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Friday
May282010

Tam Tran - Immigration Activist Dies

... a powerful immigrant story I heard at AFSC meeting last night in Providence. Share with others in the discussion if you wish. jane johnson

"If we all hold hands we can't fight."  
Fabian, age 6 - Brooklyn, NY

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Here is a brief piece on the deaths of Tam and Cynthia, young and powerful organizers at Brown for the DREAM act that I spoke of last night.  There is a memorial service at Brown today at 5pm.

Martha Yager
AFSC- SENE

______________________________

De: Kohei Ishihara
Enviado el: mié 5/19/2010 8:55
Asunto: R.I.P.

We are mourning the loss of a fellow Southeast Asian, an immigrant rights activist, and a Providence resident.

Our fellow Vietnamese sister Tam Tran died on Saturday, May 15, 2010, in a car crash in Maine.  She was on her way to Providence to attend the S.E.A. The Future conference.  Tam was an avid PrYSM supporter, and even recruited a few folks who did make there way to the conference, as it was the last thing that Tam asked them to do.  One of Tam's best friends, Cynthia Felix , also died in the car crash.  Cynthia was also undocumented, and she was also an immigrant rights activist at Brown.

Tam's parents were refugees from Vietnam who resettled in Germany, but because Germany does not grant birth-right citizenship, she was caught in legal limbo, when her family moved to the United States, and Tam found herself without a way to attain legal residency.  

Tam graduated from UCLA before coming to Providence to enroll in a PhD program at Brown.  She was a proficient film-maker and activist on behalf of the right for undocumented students to attend college and pay in-state tuition.  

Lost and Found: Story of a Dream Act Student <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI7J2b3t4WU>

A Short Film by Tam Tran.

Tam Tran testified in May 2007 in front of Congress, advocating for the DREAM Act. When USA Today published an article on her testimony, her parents and brother were arrested and detained by ICE, and Tam was forced into hiding.  But she kept on advocating and organizing.  Only a month ago, she organized a Providence contingent to the May 1st March in Washington, D.C.

USA Today article <http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-16-Dream_N.htm>  about how Tam's parents were arrested and detained by immigration right after she testified in front of the U.S. Congress for allowing undocumented students the right to in-state tuition in U.S. colleges and universities.

A short slide show <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=17600629&ref=profile#%21/video/video.php?v=566742222057&ref=mf>  of Tam produced by Michelle DePlante who worked with her locally on pushing for RI legislation allowing for in-state tuition.

Tam, you have paved a road that we all follow, and many of us will continue to build.  May you rest in peace and know that the struggle for justice continues.

You can help by donating to Tam and Cynthia's families.

Donate to Tam and Cynthia's families. <http://tamandcinthyamemorial.blogspot.com/>

Thank you!

Kohei Ishihara

More articles about Tam and Cynthia, in life and death.  

Please find more information on the following links:

 *News Articles *

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-16-Dream_N.htm

 http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2010/05/17/tam_tran_brown_student_fought_for_immigrant_rights/

 http://www.projo.com/news/content/TRAN_05-18-10_9JIHHOC_v13.13615b5a.html

 http://immigration.change.org/blog/view/celebrating_dream_act_sheroes_tam_and_cinthya

 Brown University Media Release - http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2010/05/tran

 http://www.browndailyherald.com/mobile/web-update-tam-tran-gs-killed-in-car-accident-1.2266300 <http://www.browndailyherald.com/mobile/web-update-tam-tran-gs-killed-in-car-accident-1.2266300>

 UCLA Media Release: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/memorial-service-planned-for-2-158779.aspx

 http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/illegals-illegals-illegals/tam-tran-garden-grove-native-a/ <http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/illegals-illegals-illegals/tam-tran-garden-grove-native-a/>

 http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2010/05/two_ucla_graduates_killed.php

 http://www.projo.com/news/content/News_digest_17_05-17-10_9UIGO2M_v6.ddaf059.html

 http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/143634.html

 http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=117885&catid=2

 http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=117861&catid=2

 http://www.wabi.tv/news/11803/police-say-two-people-are-dead-after-an-early-morning-car-crash-in-trenton

