How can we respond to anti-immigrant policies that target low-income immigrants of color? U.S. immigration policy continues to threaten the wellbeing of Asian American communities, including refugees, undocumented immigrants, and survivors of gender-based violence. Hear from organizers who work across the East Coast at local, state, and federal levels to advocate for immigrants who face racialized exclusion and deportation threat.

Co-sponsored by Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA) and Migrations Initiative

Shilpy Chatterjee has a Bachelors in Law from the University of Delhi and started her career as a farmer and tribal rights activist and advocate. It gave her the invaluable chance to interact and learn from people from diverse backgrounds and challenges. Currently, she works with survivors of gender-based violence and actively engages in the movement on the whole. She believes that with every survivor aided, another step forward is taken to end the cycle of violence. Shilpy’s position as a domestic violence program advocate at the police precinct in Queens, New York City, gave her the opportunity to work closely with law enforcement. In her current position as Anti Violence Program Manager at SAKHI, she continues to work with survivors of gender-based violence and develop programs to support the constituents. Other than the huge sense of fulfillment and purpose that she receives from her work, Shilpy has been fortunate to receive honors like the 2019 Advocate of New York City and Citation from New York State Assembly for her services to survivors of domestic violence.

Michelle Liang is the Policy Manager at the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) - an Asian American organization organizing for racial, social, and economic justice, with a focus on securing a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented folx including those formerly or currently incarcerated. Liang was born and raised in the East Bay Area before receiving her Bachelor of Arts at Harvard College in history & literature, and studies of women, Gender, & Sexuality, with a secondary in Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights. Previously, she was a policy intern at Amnesty International and Kushinga, a mental health organization in Zimbabwe. During her time in school, she was a recipient of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Grant, Frank M. Boas Fellowship, Lenn Thrower Fellowship, Institute of Politics Director’s Internship grant, and Global Health Institute Summer Fellowship. She also studied and conducted research abroad in Jordan and the Netherlands focusing on the refugee crisis and health and humanitarian action.

Tai Little is an abolitionist, organizer, movement Mama, and community advocate from the Southeast. She is seeking an end to carceral colonial systems by way of providing love, care, and resources to impacted communities. 

Juhwan Seo is a PhD Candidate in Sociology at Cornell University. He studies how U.S. immigration policy shapes family formation of queer immigrants and how ethnic businesses employ low-wage immigrant workers. Previously, Juhwan organized with the New York Immigration Coalition and co-founded the Harvard Ethnic Studies Coalition. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Justice, and the Social Science Research Council.