Thursday, April 28, 2011
Aria Asia - Ryukyu Song
from Grits & Sushi blog
Circulating Okinawa and “Security”
Posted on March 25, 2011
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ryukyu Shimpo Editorial
〈Editorial〉Open letter to Mr. Carl Levin2011年4月27日 このエントリーを含む
Ryukyu Shimpo Editorial:Open letter dated April 27, 2011 to Mr. Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Dear Friends of the U.S. Congress,
We recommend that the United States Government implement a dramatic change in policy and remove the facilities at Futenma Air Station from Okinawa altogether. The people of Okinawa are both hopeful and anxious as they wait to see how American democracy handles this test.
Do we want a situation in which every time the United States sneezes, Japan follows; in which if the United States orders Japan to turn to the right that is exactly what happens? Or do we want a situation in which both parties respect each others’ opinions and do not hesitate to state their position on matters, however difficult that may be. Which kind of U.S.-Japan relations would you prefer?
Dear Mr. Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Mr. Jim Webb, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Affairs,
We appreciate that the two of you, both representatives of the U.S. Congress, are visiting Okinawa and hope that you have opportunities to engage in dialogue with many local people during your stay.
In the 66 years that have passed since the end of World War II, the United States has been a teacher of democracy for the people of Okinawa both through positive and negative examples.
Throughout our long-standing relationship, the people of Okinawa have been sincere in raising the matter of how the United States and Japan should seek to create a genuine friendly relationship in which both countries respect human rights.
Ongoing humiliation - patience wears thin
April 28 is the date when the United States and Japan concluded both the San Francisco Peace Treaty and the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty in 1952. With this, Allied Occupation forces withdrew from Japan and Japan attained independence. The San Francisco Peace Treaty determined that Okinawa and Amami Oshima would be separated from the mainland islands of Japan and put under the control of the U.S. military.
After the war, Okinawa faced many trials and tribulations during the reign of the U.S. military government, which took control of Okinawan people's land at the point of a bayonet and used bulldozers to build military bases. They blatantly violated the basic human rights of the local people with outrageous behavior and placed limitations on Okinawa's autonomy.
The people of Okinawa see April 28 as a day of humiliation. Notwithstanding their normally placid temperament, their patience has been worn thin by ongoing humiliation at the hands of the U.S. military.
The problem is symbolized by the problems surrounding the return of the Futenma Air Station. In April 1996, the Japanese and U.S. governments agreed that the United States would return the land used by Futenma Air Station, which is located in a densely populated area, to Okinawa on the basis that the facilities would be moved to an alternative location within the prefecture. However, local Okinawans have consistently opposed the construction of such replacement facilities.
The Governor of Okinawa Hirokazu Nakaima and all the heads of the various municipalities of Okinawa are opposed to the agreement reached by the Japanese and U.S. governments by which the U.S. military would relocate the Futenma Air Station facilities to a coastal area of Nago City. Okinawa's prefectural assembly passed a resolution calling for the Futenma Air Station to be relocated out of the prefecture or out of Japan altogether, and in the national election, all politicians who accepted the option of relocation of the air station within the prefecture lost their seats.
In an opinion poll carried out in Okinawa last May, following the U.S.-Japan agreement, 84% of respondents opposed the relocation of the facilities at Futenma to Nago City's Henoko district.
When asked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about his view of the Futenma issue, former Director of the Japanese Affairs Office in the U.S. State Department, Kevin Maher, commented that in the worst case scenario the U.S. should maintain the status quo, which would neither pose a problem for its military nor be detrimental to the interests of the United States.
This is an irresponsible stance. The U.S. government is a central player in this matter and should feel guilty for neglecting what is clearly a dangerous situation.
Okinawan people feel that they were sacrificed in the name of defense of the main islands of Japan during the Battle of Okinawa and that the same occurred after the war in the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. They also feel that an underlying structural discrimination exists towards them.
Although Okinawa only accounts for 0.4% of the land area of Japan, 74% of U.S. military facilities in Japan are located in Okinawa and 70% of U.S. military personnel in Japan are stationed in the prefecture.
U.S. military and the Self-Defense Forces carried out Operation Tomodachi following the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11. The people of Japan are grateful for the efforts of the U.S. military in transporting relief aid, clearing rubble, and restoring Sendai Airport to a situation in which it could function again.
