Azadeh Shahshahani

Waging a Struggle for Immigrants’ Rights in Georgia

To many, to be a person of color in the South is an intimidating, or even frightening, thought. AANHPIs, Latinos, and Muslims in the South face unique problems and issues. This workshop aims to be an interactive space where staff from Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, and Project South, lead participants in engaging discussions about these unique issues. Georgia has been at the forefront of the crackdown on immigrants’ rights for the past decade. The session will provide an overview of the various facets of the repression of these communities, including immigration detention and deportation, racial profiling, involvement of local police in immigration enforcement, surveillance and harassment by the FBI, religious discrimination, and obstacles to educational access for undocumented students. The AANHPI, Latino, and Muslim communities all play a part in combating this repression. The session will delve into current movements, including efforts to engage AANHPI voters on issues that matter the most to them, the campaign to shut down the Stewart Detention Center, the Georgia Not1More Campaign, the movement to welcome refugees and resist state surveillance and infiltration, and the movement for equal access to education. Presenters will talk about what lies ahead for the movements and how allies from outside the state can help lend support.

Speakers: Raymond Partolan, Azadeh Shahshahani, Adelina Nicholls