5/2: Soo Ah Kwon


In Soo Ah Kwon’s article, “Deporting Cambodian Refugees – Youth Activism, State Reform, and Imperial Statecraft,” it talks about the ideas of deportation and what the United States does to “illegal aliens.” Kwon talks about how specifically Cambodian men are targeted for deportation based on any crimes that were committed. Kwon goes onto saying how these people are being deported back to a country where there are high rates of poverty and unemployment, stating how it makes life reentering back into Cambodia more difficult. Kwon also describes the social justice group, Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership (AYPAL), which is a group that helps repeal the claims made by the United States government to these immigrants who get deported. After reading this article, I felt like there was a form of hegemony. The United States government makes a claim on immigrants who eventually have no say and are sent home. Since Asians are depicted as passive, it really helps to have an organization such as AYPAL to help those who feel like they do not have a strong enough voice. Cultural struggle can be seen with the “illegal aliens” because these immigrants are constantly struggling to live their life in the United States. Meanwhile, cultural resistance can be seen in AYPAL because they challenge the Justice system.

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