 http://www.projo.com/news/content/TRAN_05-18-10_9JIHHOC_v13.13615b5a.html

 http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/143677.html

 Vietnamese Paper: http://www.nguoi-viet.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=113016&z=3

 http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsme/Pair.of.activists.2.1699183.html

 http://www.ocregister.com/news/maine-249042-state-grove.html

 http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/05/memorial-planned-for-brown-gra.html

 http://vivirlatino.com/2010/05/17/hasta-siempre-hermanas-tam-and-cinthya-may-your-dreams-become-universal.php <http://vivirlatino.com/2010/05/17/hasta-siempre-hermanas-tam-and-cinthya-may-your-dreams-become-universal.php>

 http://www.dailybruin.com/articles/2010/5/18/memorial-honors-cinthya-felix-perez-and-tam-tran-u/ <http://www.dailybruin.com/articles/2010/5/18/memorial-honors-cinthya-felix-perez-and-tam-tran-u/>

 *VIdeos*

 http://vimeo.com/4576582

 *Previous News Stories about Tam and Cinthya*

 http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-16-Dream_N.htm

 http://www.citizenorange.com/orange/2007/10/deporting-dissent-tam-tran-and.html <http://www.citizenorange.com/orange/2007/10/deporting-dissent-tam-tran-and.html>

 http://www.dreamactivist.org/dreamie-of-the-week-tam-tran/http://www.dreamactivist.org/dreamie-of-the-week-tam-tran/>

<

 http://projectcinthya.org/

 http://spsukaton.wordpress.com/

 Tam testified before Congress in support of the Dream Act: http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/DREAM/tam-tran-2007-05-18.pdf <http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/DREAM/tam-tran-2007-05-18.pdf>

 * Blog Posts about Cinthya and Tam*

 http://immigration.change.org/blog/view/celebrating_dream_act_sheroes_tam_and_cinthya

 http://blog.angryasianman.com/2010/05/tam-tran-and-cinthya-felix-dream.htmlhttp://blog.angryasianman.com/2010/05/tam-tran-and-cinthya-felix-dream.html>

<

 http://wethinkrethink.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/in-memory-of-the-amazing-sheroes/

 http://subversities.blogspot.com/2010/05/rip-tam-tran-and-cinthya-felix-dream.html <http://subversities.blogspot.com/2010/05/rip-tam-tran-and-cinthya-felix-dream.html>

 http://pochoingreatermexico.blogspot.com/2010/05/remembering-tam-tran.html <http://pochoingreatermexico.blogspot.com/2010/05/remembering-tam-tran.html>

 http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104897826220694#!/note.php?note_id=395220777610&id=172945319711http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104897826220694#%21/note.php?note_id=395220777610&id=172945319711>

<


 *More on Tam Tran and Cinthya Felix*

 http://web.me.com/mvmartinez/CesarChavezScholarshipFundRI/Home.htm

 Blog - http://undergroundundergrads.com/

 Tam's Youtube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/UndergroundAtBrown

 This was an incredible video that Tam created while a UCLA undergrad about the undocumented student struggle - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI7J2b3t4WU

 Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tam-Tran/64635456938?ref=tshttp://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Tam-Tran/64635456938?ref=ts>

 Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=2513788&ref=tshttp://www.facebook.com/#%21/profile.php?id=2513788&ref=ts>

 Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=2516774&ref=tshttp://www.facebook.com/#%21/profile.php?id=2516774&ref=ts>

Kohei Ishihara

Executive Director


Providence Youth Student Movement

669 Elmwood Avenue

Box 19

Providence, RI 02907

www.prysm.us <http://www.prysm.us/>


Resist, Inc.

Board Member

www.resistinc.org <http://www.resistinc.org/>


BE PART OF MAKING CHANGE!  Attend the S.E.A The Future conference in Providence, from May 15- 16, 2010.  Register at http://prysm.us/stf


TAKE the QUEER SOUTHEAST ASIAN CENSUS!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QSEAnetworkcensus


"WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED" - the story of PrYSM.  http://www.vimeo.com/1307213


"From the U.S.A. with Love" - our video submitted to The Phnom Penh Pride Film Festival (Cambodia, 2009)

http://prysm.us/node/619



 

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