While we Japanese salute the dedication of U.S. military personnel, the excessive burden placed on Okinawa by the presence of U.S. bases and the ongoing unwelcome behavior of U.S. military personnel overshadows those positive feelings.
Even after Okinawa's reversion to Japanese administration in 1972, residents of Okinawa have continued to be on the receiving end of incidents, accidents and crimes involving U.S. military personnel.
Hazy ideal of the Obama Administration
Since the reversion, there have been about 500 accidents such as crashes and emergency landings involving U.S. military aircraft. Military personnel have committed over 5500 crimes, 560 of which involved acts of violence. It is likely that many female victims end up crying themselves to sleep without ever reporting what has happened to them, so the figures are potentially even higher than this.
The Okinawan people see the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement, which grants a privileged status to the U.S. military forces in Japan, as an unequal treaty, and therefore seek fundamental revisions to this Agreement. This is the collective will of the Okinawan people.
Recently, a U.S. civilian employed by the military caused a fatal accident but was exempted from prosecution because the accident was judged to have occurred when he was “on duty.”
Such disregard for human lives and human rights by both the U.S. and Japanese governments based on the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement is unconscionable.
President Obama's coming into office gave the Okinawan people great hope that “change” would occur. They wondered how Okinawa would be affected by the transition from the unilateralism of the Republican Party to policies of international cooperation and by President Obama's advocacy of “a world without nuclear weapons.”
Among the ideals espoused by President Obama and in the new challenges that he took up, the people of Okinawa sensed that there may be benefits for mankind that involve sustainable development and transcend America's own national interests.
However, it would seem that military logic has come to overshadow these ideals.
The sea off Henoko is precious in that it is the natural habitat of the dugong,http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif which is a protected species. If the governments of the United States and Japan push through the construction of a new base, the U.S. military will not only find itself surrounded by hostility from the people of Okinawa and mainland Japan, but also from members of conservation http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifmovhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifement groups all over the world. We consider that the closure and removal of the facilities at Futenma is necessary to rebuild good neighborly relations between the U.S. and Okinawa and we hope that you sense and accept the sincerity of the “spirit of Okinawa.”
To respect the will of the people of Okinawa, please show us the true worth of American democracy and demonstrate to us the determination to make major changes to the Agreement between U.S. and Japan as it pertains to Futenma.
See Ryukyu Shimpo article.
For more information & commentary visit Ten Thousand Things blog.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Powerful U.S. Senators Arrive in Guam; Guam Governor Calls on U.S. Senate to End Its Bipartisan Colonialism
Powerful U.S. Senators Arrive in Guam; Guam Governor Calls on U.S. Senate to End Its Bipartisan Colonialism
Immediate Release: April 18, 2011
(Hagatna, Guam) Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo, one of the 55 United States governors, found out this morning that fifteen percent of the U.S. Senate landed on Guam in secrecy today. The contingent includes the Senate Majority and Minority leaders and other powerful U.S. Senators. These U.S. Senators, both Democrat and Republican, have decided to thumb their noses at the island and its government. The Governor, who is a member of the National Governors Association and the Republican Governors Association, releases the following statement about how this snub can severely affect Guam colonial-federal relations as the U.S. government pushes a $15 billion realignment of Asian-Pacific forces on Guam:
“This morning, Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo asked whether I would be greeting the 15 U.S. Senators scheduled to arrive at Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base today. We were both surprised and extremely upset that no one in the federal establishment informed Guam of their visit. We called the Navy to verify this stopover and we were told that the U.S. Senators will not entertain any meeting or discussions with Guam leaders or the Guamanian people. Instead of landing at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam, they have decided to shield their visit in secrecy and land within the confines of Andersen Air Force Base.
“In the 100 years we have been a colony of the United States, the U.S. government hardly did anything to resolve our colonial status. What kind of democracy allows colonialism to flourish? I am livid the U.S. Senate, a body created by the will of the people of 13 colonies who wanted freedom and democracy, would turn its back on the Guamanian people. It is obvious we are not part of their constituency, and they do not consider us a valuable part of the American family. This only serves to inflame our long-held belief that we are an American colony of second-class citizens who matter only when our geopolitical position is needed by the U.S. government.
