– Phoeun You was just a child when he entered the United States in 1981, fleeing the Khmer Rouge genocide with his family from their native Cambodia.The family resettled in Long Beach, California, and You grew up in a neighbourhood where he says violence and discrimination were consistent parts of his childhood. He joined a gang, and a fight with a rival group landed him in prison on a murder conviction in 1996.During the subsequent 26 years in prison, You started to mentor other incarcerated people, especially those from refugee communities who were coping with the legacies of violent dispossession. He earned a certificate in domestic violence counselling and was granted parole this year, hoping to use his new skills to help others in his community.
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