The Cambodian Community's Struggle / La Lucha de la Comunidad de Camboya

versión en español abajo...

New Sanctuary Movement's 
Coalition Meeting:

The Cambodian Community's Struggle 

Thursday November 12th @ 7pm

Visitation BVM Church

300 E. Lehigh Ave

Please join us for an evening with Mia-lia, the Youth Programs Coordinator at the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, to learn about the Cambodian-American community's struggle against an unjust immigration system. Some 250 Cambodian-Americans have been deported to Cambodia, where many of them have little family, speak limited Khmer, and have to fight everyday to survive in a country they once fled as child refugees. Over 1500 Cambodian-Americans are unable to live full and productive lives for months and years, while they await inevitable deportation and separation from their loved ones.

We will also watch a segment of Sentenced Home, a film about three young Cambodian refugees raised as Americans in inner-city projects near Seattle. Each made a rash decision as a teenager that irrevocably shaped their destiny. Now facing deportation back to Cambodia years later, they find themsevles caught between a tragic past, colliding cultural identities, and an uncertain future, by a system that doesn't offer second chances.

Please feel free to bring a friend and food to share. We look forward to seeing you all!

In Peace and Solidarity,
Jen and Peter

Nuevo Movimiento Santuario

Reunión de Coalición:

La Lucha de la Comunidad de Camboya

Jueves el 12 de Noviembre a las 7pm

Iglesia Visitacion BVM

300 Calle E. Lehigh

 Los invitamos a que nos acompañen a compartir con Mia-lia, la coordinadora de Programas para la juventud de la Asociación Camboyana del Area de Filadelfia, para aprender acerca de la lucha de su comunidad contra el sistema injusto de inmigración.  Aproximadament 250 camboyanos-americanos han sido deportados a Camboya, donde muchos de ellos tienen escasa familia, no hablan la lengua jemer y tienen que luchar para sobrevivir en el pais que abandonaron como niños refugiados. A otros 1500 camboyanos-americanos se les impide vivir productiva y tranquilamente porque esperan la inevitable deportacion y separación de sus seres queridos.

Además veremos un segmento de la película Hogar Sentenciado, acerca de 3 jóvenes camboyanos-americanos criados en la ciudad de Seattle.  Cada uno tomó una decisión rápida como adolescentes que cambió irrevocablemente su destino. Años después se enfrentan a la deportación, atrapados entre un pasado trágico, identidades culturales chocantes y un futuro incierto, por un sistema que no ofrece una segunda oportunidad.

¡Esperamos verlos! Inviten a sus amigos y si pueden traigan algo de comer para compartir

 En paz y solidaridad,

 Jen y Peter

Secured Communities Program

NSM members are currently working on and responding to the negative sentiment caused by the passage of the Secured Communities Program in the Philadelphia Region.

The Secured Communities Program allows communication between the Philadelphia Police force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. This communication has increased ICE's ability to assert authority. For example, when an individual is booked by the Philadelphia police department their information is released to the ICE database. If an individual's name is matched ICE puts a detainer on them, the individual is then held in police custody and ICE picks them up. This process is not dependent on the individual being guilty, innocent, a victim of a crime, or a witness. Additionally ICE has access to the Philadelphia Arrest and Recording System (PARS) which allows them to search through the police system and allows them to subjectively investigate anyone based upon their name. This program has had a number of negative effects on the immigrant community in Philadelphia by increasing targeted police/ICE profiling, which has led to a fear of police officials and rising anti-immigrant sentiments.

In response to Secured Communities, Philadelphia NSM has partnered with JUNTOS and Philadelphia Storytelling Project to organize affected immigrant groups around Philadelphia. Communities are coming together to express their experiences with this collaboration and their new fears to contact police for help in times of actual need. Through the use of storytelling, the goal is to stop the collaboration between ICE and Police officials.