Monday, February 15th
7PM–8:30PM
Passcode: 006695
ZOOM LINK: https://pitzer.zoom.us/j/81563827697?pwd=dzZaVjV6SzZtRWZXd3A3ckF1ZThiZz09
Billy (Houth) Taing the outreach coordinator of API RISE (Asian Pacific Islander Reentry & Inclusion through Support and Empowerment) and a co-founder of Black and API Solidarity. He is a former lifer who was incarcerated for 21 years. Before his incarceration, he was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. When Billy was a toddler, his father was murdered by the Khmer Rouge during the height of the ethnic cleansing campaign. Billy’s family temporarily resettled in Georgia before settling in Monterey Park, California when Billy was 8 years old. During his time in prison, he took advantage of the rehabilitation programs, obtained an A.A. degree in general studies and embraced meditation practices. Since his re-entry back into society in 2016, he has strived as a productive member of his community. Today, Billy continues to advocate for crimmigration and social justice reform, while holding a full-time job as a union electrician with IBEW Local 11.
Paul Jung currently works at the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office. He graduated from UCLA Law School’s Public Interest Law and Policy Program in 2013. He formerly worked at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA where he focused on raising awareness about the impact of mass incarceration in California, educating individuals and families in Southern California directly impacted by the system, and advocating for juvenile and criminal justice policy reforms. In 2014, Paul helped form a non-profit organization, API RISE, which seeks to empower and advocate on behalf of formerly incarcerated Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders through mentorship, peer-led support, and job readiness.
