♪ [THEME MUSIC] ♪
>> WELCOME TO "ASIAN
AMERICAN LIFE," I'M YOUR HOST,
ERNABEL DEMILLO.
WE'RE IN MANHATTAN'S CHINATOWN,
CHECKING OUT THE "88 GATES"
PROJECT.
THESE MURALS ARE POPPING UP ALL
OVER THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT’S ALL PART OF THE
BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT WITH A
LITTLE TWIST.
MORE ON THAT, COMING UP.
BUT FIRST, HERE’S WHAT'S ON
OUR SHOW.
>> HE WANTS TO MAKE HISTORY.
ANDREW YANG COULD BE THE FIRST
ASIAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
KYUNG YOON TAKES US TO A
NEW YORK HIGH SCHOOL,
WHERE THE CURRICULUM IS READING,
WRITING, AND KOREAN.
MANY ASIAN-AMERICAN ELECTED
OFFICIALS ARE FINDING THEMSELVES
THE TARGET OF HATE SPEECH.
MINNIE ROH HAS THE STORY.
AND RAYNER RAMIREZ SHOWS US HOW
THIS QUEENS PRINCIPAL IS DEFYING
ALL ODDS AND TRANSFORMING A HIGH
SCHOOL IN THE FAR ROCKAWAYS.
THIS AND MORE ON "ASIAN AMERICAN
LIFE."
>> YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED MURALS
LIKE THIS POPPING UP .
THE 88 GATES PROJECT,
THE BRAINCHILD OF JOHN YU, A
LONG TIME RESIDENT OF CHINATOWN.
WITH THE HELP OF HIS WIFE,
AND TWO DAUGHTERS,
THEY'RE TURNING SECURITY GATES
INTO A WORK OF ART.
HE WANTED TO SPREAD CHINESE
CULTURE WITH HIS PAINTINGS BUT
YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE
BUSINESSES CLOSED,
AND THE GATES ARE DOWN
TO SEE MOST OF THE MURALS, BUT
BELIEVE US, IT'S WORTH THE TRIP.
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS A
COUPLE YEARS AWAY AND ONE MAN
HAS ALREADY PUT HIS HAT IN THE
RING.
HIS NAME IS ANDREW YANG, AND
HE'S HOPING TO MAKE HISTORY.
>> THIS MAN WANTS TO GIVE YOU
AND ME $1000 A MONTH.
NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
>> THE FREEDOM DIVIDEND
IS A POLICY WHERE EVERY AMERICAN
ADULT RECEIVES $1000 A MONTH
FREE AND CLEAR TO DO WHATEVER
THEY WANT WITH IT WHILE THAT
SEEMS DRAMATIC OR EXTREME, IT’S
BECOMING INCREASINGLY NECESSARY
AS OUR ECONOMY CHANGES.
>> ANDREW YANG HOPES HIS
FREEDOM DIVIDEND WILL CATCH THE
ATTENTION OF VOTERS.
YANG IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
IF HE WINS, HE COULD BE THE
FIRST ASIAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE MET YANG RECENTLY AT HIS NEW
YORK-BASED CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS
A SPARTAN LOFTLIKE SPACE
ENERGIZED BY A GROUP OF VERY
ENTHUSIASTIC MILLENNIALS.
ZACH GRAUMANN IS MORE THAN A BIG
FAN, HE QUIT HIS DAY JOB IN
BANKING TO JOIN YANG’S CAMPAIGN.
THE POLITICAL NEWBIE IS NOW
YANG’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER, IN
FACT, MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THE
STAFF ARE NEW TO POLITICS,
INCLUDING THE CANDIDATE.
>> I WAS IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO
AND THE APPETITE FOR THIS
MESSAGE AND A CANDIDACY FROM
SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A TRADITIONAL
POLITICIAN WILL ACTUALLY ADDRESS
THE REAL ISSUES IS REALLY HIGH.
>> THESE ISSUES INCLUDE
JOBS AND THE ECONOMY.
IN HIS NEW BOOK, THE WAR ON
NORMAL PEOPLE, HE LAYS IT ALL
OUT, AND IT’S BLEAK.
