About us
Our Story
During the summer of 2013, Duc Ta, David Kupihea, Paul Jung and traci ishigo had their first meeting in South Los Angeles.
At the time, Duc and David were both employees at the Amity Foundation, mentors and conscientious community leaders. As formerly incarcerated individuals, Duc and David had experienced long histories with the criminal justice system and possessed unique storytelling abilities that informed both the purpose and vision of the organization from the very start. Both Paul and traci had experience working at separate nonprofit advocacy organizations. Paul helped create a nonprofit that created jobs and training for individuals with drug addictions in the Koreatown area.
The conditions we want to address are complicated and quite nuanced: due in part to the cultural stigma, silence and apathy in the Asian and Pacific Islander American (API) community regarding criminal justice issues and the resulting lack of infrastructure and API institutional capacities around these issues, particularly here in Southern California. Until now, no organization has recently stepped up to champion these issues and to directly organize and promote the leadership of API formerly incarcerated populations.
The four founders, collectively coming from vastly different backgrounds and life experiences, also realized that diversity and inclusions are key assets to draw upon in our communities to empower and lift up the voices of the invisible and oppressed among APIs in California's Prison Industrial Complex. This became the organization's goal and clarion call.
The four point of focus of API RISE are:
Provide a support group of peers who help heal the past wounds and generate solutions for the future.
Create a network of mentors to encourage and help members navigate challenges.
Educate and advocate for APIs by collecting disaggregated data through storytelling to reveal the strength, resilience and diversity of API communities.
Encourage API social enterprises as a model for economic empowerment and sustainability.
Co-Founders
Duc Ta
Co-Founder and Board Chair, Duc Ta, served 15 of a 35-life sentence. After release, Duc achieved his culinary dreams at LA Kitchen and has worked for numerous celebrity chefs. Duc is currently pursuing entrepreneurial goals. Duc was a LA County Measure J (alternatives to incarceration) advisor in 2021.
Paul Jung
Co-Founder Paul Jung, a graduate of UCLA Law. He works for the City of LA, and is completing a graduate program in Urban & Regional Planning at Cal Poly Pomona. His brother is formerly incarcerated.
traci ishigo
Traci Ishigo is a community organizer & trauma-informed yoga and meditation teacher, who is proud to support API RISE's leadership. Currently, traci is a Master's Candidate for the USC School of Social Work's Adult Mental Health and Wellness Program, and co-chair of #VigilantLove, an organization dedicated to building a creative movement for healing, solidarity, and resistance to end Islamophobia and violence.
In Memoriam
David Kupihea
Co-Founder David Kupihea’s work and vision for API RISE has helped and touched so many brothers and sisters in the Asian Pacific Islander community. His legacy lives on forever in lives he has impacted in such a profound way. API RISE would not exist today if not for David’s vision and key role in wanting to break barriers in society. He envisioned a society of a united front of impacted and non-impacted members coming together to make a positive change. David knew there was a need in the community to work with impacted APIs who were coming home from prison. David wanted to give back to our brothers and sisters coming home a fighting chance at getting their lives back just as he was given a second chance at life as well. He shared his testimony openly with anyone and everyone who would be interested in listening. David’s love for life emanated through his beautiful ALOHA welcomes at ALL meetings and events. His amazing green thumb gardening skills created a beautiful Shangri-la rooftop garden where community members would sneak away for some peace and tranquility. David’s personality was big energy, just as his love, and drive for the work he did. His passing has left a big empty hole in this organization. Not only did we lose an amazing warrior in this fight, we lost a father, a son, and we lost our brother. David lived by the Hawaiian Proverb, “E hele me ka pu’olo” which translates to: “Always take an offering with you. Make every person, place, or condition better than you left if aways.” API RISE continues this work in memory of David Kupihea and we strive to better our community better than when we found it. Rest in Power our Loving Uso. ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOHA!