Carole Chinn-Morales
His English Name was Aaron
Remembering Quang Trang. April 18, 2018
A homeless man—helpless
Was murdered
next to a historic
community-serving agency
in Chinatown
beneath a six-foot cross
A cruel violent act
carried out viciously
Last Sunday morning
Quang Tran, a homeless man
our neighbor
lay prone on the ground
in his spot on Joice alley
Wrapped in his blood soaked sleeping bag
while unaware church goers drove
Into the parking lot as usual a few feet away
Lenora noticed
So senseless and horrendous
The mind reels helplessly
Was it drugs alcohol psychosis
an act of revenge
We may never know
Countless souls like Quang Tran
wander the streets of San Francisco daily
hoping for a single restful night
without danger
In shadowy doorways
dimly lit sidewalks
under freeway overpasses
shivering in the penetrating cold
All over the city alone
Quang Tran was one of these
Our eyes have been opened
We will never be the same
The wound is raw and gaping wide
Reflection Questions:
Despite a small recent drop, homelessness rose 27% nationally and 64% in California since 2014. A disproportionate number were Black, Latiné, or Indigenous.
What systemic factors led to the increase?
Has your esponse to the unhoused shfifted over time? If so, why?
NTA. Notice To Appear
A traumatized
Three year old darkhaired boy
A toddler
Torn ruthlessly from his family
Is asked to appear in a courtroom
To testify at his own deportation hearing
Given a list of attorneys
Though he cannot read
Unaware of what a lawyer is or
why he should need an advocate
Not knowing what a legal proceeding is
What deportation is
Not English-speaking
Unable to say in English
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
Enters the dark wood paneled courtroom
Alone trembling not looking up
A room bigger than his whole house in El Salvador
Filled with strangers he has never seen before
Directed to sit down by a gruff foreign sounding voice
Sit down! Sientate!
Climbs onto a tall wooden chair
Awkwardly without help
His tiny feet dangling
Looking up at the judge
With wide inquisitive eyes
Oversized earphones meant for adults
Are placed gently over his tiny head
as if the child
will comprehend accurately
If he hears the Spanish translation
The judge peers down over the side of his desk
asking his first question
“Do you have a lawyer?”
Puzzled, the child moves his head slightly
Looks around the room
Eyes widening lips trembling
Legs continuing swinging
Only faster
Then suddenly bursts into tears
The judge, looking exasperated
Trying to maintain decorum
Sighs
Adjusts his glasses
Picks up his pen and
Wonders if this is justice
His third child so far this morning
Eyewitness acount by a volunteer immigrantion court monitor.
Reflection questions: Why are independent court monitors important? Why does the judge wonder if "this is justice"? What does it mean to bear compassion witness through the arts? What is "compassion fatigue," and how do you cope with it.
Previously published in Civil Liberties United: Diverse Voices from the San Francisco Bay Area, Pease Press, 2019.
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Carole Chinn-Morales, a former teacher, was born and raised in San Francisco’s Chinatown. A mother and grandmother, she remains part of an active, closeknit community at the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown. She came to writing only after retirement. Taking a series of workshops offered by her neighborhood YMCA, something new was ignited within her, as she discovered her voice through poetry.