HE WARNS AUTOMATION AND ROBOTS
WILL SOON REPLACE MILLIONS OF
HUMAN WORKERS.
>> I KNOW IT SEEMS A
LITTLE BIT FANTASTIC,
LIKE ROBOTS
ARE GOING TO WALK IN AND TAKE
OUR JOBS, AND THAT’S NOT GOING
TO BE THE CASE, BUT IF YOU LOOK
AT THE NUMBERS, THE REASON WHY
DONALD TRUMP IS OUR PRESIDENT
TODAY IS THAT WE AUTOMATED AWAY
4 MILLION MANUFACTURING JOBS IN
MICHIGAN, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA,
AND WISCONSIN FROM 2000 TO
NOW AND WE ARE ABOUT TO DO THE
SAME THING TO WORKERS IN RETAIL,
TRUCK DRIVING, CALL CENTERS,
FAST FOOD, AND ON AND ON
THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY.
>> THESE JOBS, HE SAYS, ARE
NOT COMING BACK AND HIS ANSWER
IS UBI, UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME.
GUARANTEED MONEY FOR ALL
AMERICAN ADULTS PAID FOR WITH A
VALUE-ADDED TAX.
>> WE NEED TO
IMPLEMENT THE UNIVERSAL BASIC
INCOME TO GIVE AMERICANS A
CHANCE TO TRANSITION, GO BACK TO
SCHOOL, PAY THEIR BILLS AND
START PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
>> WHILE HIS MESSAGE IS
CAPTURING THE ATTENTION OF
VOTERS AND THE MEDIA, YANG
HAS A DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD.
IT’S ONE THING GETTING PEOPLE
EXCITED ABOUT FREE MONEY, BUT
MAUNTING A PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN IS QUITE DAUNTING.
WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDACY
IN FEBRUARY, THE "NEW YORK
TIMES," CALLED HIM THE "LONGEST
OF LONG SHOTS."
BUT YANG DOES NOT SEEM PHASED,
IN FACT, THIS QUOTE IS
HANGING IN THEIR OFFICE.
YANG WAS BORN AND RAISED IN
UPSTATE NEW YORK, HIS PARENTS
IMMIGRATED FROM TAIWAN IN THE
1960s.
>> I WAS A VERY NERDY, STUDIOUS,
LITTLE ASIAN BOY.
>> HE STUDIED ECONOMICS AND
POLITICAL SCIENCE AT BROWN AND
HE GOT HIS LAW DEGREE
FROM COLUMBIA.
HE VENTURED INTO THE WORLD OF
STARTUPS AND HE WAS CEO OF
MANHATTAN PREP, A TESTING AND
TUTORING COMPANY AND AFTER IT
WAS SOLD, HE TOOK THAT MONEY AND
FOUNDED VENTURE FOR AMERICA, A
NONPROFIT TRAINING PROGRAM
PLACING RECENT COLLEGE GRADS AT
SMALL BUSINESSES AND STARTUPS IN
LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.
>> OUR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM SENDS
HUNDREDS OF RECENT GRADUATES
FROM SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE,
TO STARTUPS AND CITIES WITH
EMERGING ENTREPRENEURIAL
ECOSYSTEMS.
>> HE AND HIS TEAM KEPT
THAT STARTUP MENTALITY
WHEN IT COMES TO THE
CAMPAIGN.
>> WE KIND OF SEE IT AS A
VIDEOGAME, CERTAIN LEVELS HAVE
DIFFERENT POINTS, BUT IOWA AND
NEW HAMPSHIRE ARE WORTH A LOT
MORE POINTS SO WE KNOW WE
HAVE TO GET
18,000 IOWANS TO UNDERSTAND
AND VOTE FOR YANG AND 22,000
PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ARE
GOING TO VOTE AND UNDERSTAND
ANDREW YANG.
>> YANG, WHO IS MARRIED
WITH TWO CHILDREN IS TRAVELING
TO KEY STATES AND REACHING OUT
TO VOTERS.