“This is a sad state of affairs. This is the third time in the last year that Congress has made it clear that we are of no importance to the nation. This snub follows Congress trying to sell our own resources to us at Fena and Congress taking away our Delegate’s voting power in House committees. These U.S. Senators are only hurting American interests abroad. Look at the great relationship we’ve built with the U.S. military. Congress’s actions only undermine that work. Why? If Guam was so important to U.S. strategic interests, then why would the nation’s leaders continue snubbing Guamanians?
“If the Senate wants to thumb its nose at Guamanians, then perhaps it is time for Guamanians to call in every injustice ever committed upon our people by the U.S. government. And we can start with the Insular Cases of the same U.S. Supreme Court of the 1900s that said people of color were separate but equal. How many times have Guamanians answered the call to serve? How many have died for a democracy that doesn’t even fully apply to us? How many more times must Guamanians accept colonial treatment before Congress ever recognizes that our voices count, too? How much more oppression can our people take before they get fed up and tell the Congress to take their buildup somewhere else?
“We can have the greatest relationship with the U.S. military and the Department of the Interior, but if Congress continues ignoring Guam like the colony it is, we will never truly enjoy the America that the Marines of 1944 fought and died to bring to Guam. What happened to the pledge of a “One Guam” policy? It’s clear these U.S. Senators have no intention of uniting our best interests. To them, there is an American inside a military fenceline, and an American colony outside of it. They want nothing to do with that colony. Here is yet another compelling reason the Guam Legislature, Lt. Governor Tenorio and I are working together to call for a vote of self determination. We cannot continue on as a colony of the United States. We should either be a part of the U.S., with voting membership in the House and Senate and the right to vote for President, or we should govern ourselves. This is a message we will share with U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Carl Levin when they visit with us next week. At least these gentlemen have the consideration and decency to meet with their fellow Americans in Guam.
“I want Guamanians living in the U.S. States where these U.S. Senators are from to remember what these U.S. Senators did to Guam in the next national elections.”
Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States, a colonial status that has not changed. Its residents are called Guamanians and were granted U.S. citizenship by an act of Congress called the Organic Act of 1948. Only certain provisions of the Constitution's Bill of Rights apply to the residents of Guam, called Guamanians. Guamanians have among the highest enlistment rates in the U.S. military. There are 183,000 Guamanians living in Guam. An unknown number reside throughout the U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Alaska. A 2000 census of those who call themselves Chamorro (the ethnicity indigenous to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or part-Chamorro says that 33,849 Chamorros alone live in California. This does not include the broader number of Guamanians of other ethnic backgrounds who live in California. According to the 2000 Census, nearly 100,000 Chamorros live in the 50 States and Puerto Rico.
Office of the Governor of Guam
Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex | Adelup, Guam 96910
Tel: (671) 472-8931/6 | Fax: (671) 477-4826 | http://governor.guam.gov
Immediate Release: April 18, 2011
(Hagatna, Guam) Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo, one of the 55 United States governors, found out this morning that fifteen percent of the U.S. Senate landed on Guam in secrecy today. The contingent includes the Senate Majority and Minority leaders and other powerful U.S. Senators. These U.S. Senators, both Democrat and Republican, have decided to thumb their noses at the island and its government. The Governor, who is a member of the National Governors Association and the Republican Governors Association, releases the following statement about how this snub can severely affect Guam colonial-federal relations as the U.S. government pushes a $15 billion realignment of Asian-Pacific forces on Guam:
“This morning, Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo asked whether I would be greeting the 15 U.S. Senators scheduled to arrive at Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base today. We were both surprised and extremely upset that no one in the federal establishment informed Guam of their visit. We called the Navy to verify this stopover and we were told that the U.S. Senators will not entertain any meeting or discussions with Guam leaders or the Guamanian people. Instead of landing at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam, they have decided to shield their visit in secrecy and land within the confines of Andersen Air Force Base.
“In the 100 years we have been a colony of the United States, the U.S. government hardly did anything to resolve our colonial status. What kind of democracy allows colonialism to flourish? I am livid the U.S. Senate, a body created by the will of the people of 13 colonies who wanted freedom and democracy, would turn its back on the Guamanian people. It is obvious we are not part of their constituency, and they do not consider us a valuable part of the American family. This only serves to inflame our long-held belief that we are an American colony of second-class citizens who matter only when our geopolitical position is needed by the U.S. government.
