The National AAPI DACA Video Tour is a national communication campaign to educate AAPI communities on pains of family separation as well as dreams and hopes of undocumented immigrant youth through the screening of two documentaries followed by community discussions. Two documentaries featuring personal stories of undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients will be shown: Dream Riders Across America, directed by RJ Lozada, and Halmoni (Grandmother), directed by Anna Oh.
Dream Riders Across America
In 2015, 12 Asian American, Latino, and African American youth from California, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia embarked on a road trip to amplify the voices of young people of color and immigrants and build the power of youth throughout the country.
The Dream Riders traveled through the southern states where they shared their personal stories of migration and experiences living in the United States, hopes for their families and country, and how young people can become agents for social change. By sharing their stories, the Dream Riders learned from each other, as well as other youth and community leaders about different issues impacting their communities and their ideas for solutions. The major issues included immigrant rights, racial justice, and civic engagement.
Meet the Riders
Ju Hong’s Personal DACA Story – Halmoni (Grandmother)
Ju Hong once held a secret that is now an integral part of his identity: he is an undocumented immigrant. Ju is limited in his rights and privileges as compared to those of a U.S. citizen, one being that he is unable to travel freely outside of the U.S. because of his immigrations status and the risk of deportation.
In 2012, President Obama announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which would provide protection from deportation up to one million undocumented youth. Through DACA, Ju traveled to South Korea to reunite with his ailing grandmother for the first time in over 13 years.