HE IS PART OF THE GIANT WAVE OF
AAPI IS RUNNING FOR PUBLIC
OFFICE SPURRED ON BY TRUMP’S
WIN, AND WHILE SOME
ASIAN-AMERICAN CANDIDATES HAVE
FACED RACISM AND RACIST TAUNTS
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, YANG SAYS
HE HAS NOT.
>> THE RACISM HAS BEEN VERY
NONEXISTENT, HONESTLY.
I THINK THERE MAY BE A POINT
WHERE THAT CHANGES BUT REALLY, I
HAVE NOT SEEN A WIDTH OF IT THUS
FAR.
I’VE SEEN GREAT THINGS HAPPEN
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS AND MY
CHANCES OF BECOMING PRESIDENT
IMPROVE EVERY DAY, IT’S NOT IN
THE 60s ANYMORE, WE NEED TO WAKE
UP TO THE CHALLENGES OF THIS
ERA AND ACCELERATE OUR SOCIETY
AND GOVERNMENT FORWARD.
>> HE SAYS THE VOTERS HE
IS MEETING ARE QUITE RECEPTIVE
TO HIS IDEAS, SO MAYBE, JUST
MAYBE, THIS LONG SHOT MAY JUST
EKE THIS ONE OUT.
I’M ERNABEL DEMILLO FOR
"ASIAN AMERICAN LIFE."
>> WORK HARD, GO TO
COLLEGE, CHANGE THE WORLD,
THAT’S THE MODEL OF THIS HARLEM
HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT WHAT'S REALLY UNIQUE
ABOUT THE DEMOCRACY PREP CHARTER
HIGH SCHOOL IS ITS KOREAN
PROGRAM THAT IS AT THE HEART
OF ITS CURRICULUM AND CULTURE.
>> DIAVIONNE ROBINSON AND
IVAN QUEZADA ARE SENIORS AT
DEMOCRACY PREP, A CHARTER SCHOOL
IN HARLEM WHERE FACT, FIGURES,
AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS ABOUT
KOREA LINED THE WALLS OUTSIDE
THE CLASSROOMS.
INSIDE, STUDENTS ARE LEARNING
THE KOREAN LANGUAGE.
>> [SPEAKING IN KOREAN]
>> I WAS THINKING THIS
IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT
OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS TEACH.
HERE IN NEW YORK CITY.
>> YOUNGJAE HUR IS THE
KOREAN DEPARTMENT CHAIR.
>> THE LANGUAGE ITSELF IS
VERY DIFFERENT FROM ENGLISH.
THE WORD ORDER, THE STRUCTURE OF
THE SENTENCES IS TOTALLY
DIFFERENT.
THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
JUST LEARNING THEM GIVES THEM
HUGE HEADACHES.
I CAN’T DO THIS, BUT ONCE THEY
PASS KOREAN 1, 2, 3, THEY GET
HUGE SELF-CONFIDENCE.
I CAN DO THIS, I CAN SPEAK IN
KOREAN.
>> WHAT LED TO KOREAN
PROGRAM BEING SO EMBEDDED IN
THE DNA OF DEMOCRACY PREP?
>> OUR FOUNDER, MR. SETH
ANDREW, WHEN HE FOUND
OUR SCHOOL,
HE WANTED TO MAKE A SCHOOL THAT
IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SCHOOLS.
WE ARE A CHARTER SCHOOL, WE CAN
HAVE OUR OWN POLICIES AND STUFF.
HE ACTUALLY HAD AN EXPERIENCE
TEACHING IN KOREA AS AN ENGLISH
TEACHER.
HE WAS MESMERIZED BY THE
CULTURE, KOREANS FOCUS ON
EDUCATION.
THEY ARE BUILT TOWARDS
EDUCATION.
HE WANTED TO BRING THAT CULTURE
TO HIS FUTURE SCHOOL.
>> THAT CULTURE TRANSPLANTED
TO HARLEM HAS TAKEN ROOT AT
DEMOCRACY PREP.
99% OF STUDENTS OF COLOR AND 85%
QUALIFY FOR FREE LUNCH.