“This is a sad state of affairs. This is the third time in the last year that Congress has made it clear that we are of no importance to the nation. This snub follows Congress trying to sell our own resources to us at Fena and Congress taking away our Delegate’s voting power in House committees. These U.S. Senators are only hurting American interests abroad. Look at the great relationship we’ve built with the U.S. military. Congress’s actions only undermine that work. Why? If Guam was so important to U.S. strategic interests, then why would the nation’s leaders continue snubbing Guamanians?
“If the Senate wants to thumb its nose at Guamanians, then perhaps it is time for Guamanians to call in every injustice ever committed upon our people by the U.S. government. And we can start with the Insular Cases of the same U.S. Supreme Court of the 1900s that said people of color were separate but equal. How many times have Guamanians answered the call to serve? How many have died for a democracy that doesn’t even fully apply to us? How many more times must Guamanians accept colonial treatment before Congress ever recognizes that our voices count, too? How much more oppression can our people take before they get fed up and tell the Congress to take their buildup somewhere else?
“We can have the greatest relationship with the U.S. military and the Department of the Interior, but if Congress continues ignoring Guam like the colony it is, we will never truly enjoy the America that the Marines of 1944 fought and died to bring to Guam. What happened to the pledge of a “One Guam” policy? It’s clear these U.S. Senators have no intention of uniting our best interests. To them, there is an American inside a military fenceline, and an American colony outside of it. They want nothing to do with that colony. Here is yet another compelling reason the Guam Legislature, Lt. Governor Tenorio and I are working together to call for a vote of self determination. We cannot continue on as a colony of the United States. We should either be a part of the U.S., with voting membership in the House and Senate and the right to vote for President, or we should govern ourselves. This is a message we will share with U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Carl Levin when they visit with us next week. At least these gentlemen have the consideration and decency to meet with their fellow Americans in Guam.
“I want Guamanians living in the U.S. States where these U.S. Senators are from to remember what these U.S. Senators did to Guam in the next national elections.”
Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States, a colonial status that has not changed. Its residents are called Guamanians and were granted U.S. citizenship by an act of Congress called the Organic Act of 1948. Only certain provisions of the Constitution's Bill of Rights apply to the residents of Guam, called Guamanians. Guamanians have among the highest enlistment rates in the U.S. military. There are 183,000 Guamanians living in Guam. An unknown number reside throughout the U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Alaska. A 2000 census of those who call themselves Chamorro (the ethnicity indigenous to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or part-Chamorro says that 33,849 Chamorros alone live in California. This does not include the broader number of Guamanians of other ethnic backgrounds who live in California. According to the 2000 Census, nearly 100,000 Chamorros live in the 50 States and Puerto Rico.
Office of the Governor of Guam
Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex | Adelup, Guam 96910
Tel: (671) 472-8931/6 | Fax: (671) 477-4826 | http://governor.guam.gov
Monday, April 4, 2011
Guam History According to Guam Youth
When he can, Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua teaches History of Guam to our youth at the University of Guam.
In my relationships over the years, the relationships I value most are the ones w/folks who in my times of confusion or need, ask me good, relevant questions. I end up talking myself through my own doubts and fears to come to my own answers, resolutions, empowerment and liberation. Really. It works like that!
Dr. Bevacqua writes about his classes in blogs, newspaper columns and video postings. By all accounts, Dr. Bevacqua asks of his students what my cherished friends ask of me.
While the discussions may be all over the place, the fact that our youth consider and discuss the future of our island is empowering, don't you think?
We CAN nurture, inform and empower our youth. They will be the ones to envision and build a life and a future for the island that will be for the Chamoru people and ALL the people of Guahan. Numerous acts of love on this island. Biba!
You can also view other postings from Dr. Bevacqua's classes at this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bbfhbkfQpI&NR=1
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Football or Prison - The Limited Options Facing Polynesian Boys in America
Silicon Valley De-Bug • Commentary • Jean Melesaine • March 22, 2011
Author Jean Melesaine reflects on how preconceived notions of size and physicality impact her two younger brothers and a generation of Polynesian young men.
The first time I read a book with the word Polynesian in it was when I read "Moby Dick" in middle school. Author Herman Melville wrote his famous novel sometime in the late 1800's and in it he wrote about a Polynesian shipmate, "Queequeg." He was described in the book as a “heavily tattooed Polynesian harpooner existing in a state between civilized and savage.” That description of the Polynesian male was written in the late 1800's, yet is an image that doesn't seem to fade even in 2011.
