Ju Hong
Template:TOCnestleft Ju Hong is a board member of NAKASEC and a long-time illegal immigration activist, who was arrested at Berkeley in 2011 along with other illegal immigration activists. Ju Hong heckled President Obama about illegal immigration in 2013, leading to an appearance on Democracy NOW!. He was a recipient of a scholarship from the Liberty Hill Foundation.
Biography
Ju Hong serves as a Program Analyst of the California Department of Social Services, developing and implementing programs and funding initiatives to support legal services, outreach, community education, and other immigration integration efforts. In 2013, he challenged President Obama on a record number of deportations during his speech in San Francisco. Mr. Hong holds a B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley, and a M.A. in Public Administration from San Francisco State University. He is also a certified coach and a member of the Leadership Council of Educators for Fair Consideration.[1]
NAKASEC board members
NAKASEC board members as of January 2018 included Ju Hong.[2]
Arrest in 2011
At age 21, Ju Hong was arrested during a protest for illegal immigration. An excerpt from an article posted at Berkleyside by Diana Arbas:[3]
- "Police arrested 21-year-old Hong and six other undocumented student activists for blocking a major street at a July 12 San Bernardino immigration rally. They were released 12 hours later, but might now be at risk for deportation. An ICE agent told the activists they might be ordered to an immigration court hearing in a few weeks, Hong said.
- "The act of civil disobedience was meant to empower undocumented youth and protest immigrant mistreatment, Hong wrote in a public statement. Among the central issues at the rally was support for the California Dream Act, which would enable undocumented students to qualify for state-administered financial-aid programs. Part of the bill was signed into law on July 25 by Governor Jerry Brown.
- "Hong has watched undocumented friends forced to take time off school to save enough money to pay rising tuition fees. Some even had to drop out altogether because college was too costly without financial aid. Other undocumented students have been arrested and deported. There are too many stories, Hong said, including his own.
- "“This is my last year at Cal. After I graduate, now what? Even with a degree from UC Berkeley, I cannot legally work,” Hong said.
- "“Ju’s been so tired of the situation,” said Lisa Chen, Asian Law Caucus community advocate. “He needed to do something, and this is what he felt like he needed to do. So when he called to tell me he planned on getting arrested, I was not at all surprised. It was only a matter of when, not if.”
- "Hong said that the Dream Act movement is growing, “And I want to push a little bit more.”
Those arrested were Jesus Barrios, Martha Vasquez, Isaac Barrera, Jonathan Perez, Jorge Herrera, David Lemus, Ju Hong, Alma de Jesus and Estefania Lopez. Also reported at the Fontana Herald News:[4]
- “It’s not always for civil disobedience, but if you roll a stop sign you can be deported. That’s what these students were fighting against, these policies that are criminalizing our communities,” said Mohammad Abdollahi, co-founder of the Dream is Coming Project.
- "Fontana resident Cynthia Horta, 22, who came from Mexico at an early age, supported the movement and expressed anger toward the system, which she said criminalizes people that only want to work and look for a better life.
- "Perez, a mathematics student at Cal Poly Pomona, is an Ab540 student, meaning she can’t receive financial aid for college due to her immigration status. Despite the obstacle, she is in her final year and plans to continue studying to eventually become a math professor.
- “I have no legal documents but that will not stop me from getting an education,” Perez said. “I pay $2,000 for school every 10 weeks with private scholarships I got for being a good student. I can do it, but others can’t. If we have immigration reform, everybody will be able to get an education.”:
Scholarship from Liberty Hill
Ju Hong was "a recipient of a Cal Dream scholarship from the Liberty Hill Foundation."[5]