>> OUR STUDENTS
REALLY RESPECT THEIR TEACHERS
AND THEY REALLY HAVE THAT POWER
OF LEARNING, WITH LEARNING, THEY
WILL BE ABLE TO DO BETTER AND BE
MORE SUCCESSFUL.
>> THE SCHOOL PROVIDES
A RIGOROUS COLLEGE PREP
CURRICULUM OF WHICH THE KOREAN
PROGRAM IS JUST ONE SLICE,
AND IT’S WHAT MANY OF THE
STUDENTS FIND THE MOST SPECIAL.
>> BEING FOCUSED ON
KOREAN CULTURE HAS BEEN AMAZING
FOR ME.
I LOVE KOREAN CULTURE, I LOVE
THE KOREAN LANGUAGE.
>> DIAVIONNE IS PRESIDENT OF
THE KOREAN DANCE TEAM.
>> WE DO TRADITIONAL DANCE,
BUT WE ALSO DO K-POP
DANCE, IT’S HARD TO DO AND
PERFORM A DANCE THAT IS NOT FROM
YOUR CULTURE.
AND ALTHOUGH IT IS SOMETIMES
HARD FOR THE PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS WE DO IT,
IT’S MORE TO HAVE A MORE
PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE
CULTURE AND TO FULLY INVOLVE
OURSELVES.
>> EVERY SPRING, DEMOCRACY PREP
HOSTS A KOREAN STREET
FESTIVAL IN HARLEM WITH
PERFORMANCES AND CULTURAL
ACTIVITIES.
THE SCHOOL ALSO HAS A TRAVEL
PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS TO VISIT
KOREA.
>> WE SEND 20 STUDENTS
TO KOREA EVERY YEAR DURING THEIR
SPRING BREAK.
THEY DO HOMESTAY WITH KOREAN
FAMILIES, THEY VISIT OUR SISTER
SCHOOL, IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY TRY THEIR
KOREAN SKILLS,
TO KOREAN PEOPLE.
AND ALSO LEARN THE CULTURE.
>> I WAS ABLE TO
IMMERSE MYSELF IN THE CULTURE,
SPEAK TO ACTUAL KOREAN PEOPLE,
LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF KOREA
AND ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN THE
ACTIVITIES THAT THEY DO.
>> IT’S CLEAR THE CULTURE OF
THE SCHOOL IS ONE OF HIGH
EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SCHOLARS,
WITH COLLEGE BEING A CONSTANT
REMINDER.
THE WALLS ARE LINED WITH
UNIVERSITY BANNERS AND ALL THE
CLASSROOMS ARE NAMED AFTER
WELL-KNOWN AMERICAN
UNIVERSITIES, AND EVEN ONE ELITE
KOREAN UNIVERSITY.
SINCE IT OPENED ITS DOORS IN
2005 WITH A SIXTH-GRADE CLASS,
100% OF ITS STUDENTS HAVE GONE
TO COLLEGE, INCLUDING SOME OF
THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
THIS FALL, ERIKA IS STUDYING AT
DARTMOUTH UNIVERSITY,
AND IVAN AT HAVERFORD
COLLEGE.
>> IT CHANGED MY LIFE,
I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO GO
TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS
AND I SEE OUR DIFFERENCES.
I SEE HOW THEY TURNED OUT AND
HOW I TURNED OUT.
>> I FEEL VERY HONORED,
GRATEFUL, AND HAPPY TO TEACH MY
LANGUAGE AND TEACH MY CULTURE TO
THE STUDENTS OF HARLEM.
THROUGH KOREAN, I WANT THEM
TO BECOME STUDENTS WHO WILL BE
MORE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND OTHER
CULTURES, UNDERSTAND OTHER
PERSPECTIVES AND BECOME MORE
ROUNDED HUMAN BEINGS WHO WILL BE
SUCCESSFUL IN THIS MORE AND
MORE GLOBALIZING WORLD.
>> EVERY STUDENT AT
DEMOCRACY PREP MUST PASS THE
REGENTS TEST IN THE KOREAN
LANGUAGE IN ORDER TO GRADUATE.