In my Polynesian family I have two younger brothers who are now 18 and 23 - Jr. and Christ, one named after my father and the other named after Jesus. Throughout their whole lives they have faced the pressure of being young Polynesian men viewed through the lens of mainstream America. Almost the same stereotype that author Herman Melville wrote about, heavily tattooed between being "civilized and savage.”
Ever since my little brother was 15 he was 6'4, 300lbs solid. To have a growth spurt at that age and to that extent is normal for a lot of Polynesian young men. His facial hair grew faster than that of some older men. His size has been a gift and a curse, getting him noticed where ever he goes. It’s either in a good way or a bad way, people either fear him or they sometimes want to be around him to portray the image of fear. He's had a lot of friends who admit to wanting to hang with him because of his size and not because he's a funny, intelligent guy.
My brother’s experience typifies what a lot of young Polynesians go through, again in the good and the bad.
A 2005 UC Berkeley study on Asian Pacific Islander prison reentry found that API men and women are incarcerated at a younger age than any other racial group in California. Also in the recent documentary, "In Football We Trust," they say that Samoans and Tongans are 56 times more likely to be in the NFL than any other ethnic background.
As different as those two statistics are, it makes a lot sense if you consider how physicality in America plays such an important role. People in America associate size with power: big cars, big houses, big muscles, everything big.
The first time my brother Jr.’s size and image came into play and foreshadowed the type of attention he would receive for years to come was when he was 15. He was out late and walking home when the police pulled him over. Three vehicles and five cops rushed him as he proceeded to lay flat on the ground in the arrest position. One of the officers put her gun to his head and cursed at him. He is 23 now and has had repeated episodes like that since, and I asked him, "Why do you think they treated you like that when you were 15?" He told me, "because I'm a big ass human being."
When he came back from New Zealand and stepped onto his new high school campus the football coaches walked right up to him trying to recruit him. When he walks with our mom, who looks like a small Chinese lady people ask her if she’s okay.
These are things that have become normal for young Polynesians. Even sitting in a courtroom or handcuffed on the curb, being treated as an adult rather than the average American teenager has become normal.
With my two younger brothers being arrested is casual. Being in the system is expected.
Last week I got a call from my father telling me my youngest brother, Chris, was arrested again and he sits in adult jail for the first time because he just turned 18.
This morning I got a text that Jr. was taken into custody on a traffic warrant. He has court on Wednesday for another case. How was he taken in? He was stopped while walking with Christ to the store at 11pm. Christ had been released and was drinking a soda. The cop suspected it was a bottle of alcohol and pulled them over while walking. After running his name he was taken in. Within a two week span both of them have been in custody. It doesn't surprise me anymore, it’s not a big issue to them. That's just how it has always been, it’s as common as a handshake.
I started writing this piece last week to compensate a quick video that I produced around the Santa Clara County criminal justice system. The video was based on my brothers, little pieces that cannot give the full view of what they go through as young Polynesian men. While working on the video, I asked my younger brother, Christ, to explain to me what his thoughts were on his time in the system. He didn’t understand what I was asking him for. To him seeing other Polynesians arrested or incarcerated is part of normal life to him. Everyone in my family except for my mother has been arrested in front of him.
A friend of mine, an older white activist woman named Betsy told me she read one of my pieces around Polynesian culture and says she loves my writing. As much as I appreciate it, it makes me want to stop. Yet another day, writing a story that Christ probably won’t read or doesn’t care about. A story about him, about my other brother Jr. about Polynesian men who sit in prison who can't think about life any different because it seems that America has picked their choices for them.
Because of Polynesian men's physical size, ethnic background, class and pre-conceived stereotypes, the many opportunities of America have been reduced to two choices: football or prison.
Jean Melesaine is an author and videographer for Silicon Valley De-Bug.
Read more stories from Silicon Valley De-Bug »
http://www.sjbeez.org/articles/2011/03/22/football-or-prison-the-limited-options-facing-polynesian-men-in-america/
Author Jean Melesaine reflects on how preconceived notions of size and physicality impact her two younger brothers and a generation of Polynesian young men.
The Limited Options Facing Polynesian Men in America from DE BUG on Vimeo.
