn't understand why he was yelling [24:02] that and I was and I went up to the [24:04] counter and I was like but that but in [24:06] my head that was like the first time I [24:08] knew that there was colorism. It wasn't [24:11] just here where there were light-kinned [24:14] black people and dark-kinned black [24:15] people or light-skinned Armenian people [24:17] and dark-kinned Armenian people because [24:20] my dad's side is Armenian and that's [24:21] it's the same thing over there. And I [24:23] was just like, dang. [24:25] >> Yeah. Solidarity is just so important, [24:27] especially now uh because we're all [24:29] impacted by the racist systems um that [24:32] split our communities apart. In the [24:35] episode of taking root, uh, one of the [24:38] episodes covers the failed resettlement [24:40] system. So really the xenophobia that [24:43] was fueled by racist media coverage [24:46] shaped the public perceptions of [24:48] Southeast Asian refugees. Um, the [24:51] antilack policies really placed refugees [24:55] into disinvested neighborhoods um, and [24:58] exaggerbated these racial tensions. Um, [25:01] these divisions really left these [25:04] refugees vulnerable to bullying and [25:06] violence in schools um and neighborhoods [25:09] leading to the rise of Southeast Asian [25:11] gangs as a mean of self-defense. [25:14] that really does highlight really what [25:17] solidarity means not only to Viet who [25:20] created the documentary but also for [25:23] Minnesota 8 who you know does a lot of [25:26] like um solidarity work with other [25:28] immigrant and also like communities of [25:30] color here in Minnesota right so we're [25:32] in different coalitions that really [25:35] encompasses who we are here in in [25:37] Minnesota like for example when we were [25:39] part of the decriminalizing communities [25:41] coalition right like it was a lot it was [25:43] like the black immigrant collective, you [25:45] know, Minnesota 8, the ACLU, ILCM, um, [25:49] and then a lot of like other communities [25:51] of color that works at the intersection [25:52] of crimmigration. And so you guys are [25:54] going to be they're going to be filming [25:56] another episode or putting together [25:58] another [25:59] >> There's four episodes total. And, uh, we [26:02] are filming at least part one and two, [26:05] which really captures the resettlement [26:07] process. three and four talk about like [26:09] rebuilding um the homes and really [26:11] taking roots um into the communities [26:13] here in the United States. [26:15] >> And I'm assuming that we'll be able to [26:17] go to the website and find out more [26:18] information about it and that way we can [26:20] connect and like if there's a link to [26:22] the episodes or something like that. [26:25] >> We are finalizing details right now for [26:27] the next screening, but it will be we [26:29] will be able to have that on our website [26:31] like we did the last one so that you can [26:34] find out more information. Yes. [26:36] >> Awesome. And the website is minnes [26:39] Minnesota8.org. [26:40] >> Correct. Yep. It's all spelled out m i [26:42] nes o ta the number88.org. [26:47] Thank you. [26:48] What are your goals in supporting our [26:50] impacted families in St. Paul? And [26:52] [snorts and clears throat] I can start [26:53] with you Kevin. [26:54] >> Yeah, I think it's really to make folks [26:57] feel safe and provide resources that [27:00] they need right now. And so I know one [27:03] obvious one is helping, you know, to [27:05] support them in terms of providing the [27:07] know your rights, helping families [27:08] navigate, what to do if their family is [27:11] detained. And so that's just like the [27:14] basic, right? But then MTO was saying [27:15] about housing and all these other [27:17] programs that we provide. Um, and also [27:20] helping folks in St. Paul understand [27:22] that like these folks that are being [27:24] impacted by detention, deportation are [27:27] our neighbors. They are the business [27:28] owners that we shop at, right? Um and so [27:31] that is one thing and then we also try [27:34] to prepare folks. We try to notice [27:36] patterns um that are happening in [27:38] community in terms of like if folks of a [27:42] certain demographic are being targeted [27:44] so or not um really helping them prepare [27:48] uh for the worst. Um so that's what we [27:50] say a lot of the times where we are [27:52] hoping for the best but we want to [27:53] prepare for the worst right. um because [27:55] one day the main bread winner of the [27:57] household may be detained and deported [28:00] and so helping the family's scenario [28:02] plan in terms of like what happens next [28:06] like if that were to happen but we help [28:09] people try to prepare in that ter in [28:12] that way but then always hope um that [28:15] that doesn't have to happen but that's [28:17] where we're at. [28:18] >> Ma, what are your goals? Yeah, really I [28:20] think my goal over these last like nine [28:23] years in doing this work is really just [28:26] helping our families really just feel [28:28] safe and seen. I think one of the things [28:31] that I would say that I think we've done [28:33] really well over the last almost decade [28:35] is really uplifting the voices of the [28:37] impacted individuals, giving them [28:39] opportunities whenever we can. if it [28:43] doesn't put more harm on them to really [28:45] advocate for themselves and be able to [28:47] really speak up and putting them in [28:50] front of these people that can actually [28:52] make a difference like legislators or [28:54] like attorneys or things like that just [28:56] so they can also share their story. I [28:58] think another goal is really I mean I [29:00] think it's more of a dream but I really [29:02] just want us to be able to live in a [29:05] world where we can just like feel safe [29:08] and not have to worry about this [29:10] >> and it's just really really difficult [29:12] right now. I think I'll just end with [29:16] saying that I feel like the team that we [29:20] have at Minnesota 8 is such a wonderful [29:23] team, right? I just love my team. [29:25] They're just such rock stars. And so I [29:28] think the goal is like as we continue to [29:31] provide for the needs of our community [29:34] that that love that we have for our [29:36] community will continue to remain and [29:39] the individuals that we are supporting [29:41] also become a part of this family to be [29:43] able to help others because I've just [29:46] like never been able to really talk [29:48] about the pain that I struggled with [29:52] growing up in the projects and just [29:55] really feeling being often invisible in [29:59] community and even in like movement or [30:02] solidarity like spaces. Often times [30:05] Southeast Asians, you know, are often [30:07] overlooked. We are also at the, you [30:09] know, the model minority myth, right? We [30:11] think about that and people look at us [30:14] and think like we're all doctors and [30:15] things like that. But Southeast Asians [30:17] or the Southeast Asian diaspora are [30:19] those of us who were impacted by the [30:21] wars in Southeast Asia and came here [30:24] just because of people think is an [30:27] opportunity, but really they only [30:29] brought us here to put us in [30:31] displacement and now they're displacing [30:33] our people again by deporting them. I [30:36] think another goal is really providing [30:38] the education for folks to really [30:39] understand our history and really really [30:42] like see the richness that we have and [30:46] what we bring to this world that we live [30:48] in. Thank you for that. And [30:52] as a woman of color, as a black woman, I [30:55] hear you and I see you. And I want to [30:58] backtrack to something that you said [31:00] earlier where [31:02] how it's like a calling and thank you [31:05] for standing in your purpose. [31:07] >> Thank you. [31:09] >> The city of St. Paul is working to [31:11] rehabilitate, intervene, and provide [31:13] safer neighborhoods. If you'd like to [31:16] learn more about Minnesota 8 and their [31:17] programming and resources, please go to [31:19] minnesota8.org. [31:22] If you'd like to learn more about [31:23] Community First Public Safety and the [31:25] Office of Neighborhood Safety, please [31:27] visit us at staul.govward