BUT IT’S CLEAR THAT THE VALUE OF
THE KOREAN PROGRAM EXTENDS FAR
BEYOND LANGUAGE SKILLS IN
SHAPING THE OUTLOOK OF THE
SCHOLARS FOR THEIR FUTURE.
I’M KYUNG YOON FOR "ASIAN
AMERICAN LIFE."
>> I AM MINNIE ROH.
2017 WAS A RECORD BREAKING YEAR
FOR ASIAN AMERICAN POLITICIANS
ELECTED INTO OFFICE.
BUT WITH THIS WELCOME INCREASE
FOR THE COMMUNITY, ALSO CAME AN
UNWELCOME RISE IN THE NUMBER OF
RACIALLY CHARGED HATE SPEECH
AGAINST MANY OF THESE
POLITICIANS.
>> FROM COAST-TO-COAST AND
THROUGHOUT THE NATION, CHANGE
IS UNDERWAY.
CANADA DONALD TRUMP’S RALLYING
CRY IN 2016 TO --
>> MAKE AMERICA GREAT
AGAIN.
>> AND THE ANTI-IMMIGRANT
ALT-RIGHT RHETORIC UNLEASHED IN
NEIGHBORHOODS SINCE HE BECAME
PRESIDENT ONLY SERVED TO FEEL
THAT WAVE OF CHANGE.
ASIAN-AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDERS
PUSHED BACK BY RUNNING IN RECORD
NUMBERS FOR ELECTED POSITIONS,
FROM CONGRESS TO LOCAL SCHOOL
BOARDS AND EVERYTHING IN
BETWEEN.
ARATI KREIBICH WAS ONE OF THOSE
WHO HEARD THE CALL.
>> THE AMOUNT OF HATE
CRIMES THAT WERE SPIKING AFTER
NOVEMBER ELECTIONS AND THE KIND
OF RHETORIC THAT WAS OUT THERE,
IT REALLY BROUGHT HOME TO ME
THAT WHAT WE NEEDED WERE MORE
PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND SOMEONE IS
TO REPRESENT AND REALLY SOMEONE
SAID WHY CAN’T THAT BE YOU?
>> SHE WAS A POLITICAL
NEWBIE, ONE OF THE MANY TO
ENTER THE POLITICS POST 2016.
SHE RAN FOR AND WON A COUNCIL
SEAT IN HER HOMETOWN OF GLEN
ROCK, NEW JERSEY.
A NEW YORK CITY SUBURB.
THE NUMBERS FROM THE
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN INSTITUTE
FOR CONGRESSIONAL STUDIES, WHICH
TRACKS THE AAPI ELECTED
OFFICIALS SHOWS,
AS OF 2018 THERE ARE ROUGHLY
370 STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS,
18 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS,
AND ONE GOVERNOR NATIONWIDE.
AND WHILE THE INCREASED
REPRESENTATION IS ENCOURAGING,
RACIALLY TINGED DISCOURSE
DIRECTED TOWARDS THOSE ELECTED
OFFICIALS IS NOT.
>> YOU ARE THE GOOD
KIND OF IMMIGRANT, YOU ARE THE
KIND OF ASIAN THAT IS OK, OR YOU
ARE ALMOST WHITE.
>> WHILE MANY OF THE COMMENTS
CAN BE CONSIDERED MILD,
OTHERS IN COMPARISON TAKE ON A
DARKER NOTE.
THE MAYOR OF HOBOKEN, NEW
JERSEY, WAS LABELED A TERRORIST
DURING HIS CAMPAIGN.
FORMER COLORADO CONGRESSIONAL
CANDIDATE FLED HER HOME,
AFTER RECEIVING THREATS TO
HER FAMILY AND ENDURING RACIAL
SLURS ON FACEBOOK AFTER SHE
TWEETED THIS IN RESPONSE TO A
NEW YORK TIMES OPINION PIECE.
>> TURBAN MAN.
