8/18/2010 Conference Call Notes

Notes - Helena, Timmy, Stacy, Mike, Mark.
8/18/2010

Updates:
LA: working on a publication about low-wage Chinese workers, ESL class. Mike asked for a copy of the report.
Boston: been doing a lot of immigrant rights stuff, organizing different programs with Philadelphia violence against Asian American students. Note AAU might be interested in an exchange. Discussion about relationship to AARW. Activist training starting up again - workshops on campus as well as the summer program.
New York: no update. YEAH for Helena as new ED at CAAAV!
Bay Area: big changes that ACT has been transferred to student coordination, couple of the students are interning with organizations too. ACT will happen next year. exciting work at CPA with their new fellowship program. APEN had one intern too. Some work being done around the racist Arizona immigration law.

Post-USSF takeaways
Helena - Asian organizing work workshop (with APEN, CPAx3), did one formal exchange with the Chinatown exchange. Southeast Asian exchange as well. Was part of the right to the city and GGJ workshops too.
Timmy - APEN part of the Chinatown exchanges & workshop, too. Want to transfer leadership to other staff and keep building out/strengthening. PMA - didn't get to get into detail with things. has the sign up sheet.
Stacy - did a party, planned a PMA, built a lot of connections with folks across the country and have the sign up list. Challenge with reaching unity enough to build a plan of action.

Any possible next steps:
Within our capacity to take the lists and incorporate people into the local activities.
>> Stacy can draft an email to invite those lists to join us thru Facebook.
>> Ask them to share their work around immigration.
>> Can encourage people to do something around the anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, December 17 anniversary of the repeal. Get the word out to API immigrants.
>> Stacy talked to Amado Uno at APALA - re collecting workers stories. Folks okay with supporting.

Opening up the website:
Can people submit stuff, articles, things to the website more directly. The tradeoff is between control and spreading out the work more. Getting content created is the main challenge. Looking for writers and people who can do design. Get them to be a member of the website.
Maybe we can do a once a month solicitation - to writers, to keep people interested and attracted.
Each of us can ask three people -
Stacy - Miriam Ching Louie, Bob Wing
Timmy - ask around at APEN.
Helena - ask around at CAAAV.

Next call: Monday September 13 6 PM Pacific/ 9 PM Eastern