Hi friends,
I've been sitting with how to begin this newsletter and this year in general.
While I write this, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are escalating across the country. Even before we welcomed 2026, Keith Porter was murdered in Los Angeles by an off duty ICE officer on New Year’s Eve. And we’re not even fully done with January when we witnessed the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
I’m a Asian immigrant. My family moved here when I was 12 years old. While I’ve created a life here, America doesn't always feel like the place that wants you here.
Many black and brown communities have known the atrocities of ICE well before their efforts ramped up, this administration has solidified itself to instill fear with each headline, each policy change, each story of a family separated, each death not just in immigrants, but US citizens as well. I know that remaining silent isn't an option. That even in my small corner of the Internet, I have an opportunity to share resources and get the word out.
As a creative entrepreneur, hosting workshops and events, providing my offerings, and having a privilege of being alive gives me immense guilt, makes me feel tone deaf, and feeling that I should keep politics out of my business. I’m reminded that art is political, and photographers have the ability capturing truth, beauty, and humanity in a single frame.
Right now, standing up and using the arts to act as a full body mirror to the world is so important. I'm also reminded that artists and creators have the power to be part of the resistance. Every story we tell, every face we photograph with dignity and care, every community we serve—it all matters.
So I'm taking this moment to share some resources for those who need support or want to help:
Pacific Northwest Resources:
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) - Offering free legal services across Washington State
Seattle Office: 615 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 | (206) 957-8611
Tacoma Office: 2209 N Pearl St Suite 200 | (253) 235-9279
Detention support: (253) 383-0519 or toll-free (877) 814-6444
Website: nwirp.org
Oregon Justice Resource Center - Immigrant Rights Project
Provides immigration-related legal advice to public defenders
Website: ojrc.info/immigrant-rights-project
Minnesota Resources:
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM)
Intake line: 1-800-223-1368
Detention support: (651) 641-1011 (Mon-Thurs, 1-3pm)
Website: ilcm.org
The Advocates for Human Rights
Free legal assistance for asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, and trafficking victims
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA)
Free immigration legal services across 20 central Minnesota counties
Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN)
Connects low-income Minnesotans with free legal representation
Call: (612) 752-6677
MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC)
Community organizing and advocacy
Website: miracmn.com
If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to these organizations. If you're looking for ways to help, consider donating your time, resources, or amplifying their work.
While the remaining posts this year will be sharing about my creative business and offerings, know that I share in the grief and anger of the reality we are in as Americans.
I am continuing to make a sense of it all like a lot of us, but I take comfort in knowing that I have a community to people who also just want to create a better tomorrow for everyone in this country.