>> THESE RADIO HOSTS ARE
TALKING ABOUT THE STATE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, A SIKH INDIAN.
>> IF THAT OFFENDS YOU, THEN
DON’T WEAR THE TURBAN MAN AND I
WILL REMEMBER YOUR NAME AREA.
>> THE HOSTS WERE SUSPENDED
AND SHE WAS ON THE RECEIVING END
OF THIS SOCIAL MEDIA POST ON
GLEN ROCK RESIDENTS ONLY
FACEBOOK PAGE.
SHE IS NOT MUSLIM.
>> THE COMMENTS TO ME TALKED
ABOUT HOW IGNORANT THE PERSON
WAS, WHAT WAS ACTUALLY
INTERESTING ABOUT THAT, IT WAS
THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO SHUT IT
DOWN AND VERY QUICKLY.
I THINK THAT GIVES ME HOPE.
>> A REPORT GENERATED BY
THE SOUTH ASIANS AMERICANS
LEADING TOGETHER OR "SAALT,"
DOCUMENTED INCREASE OF OVER 32%
IN XENOPHOBIA POLITICAL RHETORIC
IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE 2016
ELECTIONS,
AS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS
YEAR.
WITH THE WORST OFFENDERS BEING
WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUPS AT 41%.
FOLLOWED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP OR
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS
AT 33%.
AND THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW
CENTER FOUND THE NUMBER OF
ANTI-IMMIGRANT, ANTI-MUSLIM HATE
GROUPS AS WELL AS NEO-NAZI
GROUPS INCREASED IN 2017 FROM
2016.
KHYATI JOSHI POINTS A FINGER
DIRECTLY AT THE 2016 ELECTIONS,
SAYING AFTER TRUMP BECAME
PRESIDENT, RACIALLY CHARGED
RHETORIC ESCALATED.
>> WE ARE
NOW SEEING IT CONSISTENTLY.
IT'S NOT JUST DURING ELECTIONS.
WHAT KIND OF ETHOS AND CULTURE
EXISTS IN AN ORGANIZATION
OR IN SCHOOL THEY CREATE THAT
KIND OF CULTURE THAT SAYS IT’S
OK TO SAY THAT AND IT’S OK TO
DEMAND THAT OF PEOPLE.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE
PEOPLE?
>> SHE ALSO GOES ON TO SAY
THIS RACIAL DIVISIVENESS IS
NOTHING NEW AND SHE BELIEVES
THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR
THIS DIVIDE IN THIS COUNTRY IS
THE LACK OF U.S. HISTORY
EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS.
>> RIGHT AFTER THE
ELECTION, IN JANUARY OF 2017
WHEN HE SIGNED THE EXECUTIVE
ORDER ON WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE
MUSLIM BAN WHICH THEY WOULD NOT
ACKNOWLEDGE AS THE MUSLIM BAN.
THEY WERE SAYING,
THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE AS
A COUNTRY AND I WAS SAYING, YOU
DON'T KNOW YOUR U.S HISTORY
THEN, BECAUSE THIS IS
EXACTLY WHO WE ARE, WE'VE DONE
THIS BEFORE, WE HAVE EXCLUDED
PEOPLE BEFORE,
BASED ON IDENTITY, AND WE WERE
VERY BLATANT ABOUT IT WITH 1882,
THE WAY THAT CHILDREN ARE BEING
FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM THEIR
PARENTS, WE DID THAT FOR 60 PLUS
YEARS TO NATIVE AMERICANS.
NOT TO MENTION THE NUMBER OF
CHILDREN WHO WERE TAKEN FROM
THEIR PARENTS WHO HAD BEEN
ENSLAVED.
THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE
REALLY HAVE TO OPEN PEOPLE’S
EYES ABOUT.
BECAUSE I THINK ONCE PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND IT, THEN THAT BIAS IS
REDUCED.
>> WHICH IS WHY KREIBICH
SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT THAT
AMERICANS SEE MORE PEOPLE LIKE
HER, A MINORITY, A WOMAN,
AN IMMIGRANT,
TAKING A STAND POLITICALLY.
