The acknowledgment of racial discrimination against Asian American and Pacific Islander people came into view during a self-help recognition ceremony.

Incarcerated people who participated in the self-help program R.O.O.T.S. (Restoring Our Original True Selves) brought awareness to the challenges of the AAPI community.

“Racial injustice is a huge subject, nevertheless many of us have been victims of racism,” said Noah Villazon, a program graduate. “It’s a cancer that R.O.O.T.S. deals with; restoring justice is about building a future.”

SQ resident Jonathan “Jay” Huynh hosted the event. He welcomed everyone to San Quentin’s Chapel B, especially the elders from the surrounding Bay Area communities.

Huynh introduced residents who performed Cambodian dance routine; they were dressed in customary clothing as they focused on the disciplines of their performance.

Next SQ resident Ricky Romero shared the history of when AAPI people initially arrived in the United States.

“I come before you today with not just a speech but also a story and a vision that belongs to all who care about justice, dignity, and the right to belong,” Romero said.

He said that in the 19th century Chinese laborers were used to build railroads and mine for gold, but when they were no longer needed, the Chinese people were excluded by law.

Japanese Americans who were not responsible for the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 were placed in internment camps.

Romero told the audience that Filipinos, Koreans, and South Asians were met with similar challenges. As long as they stayed silent and invisible, they were welcomed into the U.S.

He added that Cambodians, Vietnamese, Hmong, and Laotians fled their countries because of genocide related to war. Arriving in the U.S. with nothing, the government placed them in poor neighborhoods with little to no assistance.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Tongans and Samoans migrated to the U.S. seeking political and financial stability, both of which were unavailable to them in their homelands.

“To say the least, trauma, poverty, dislocation—and yet none of it was acknowledged by the schools, social system, or public disclosure,” Romero said. “Let this [us] be the generation that dismantles the pipeline to build a future rooted in freedom, dignity, and love.”

Huynh called upon resident Villazon, who extended his appreciation to SQ Warden C. Andes and PIO Lt. G. Berry for allowing this event to happen.

“It’s nice to see everyone, especially the elders who I have respect for,” said Villazon. “R.O.O.T.S. is a community of people with resilience. Our R.O.O.T.S. circle [group] was a safe place where we could express our selves.”

Villazon said that his experience with the group liberated him to discuss his fears; as a result, he became closer to his mother and sister.

In a 10-minute film, the narrative depicted the unity and solidarity of the Chinese people.

In the film, elders visited West Oakland, Calif., where Black people were isolated because of segregation.

Lilly, an Oakland Chinatown elder said she learned about the Black community’s fight for their civil rights during a visit to West Oakland.

“Even though African Americans are of a different race, we can work together like family, because we are facing the same challenges,” Janie Chen, the film’s producer, said the people in Oakland’s Chinatown have been victims of violence, and the elders are concerned about the root causes of violence.

Former SQ resident Thanh Tran explained to the audience the four stages of healing:

• Personal healing
• Interpersonal healing (family)
• Community healing
• System healing

“Before I can heal my community, I need to start healing my family, and before I do that I need to heal myself,” said Tran. “The revolution starts with self.”

Next, SQ residents performed a Native Hawaiian dance titled “I Ku Mau Mau.”

“It’s beautiful to see people here today. This is a spiritual,” said Amu Wynn, lead dancer.

Another dancer read a prayer in his native Hawaiian language, which translated as “the love of God that surrounds us, the love of God is in us.”

Ben Wong, of the Bay Area Asian Health services that supports victims of violent crimes, said the program has a community-healing unit, as a part of their goal to heal by improving public safety.

“I think for me transformation is healing,” Wong said. “I think for all of us transformation is healing.”

Eddie Zheng, R.O.O.T.S. co-founder, said that people need to tap into their C.H.I. (culture, history, and identity); then the community can humanize. Without it, we have no identity.

Resident volunteers served the attendees food and drink as the program concluded.

Resident Francisco Ortiz created origami figures that were placed as centerpieces on the dining tables; there were purple roses with butterfly stems, pink lotus flowers, red hearts, and multi-color cranes.

“I made these origami figures to give back to the community as a way of living amends,” Ortiz said.

Twenty R.O.O.T.S graduates received certificates for completing the program; they also were given origami leis [traditional flower necklaces] symbolizing their accomplishments. The leis were made by the elders in the Asian community.

“The ability to self-reflect in the journey— the program will accept you, listen to you, and provide kinship in aiding you through your journey. [It’s] an opportunity to bring something bigger than yourself,” said Berm San Diego the program’s sponsor.