![[photo of students holding signs at the SRC meeting; Stop School Violence; Grown-ups Let Us Down; We Want An Education In A Safe School; It's Not A Question Of Who Beat Whom But Who Let It Happen]](http://aaunited.org/images/p-home_src1.jpg)
SOUTH PHILLY HIGH
School District Investigation
Download the full report (pdf)
Earlier this week, Judge James Giles released the findings of a District investigation into the violence on Dec. 3 at South Philadelphia High School. Among the findings was confirmation of widespread violence at the school starting before 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the day on Dec. 3rd with clear knowledge of that violence by school officials. The violence was acknowledged to have some relationship to race. The report also revealed that it could not substantiate a highly publicized charge that Asian students had beaten up a disabled African American student the day before. That allegation was based on hearsay, according to the report, and the Judge could not determine whether the African American student was a victim or an attacker in that situation.
At the same time, Asian Americans United and advocates who have worked on addressing violence at South Philadelphia High School for more than a year raised serious concerns about the inadequacy of the Judge’s report, including:
- the report’s focus on two dates, Dec. 2 and 3, ignoring a much longer pattern of anti-Asian/anti-immigrant violence at the school;
- the failure to interview the majority of student victims as well as a number of witnesses on the scene Dec. 3;
- limited attention paid to racial bias and language access concerns with regard to official school action; and
- short-sighted recommendation that are mostly punitive towards students and fail to address how to build a more supportive and inclusive academic and social environment for all students at South Philadelphia High School.
The gravest concern, however, is that the report essentially absolves the District and school leadership of any responsibility. In fact, the report seems to imply that if we were to revisit that day on December 3rd the administration of SPHS could have made the exact same choices – and that is a frightening analysis. Without some measure of accountability and understanding of what could and should have been done differently, we have no way to move forward, as we have been urged by District officials. In fact, the refusal to address responsibility is part of the reason we have seen repeated violence at South Philadelphia High School. The report underscores that we still need an independent and thorough investigation by the Department of Justice and other entities to responsibly understand and address the violence at SPHS.
You can read a copy of the report here as well as a more extensive analysis of concerns detailed by AAU Board member Helen Gym at the Public School Notebook website: http://thenotebook.org/blog/102271/no-resolution-violence-south-philly-hs
Media Coverage:
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial: Now take the next step – Mar. 3, 2010
- Philadelphia Daily News Editorial: School report gets an “incomplete.” – Mar. 3, 2010
- The Philadelphia Public School Notebook: A graphic account of South Philly violence – By Paul Socolar, Feb. 24, 2010
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: Report released on racial violence at S. Phila. High – By Kristen A. Graham and Jeff Gammage, Feb. 24, 2010
- Philadelphia Daily News: Asian group hits report on school fights – By Dafney Tales, Feb. 24, 2010
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: Report: fights, rumors led to racial beatings at South Phila. High – By Kristen A. Graham and Jeff Gammage, Feb. 23, 2010
AALDEF Files Civil Rights Complaint Against Philadelphia School District
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) today filed a complaint for civil rights violations with the U.S. Department of Justice charging the School District of Philadelphia and South Philadelphia High School (SPHS) with discrimination against Asian students on the basis of race and national origin in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Download the full press release.
South Philly Teen Still Missing

Please watch: Mystery of Missing South Philly Teen – Denise Nakano, NBC Philadelphia
Jason Vu has been missing since Dec. 24th, 2009.
Born: April 5, 1995
Missing: Dec. 24, 2009 from Philadelphia, PA
Age 14, male with black hair and brown eyes, 5′4″ (163 cm) and 140 lbs (64 kg).
If anyone has any information, please contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1.800.843.5678 (1.800.THE.LOST) or the Philadelphia Police Department (Pennsylvania) at 215.686.3013.
![[photo of supporters marching for the Sugarhouse 14]](http://aaunited.org/images/p-nocasinos_feb16_3.jpg)
NO CASINOS IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY
The Predatory Gaming Industry is Not Wanted in Philly
If there’s any question about how predatory and exploitive the gambling industry is toward Asian communities, take a look at some of Steve Wynn’s recent comments in an investor call he made last week about coming to Philadelphia:
- The Vietnamese are part of the group he calls his “old friends” who like to “shoot craps and gamble”;
- He loves his proximity to “these people” and the Philadelphia neighborhoods overall;
- He called his Asian workforce in Macau “totally delicious.”
As he puts it, in his own words:
“I love the proximity to these people. I love the proximity to the Vietnamese neighborhood. And I’m gonna put in a beautiful Vietnamese restaurant for them.”
When it was announced that a casino would be built on the edge of Philadelphia Chinatown in September 2008, Asian Americans United and many of you rose to fight off one of the most powerful monied and politically-connected industries in the nation. In the process, we became politicized about the exploitive and predatory nature of the casino industry, an industry that uses everything within its power to boost its bottom line through exploiting vulnerable Asian communities, particularly our seniors, recent immigrants and young people. We’re not alone as targets – the industry loves college kids, neighbors and “every stripe of ethnic group” that loves to gamble, as Wynn puts it.
But Wynn’s comments and casino industry practices should make it clear, we’re in their sights.
On Wed. March 3rd, we went to Harrisburg to make sure Steve Wynn heard from Asian communities who aren’t playing to stereotypes and seeking to exploit our people for their profit. We went to Steve Wynn not because he’ll offer us food and ply us with “pretty colors” and noxious and bizarre labels. We went to Steve Wynn because these are our communities, these are our children and we’re standing up to say he’s not entitled to them.
Casinos don’t belong in neighborhoods where people live, play, work and go to school. Help us KEEP CASINOS OUT OF PHILLY!
Rally before the Trial of the Sugarhouse 14
By Ellen Somekawa
![[photo of Ellen Somekawa]](http://aaunited.org/images/p-ellen_feb16_2.jpg)
Upside down. That’s how Eduardo Galeano puts it. We live in an upside-down world.
In this upside down, looking glass world, Galeano says, “The worst violators of nature and human rights never go to jail. They hold the keys. In the world as it is, the looking-glass world, the countries that guard the peace also make and sell the most weapons. The most prestigious banks launder the most drug money and harbor the most stolen cash. The most successful industries are the most poisonous…”
And in this upside down world, those who seek to force gambling addiction on our communities get to call themselves lawmakers or developers, they get to dine with the Governor. Heck, they get to be the Governor. While our friends and neighbors who seek defend their community against this form of highway robbery are said to be breaking the law. Upside down! Read more.
Case Dismissed for the Sugarhouse 14!
Fourteen of Philadelphia’s citizens, arrested in September for blocking the entrance to the SugarHouse construction site, were acquitted of all charges.
The judge dismissed the case. As a result, all Philadelphians should feel empowered to work for a more transparent, democratic and sustainable future, even when political forces are stacked against them.
- WATCH THE VIDEO on Fox News: Casino Site Protestors Found Not Guilty – Feb. 16, 2010
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: Charges dropped in SugarHouse protest case – By Jennifer Lin, Feb. 17, 2010
Casinos don’t belong in neighborhoods where people live, play, work and go to school. Help us KEEP CASINOS OUT OF PHILLY!
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![[Under August Moon: Reclaiming Time and Space in Chinatown]](http://aaunited.org/images/p-maf_at_pfp.gif)