>> IF I’M NOT GETTING DEATH
THREATS, I NEED TO MAKE SURE
I’M SUPPORTING THE ONES WHO ARE,
MAKE SURE I SAY THAT I AM JUST
LIKE THAT PERSON.
IF YOU’RE COMING AFTER THEM, YOU
ARE ALSO COMING AFTER ME.
AND THAT’S IMPORTANT.
>> IN THE PROCESS, SHE
FOUND THAT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT,
HER COMMUNITY HAD HER BACK.
SOMETHING THAT MAKES HER
GRATEFUL AND EMOTIONAL.
>> AT THE END OF THE DAY,
IT TAKES COURAGE.
IT TAKES COURAGE TO BE OUT THERE
AND ALSO TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THERE IS SO MUCH SUPPORT,
ESPECIALLY NOW.
AND IF WE ARE NOT THE ONES WHO
ARE GOING TO BE UP THERE
SPEAKING OUR TRUTHS, WHO ARE
TAKING THAT EMOTIONAL LEAD TO
SPEAK FOR ALL THE PEOPLE, WHO
ELSE?
WHO ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT?
>> I’M MINNIE ROH FOR
"ASIAN AMERICAN LIFE."
>> NEW YORK CITY'S PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE
BIGGEST IN THE WORLD 1.1 MILLION
STUDENTS ENROLLED IN 1700
SCHOOLS.
OF THE 1.1. MILLION STUDENTS,
ABOUT 5% OR 58,000 ARE
UNDOCUMENTED.
THE SCHOOL BEHIND ME IS UNIQUE.
30% OF THEIR STUDENTS ARE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND
THEY ARE DEFYING ODDS.
NOT FAR FROM THE SHORES OF THE
ROCKAWAYS IS THE QUEENS HIGH
SCHOOL FOR INFORMATION,
RESEARCH, AND TECHNOLOGY, OR
QIRT.
QIRT PROVIDES CLOSE TO 500
STUDENTS PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR
JOBS AND TECHNOLOGY.
IT’S ALSO A SAFE HAVEN FOR
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS UNDER THE
GUIDANCE OF PRINCIPAL CARL
MANALO.
HE TOOK THE HELM OF QIRT WHEN
THE SCHOOL WAS ADRIFT.
>> I CAME IN AS THE
FOURTH PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL.
MY FIRST GRADUATING CLASS THERE
WAS A 55% GRADUATION RATE AND
THAT WAS REALLY TOUGH.
>> AT THE TIME, QIRT'S
GRADUATION RATE WAS 55%,
WELL BELOW THAN NYC AVERAGE,
OF 74.3%.
THE SCHOOL HAD A LONG WAY TO GO.
>> MY JOB WAS TO
STABILIZE THE SCHOOL, MAKE SURE
THAT STAFF ARE RETAINED.
>> THERE WERE OTHER
CHALLENGES TO.
THE STUDENT POPULATION OF
ENGLISH LEARNERS WAS
GROWING FAST.
>> [SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
>> SHE FLED GUATEMALA WHEN
HER MOTHER PASSED AWAY IN 2016.
SHE CAME WITH THE HELP OF THE
HUMAN SMUGGLER.
>> [SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
>> AFTER TWO MONTHS IN A
DETENTION CENTER IN TEXAS,
AUTHORITIES RELEASED HER TO
REUNITE WITH HER COUSIN LIVING
IN THE ROCKAWAYS.
TODAY, QIRT HAS ABOUT 100
STUDENTS WHO CAME AS
UNACCOMPANIED MINORS TO THE U.S.
>> SOME OF THEM HAVE ENDURED
VIOLENCE OR THREATS OF VIOLENCE.
>> -- THEY'RE SENT TO RELATIVES
AND A LOT OF THEM
HAPPEN TO LIVE HERE IN ROCKAWAY.
>> FOR THE FIRST TIME, SOMEBODY
WHO HAS NEVER HELD A JOB IN
GOVERNMENT --
>> ONE OF THE ROUGHER THINGS
THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH AS AN
EDUCATOR IN 16 YEARS,
IS SPEAKING TO STUDENTS THE
DAY AFTER THE ELECTION AND
STUDENTS ASKING IF THEY’RE GOING
TO BE DEPORTED.
