Visiting Oakland 11/19-21: APEN and Enter The Green Dragon

In a sudden bit of news, I'll be visiting Oakland, California from November 19th-21 to visit with the wonderful folks at APEN, the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, who are celebrating their 15th year anniversary.

In particular, I and my colleagues at the Lao Assistance Center will be visiting the members of the acclaimed Lao Organizing Project:

The Laotian community in Contra Costa County, CA lives in one of the most toxic regions in the nation. Surrounded by more then 350 industrial sites and toxic hazards, their home, school, and work environments are exposed to dangerous levels of lead, pesticides, and other chemicals on a daily basis.


As refugees who entered the U.S. in the 1970's, the Laotian community is still a relatively new population with little voice about the policies affecting their lives. LOP was started in 1995 to bring together the diverse Laotian ethnic and tribal groups in Contra Costa County to respond to the needs of the community, work toward change, and provide a vehicle to build the community they envision. LOP has a membership base of 200 families and over 20 leaders.

"Enter the GREEN Dragon-APIs Winning Environmental Justice In California" 
“Enter the GREEN Dragon – APIs Winning Environmental Justice in California” is going to be a milestone 15th anniversary celebration for APEN and the low-income communities they organize, and a fun filled evening with their many supporters. They will be addressing the emerging importance of the Asian and Pacific Islander community to issues critical in CA and the US, such as climate change, as well as updating everyone about their current work.Oakland Rotunda: Thursday, November 19th 6pm -9pm