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| Benefit for the Asian Prisoner Support Committee |
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Some of the greatest slam/spoken word artists in the nation, the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, and Yuri Kochiyama will be performing and speaking at a benefit for Asian American prisoners & inmates. The Asian Prisoner Support Committee was formed to provide services, support and assistance to Asian inmates and to raise awareness among Asian America about incarcerated members of our communities. In addition, the committee is working on two cases involving a group of inmates at San Quentin State Prison who demanded Ethnic Studies courses in the prison education program and have subsequently faced severe retaliation from the prison system, and an inmate who is taking the Dept of Corrections to court, challenging its explicit policy of racial segregation as a violation of the 14th Ammendment. In addition to these incredible performers, family members of the inmates will be at the event to share information about the cases. The Performers: Bao Phi, HBO Def Poetry Jam hailing from Minneapolis Ishle Park, HBO Def Poetry Jam hailing from Oakland and New York 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, Asian Am. Comedy Troupe Yuri Kochiyama, Community Activist Shailja Patel, Poet Jason Mateo, 8th Wonder Short Bios: (Some full Bios are available on this website under Artist Bios) Thien-bao Thuc Phi was born in Sai Gon, Viet Nam and raised in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis. He was raised by two half-Chinese, half-Vietnamese parents who brought him up as a Vietnamese boy in the hood. He is the undefeated Slam champion of the Macalester Cultural House Poetry Slam, where the Grand Prize is named after him. In 5 years of competition, he has won the Minnesota Grand Slam Championship twice and placed 2nd the other 3 years. He has been a member of the National Minnesota Poetry Slam team for 4 years, twice making the semifinals, and as an individual he made the Finals and Semifinals. Ishle Yi Park is a NYFA fiction grant recipient has been published in over 20 anthologies including The Beacon Best 2001 and Best American Poetry of 2003. She was a featured artist on HBO's Def Poetry Jam. Winner of the "best love poem in fire engine red" at the Nuyorican�s Glam Slam, Loudpoet of the Year and Grand Slam Champion (2000) of Bar 13, and she is the first Korean American woman ever to compete and feature on the finals stage at the National Poetry Slam. Yuri Kochiyama has been a leading Asian American activist for over five decades. Yuri has organized and spoken out for racial justice since being interned during WWII, and she has inspired generations of Asian American activists along the way. The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors consider themselves "the world's most psychotic asian american comedy group." Born in San Francisco, 18MMW combines hilarious comedy and incisive political wit and has performed across the country. http://www.18mmw.com Shailja Patel is a diasporic South Asian spoken word artist. Originally from Kenya, she's currently based in the Bay Area, and stands up for human rights around the world. Jason Mateo (aka the Kreative Dwella) is part of the SF-based Pilipino American spoken word group 8th Wonder. One of the best beatboxers in the Bay Area, he also works with Youth Speaks, an organization dedicated to developing writing skills among young folks in the Bay Area.
Apr 20, 2003 7:00pm  |