Session 2 – Immigration & Resistance
Asians have become the fastest growing racial group in Minnesota. In this state alone, there are over 40 ethnic communities whose immigration and migration stories reflect the history of America. In this session, CAAL will bring together different Asian communities to discuss how our immigration stories connect and reflect current immigration policies and community activism.
The State of Asian Minnesotans Series takes a critical look at the state and progress of Asian/Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Minnesota, and consider what else we can do to tap into the assets of, and ensure inclusion of this community. We invite subject experts, researchers, community members, and thought leaders that increase audience knowledge, challenge and allow audiences to dive deeper in their understandings of this population, and provide new thinking and tools for audiences to consider as they work with Asian Minnesotan communities.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Sally (Ohno) Sudo was born in Seattle, WA. As a child she was imprisoned for 3 ½ years in American prison camps when President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which removed all persons of Japanese ancestry from their West coast homes. Her family was first imprisoned at the Washington State Fair grounds, then relocated to Minidoka, Idaho for the duration of WWII. After the end of the war Sally and her family moved to Minneapolis, MN when her brother was stationed at Fort Snelling in the Military Intelligence Service Language School. After her retirement from teaching in the Minneapolis Public Schools, she has devoted her life to educating the public about the Japanese American incarceration, so history will not repeat itself. She is the mother of 3 sons and grandmother to 5 children.
June Kuoch (they/them) has a background in community organizing on immigration/refugee rights, police violence, and LGBTQ+ issues. Hailing from the Twin Cities, they have been involved with grassroots formations such as ReleaseMN8, Freedom Inc., and the Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN). June has a master’s in Asian American Studies from UCLA.
Juliana Hu Pegues is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota in the Department of American Indian Studies and the Asian American Studies Program. She is also part of the Race, Indigeneity, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (RIGS) Initiative. She has worked for a number of local and national social justice organizations including RadAzns, the Justice for Fong Lee Committee, Asian American Renaissance, and Asian Immigrant Women Advocates.
Veena Iyer is the daughter of Indian immigrants who lives in St. Paul with her husband, also the child of Immigrants, and two daughters. She is the Executive Director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, which provides free immigration legal services to low-income immigrants throughout Minnesota. She previously served as a shareholder at the law firm of Nilan Johnson Lewis, where she developed a specialization advising nonprofits on employment law.
Geetanjali is an educator, storyteller, and internationally-published researcher and a certified community health worker. Having lived in 6 different Indian cities, she is deeply appreciative of culture and diversity. With two Master’s degrees, she has taught learners of all levels across rural and urban settings for over ten years. Wellness, equity, and inclusion have always been dear to her heart and paved the way to transition into community health and social justice. Geetanjali has a genuine interest in people, and an ability of connecting, especially with women in transition. While her spiritual practice keeps her centered, she is an artist at heart and enjoys reading, writing poetry, painting. She develops programs for SEWA-AIFW to empower the underserved.
Jon is a first-generation Hmong American. He grew up in St. Paul, MN, and experienced the struggles of adjusting to American culture. Today he works to end gender-based violence, promote criminal justice reform, and support other social issues.