The first time I read a book with the word Polynesian in it was when I read "Moby Dick" in middle school. Author Herman Melville wrote his famous novel sometime in the late 1800's and in it he wrote about a Polynesian shipmate, "Queequeg." He was described in the book as a “heavily tattooed Polynesian harpooner existing in a state between civilized and savage.” That description of the Polynesian male was written in the late 1800's, yet is an image that doesn't seem to fade even in 2011.
In my Polynesian family I have two younger brothers who are now 18 and 23 - Jr. and Christ, one named after my father and the other named after Jesus. Throughout their whole lives they have faced the pressure of being young Polynesian men viewed through the lens of mainstream America. Almost the same stereotype that author Herman Melville wrote about, heavily tattooed between being "civilized and savage.”
Ever since my little brother was 15 he was 6'4, 300lbs solid. To have a growth spurt at that age and to that extent is normal for a lot of Polynesian young men. His facial hair grew faster than that of some older men. His size has been a gift and a curse, getting him noticed where ever he goes. It’s either in a good way or a bad way, people either fear him or they sometimes want to be around him to portray the image of fear. He's had a lot of friends who admit to wanting to hang with him because of his size and not because he's a funny, intelligent guy.
My brother’s experience typifies what a lot of young Polynesians go through, again in the good and the bad.
A 2005 UC Berkeley study on Asian Pacific Islander prison reentry found that API men and women are incarcerated at a younger age than any other racial group in California. Also in the recent documentary, "In Football We Trust," they say that Samoans and Tongans are 56 times more likely to be in the NFL than any other ethnic background.
As different as those two statistics are, it makes a lot sense if you consider how physicality in America plays such an important role. People in America associate size with power: big cars, big houses, big muscles, everything big.
The first time my brother Jr.’s size and image came into play and foreshadowed the type of attention he would receive for years to come was when he was 15. He was out late and walking home when the police pulled him over. Three vehicles and five cops rushed him as he proceeded to lay flat on the ground in the arrest position. One of the officers put her gun to his head and cursed at him. He is 23 now and has had repeated episodes like that since, and I asked him, "Why do you think they treated you like that when you were 15?" He told me, "because I'm a big ass human being."
When he came back from New Zealand and stepped onto his new high school campus the football coaches walked right up to him trying to recruit him. When he walks with our mom, who looks like a small Chinese lady people ask her if she’s okay.
These are things that have become normal for young Polynesians. Even sitting in a courtroom or handcuffed on the curb, being treated as an adult rather than the average American teenager has become normal.
With my two younger brothers being arrested is casual. Being in the system is expected.
Last week I got a call from my father telling me my youngest brother, Chris, was arrested again and he sits in adult jail for the first time because he just turned 18.
This morning I got a text that Jr. was taken into custody on a traffic warrant. He has court on Wednesday for another case. How was he taken in? He was stopped while walking with Christ to the store at 11pm. Christ had been released and was drinking a soda. The cop suspected it was a bottle of alcohol and pulled them over while walking. After running his name he was taken in. Within a two week span both of them have been in custody. It doesn't surprise me anymore, it’s not a big issue to them. That's just how it has always been, it’s as common as a handshake.
I started writing this piece last week to compensate a quick video that I produced around the Santa Clara County criminal justice system. The video was based on my brothers, little pieces that cannot give the full view of what they go through as young Polynesian men. While working on the video, I asked my younger brother, Christ, to explain to me what his thoughts were on his time in the system. He didn’t understand what I was asking him for. To him seeing other Polynesians arrested or incarcerated is part of normal life to him. Everyone in my family except for my mother has been arrested in front of him.
A friend of mine, an older white activist woman named Betsy told me she read one of my pieces around Polynesian culture and says she loves my writing. As much as I appreciate it, it makes me want to stop. Yet another day, writing a story that Christ probably won’t read or doesn’t care about. A story about him, about my other brother Jr. about Polynesian men who sit in prison who can't think about life any different because it seems that America has picked their choices for them.
Because of Polynesian men's physical size, ethnic background, class and pre-conceived stereotypes, the many opportunities of America have been reduced to two choices: football or prison.
Jean Melesaine is an author and videographer for Silicon Valley De-Bug.
Read more stories from Silicon Valley De-Bug »
http://www.sjbeez.org/articles/2011/03/22/football-or-prison-the-limited-options-facing-polynesian-men-in-america/
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