>> HE EDUCATED HIS STUDENTS
ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS.
>> WHAT DOES AN ICE WARRANT
LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DO YOU DO IF THEY KNOCK
ON YOUR DOOR?
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
WHAT DO YOU SAY IF YOU
SEE THEM ON THE STREET AND
THEY ASK FOR YOUR PAPERS?
WE HAD TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS.
>> AFTER IMMIGRATIONS AND
CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT CONDUCTED
RAIDS IN NEW YORK CITY THIS YEAR
THE THREAT OF DEPORTATION
WAS PALPABLE.
>> OUR KIDS WOULD BE
LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND EVERY
TIME THEY SEE A VAN, THEY HIDE.
>> TO FEEL LIKE YOU COULD
BE TAKEN AWAY WHEN YOU’RE TRYING
TO BUILD A LIFE -- I DON’T KNOW
HOW A 15-YEAR-OLD OR 17-YEAR-OLD
WOULD HANDLE IT.
>> AS AN IMMIGRANT FROM THE
PHILIPPINES, HE SEES HIMSELF IN
THESE STUDENTS, WITH SOME
EXCEPTIONS.
>> I CAME HERE FOR
OPPORTUNITY WITH MY PARENTS,
THEY CAME HERE TO ESCAPE
VIOLENCE.
AND POSSIBLE DEATH.
>> A LOT OF THE STUDENTS THAT
ARE UNDOCUMENTED LIVE IN FEAR
AND THEY FEEL THAT ONE MOMENT
THEY CAN BE HERE AT THE NEXT
MOMENT THEY CAN’T.
HOWEVER, WHEN THEY ARE HERE AT
QIRT, THEY DON’T FEEL THAT FEAR.
THEY FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING.
>> GUIDANCE COUNSELOR JOHN
RESTREPO SAYS MANALO IMPROVED
ACADEMICS BY BUILDING A
COMMUNITY.
>> I FEEL LIKE HE REMOVED
ALL BOUNDARIES LIKE ABOUT
ETHNICITY, RACE, GAY, STRAIGHT,
BI, IT DOESN’T MATTER.
YOU ARE HUMAN AND YOU BELONG
HERE NO MATTER WHAT.
>> OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
ARE PART OF US.
THEY ARE WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC
OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE THERE JUST AS MUCH AS
EVERYBODY ELSE AND THEY ARE A
HUGE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE NOT SEPARATE, THEY ARE
NOT DIFFERENT, THEY ARE PART OF
OUR IDENTITY AS A SCHOOL.
>> THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES
THAT IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES
WON'T REMOVE STUDENTS FROM
THE SCHOOL, BUT THIS PRINCIPAL
IS OPTIMISTIC.
AFTER ALL, HIS LAST NAME MEANS
TO WIN IN FILIPINO.
QIRT’S GRADUATION RATE HAS
INCREASED EVERY YEAR SINCE HIS
TENURE.
LAST JUNE, 82% OF QIRT SENIORS
GRADUATED.
THAT’S EIGHT PERCENTAGE POINTS
ABOVE NEW YORK CITY’S GRADUATION
RATE.
>> I REALLY WANT MY
KIDS TO SUCCEED.
I WANT MY SCHOOL TO BE THE HUB
OF A LOT OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING
IN THE COMMUNITY.
I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO BE PROUD
OF MY SCHOOL, I THINK THEY ARE.
AND THEY WANT US TO BE THE
SHINING STAR OF THE ROCKAWAYS.
>> FOR "ASIAN AMERICAN
LIFE," I’M RAYNER RAMIREZ.
>> THAT’S OUR SHOW FOR
NOW.
WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
LEAVE US A COMMENT ON OUR
FACEBOOK PAGE AT ASIAN-AMERICAN
LIFE.
I’M ERNABEL DEMILLO.
WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
♪ [THEME MUSIC] ♪