Tag Archives: APICAG

Who Keeps Us Safe? | New Episodes

by Jenn Shaffer and WKUS

Artwork depicting yellow text on a black background that reads "Who Keeps Us Safe"?
“Who Keeps Us Safe?” is a podcast by Asian American community organizers that explores ideas of community safety, abolition, and activism. (Artwork: Alex Chuang)

Who Keeps Us Safe?” (WKUS) is a podcast by Asian Americans living in Seattle that explores safety, policing, and abolition in our communities and beyond. Join us as we speak with organizers in the Seattle area, and reflect on their work and learnings. We hope that our listeners will use this podcast to begin and/or supplement their own conversations about safety and policing in their own communities. This is a project of PARISOL: Pacific Rim Solidarity Network, a grassroots anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, Hong Konger, Taiwanese, and Chinese* diaspora group based in Seattle. PARISOL is dedicated to local and international solidarity, community building, cultural & politicized learning, abolition, and anti-racist work.


WKUS was originally formatted for radio with local radio station KVRU 105.7FM, which meant that the podcast episodes tended to be about an hour in length. Going forward, the WKUS production crew decided to make future episodes shorter and more casual in format, still focusing on local conversations about safety. Who Keeps Us Safe? is a small volunteer team of community organizers: Alex Chuang, Andy Allen, Chloe Huber, Jenn Shaffer, Makenna O’Keeffe, and Ryan Fang.

Catch up on the most recent conversations by listening to the latest three episodes:

Continue reading Who Keeps Us Safe? | New Episodes

Who Keeps Us Safe? | Episode 5: From Chinatown to Chinatown

Artwork depicting yellow text on a black background that reads "Who Keeps Us Safe"?
“Who Keeps Us Safe?” is a podcast by Asian American community organizers that explores ideas of community safety, abolition, and activism. (Artwork: Alex Chuang)

Who Keeps Us Safe? is a podcast by Asian Americans living in Seattle that explores safety, policing, and abolition in our communities and beyond. Join us monthly as we speak with organizers in the Seattle area, and reflect on their work and learnings. We hope that our listeners will use this podcast to begin and/or supplement their own conversations about safety and policing in their own communities. This is a project of PARISOL: Pacific Rim Solidarity Network, a grassroots anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, Hong Konger, Taiwanese, and Chinese* diaspora group based in Seattle. PARISOL is dedicated to local & international solidarity, community building, cultural & politicized learning, abolition, and anti-racist work.


This episode was produced for the podcast Who Keeps Us Safe? and was previously released in February 2022. The production crew is a small volunteer team of community organizers: Andy Allen, Alex Chuang, Jenn Shaffer, and Ryan Fang. 

Continue reading Who Keeps Us Safe? | Episode 5: From Chinatown to Chinatown

Who Keeps Us Safe? | Episode 3: Safety, Inside and Out

Artwork depicting yellow text on a black background that reads "Who Keeps Us Safe"?
“Who Keeps Us Safe?” is a podcast by Asian American community organizers that explores ideas of community safety, abolition, and activism. (Artwork: Alex Chuang)

Who Keeps Us Safe? is a podcast by Asian Americans living in Seattle that explores safety, policing, and abolition in our communities and beyond. Join us monthly as we speak with organizers in the Seattle area, and reflect on their work and learnings. We hope that our listeners will use this podcast to begin and/or supplement their own conversations about safety and policing in their own communities. This is a project of PARISOL: Pacific Rim Solidarity Network, a grassroots anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, Hong Konger, Taiwanese, and Chinese* diaspora group based in Seattle. PARISOL is dedicated to local & international solidarity, community building, cultural & politicized learning, abolition, and anti-racist work.


Continue reading Who Keeps Us Safe? | Episode 3: Safety, Inside and Out

Community Shows Support as Local Activist Petitions for Pardon to Avoid Deportation

by Elizabeth Turnbull


Close to three decades after Oloth Insyxiengmay was incarcerated as a teenager, he has established himself as a youth advocate, while also fighting against the threat of his own deportation. 

On Friday, Sept. 10, Insyxiengmay went in front of the Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board to petition for a pardon of his criminal convictions in order to diminish the risk of an order of deportation. Ultimately, the board voted against recommending that Gov. Jay Inslee pardon Insyxiengmay.

Prior to Friday’s hearing, over 60 individuals wrote letters in support of Insyxiengmay and over 350 people, including members of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, joined a Zoom call on Thursday, Sept. 9, to advocate for his pardon.

Continue reading Community Shows Support as Local Activist Petitions for Pardon to Avoid Deportation

Khmer Organizer Many Uch Becomes U.S. Citizen After Two-Decade Journey

by Bunthay Cheam


In 1997, Many Uch first walked into what was the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) building in the International District after being transferred directly from the Department of Corrections (DOC) custody after serving a three-year prison sentence. He faced an indefinite detention in an INS facility. 

On Friday, Jan. 22, Uch walked out of the Department of Homeland Security building in Tukwila, WA to the applause of a dozen supporters and organizers. This time, with a Certificate of Citizenship in hand after being sworn-in as a naturalized citizen.

“This is one of the three achievements in my life that I’m proud of,” Uch said upon his release.  

Continue reading Khmer Organizer Many Uch Becomes U.S. Citizen After Two-Decade Journey