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Three months into his time in the United States, then-freshman Wei Chen became a victim of violence at South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St.
Rather than rewarding aggression with retaliation for that March 2007 day, additional attacks and hostility toward his Asian peers, the resident of the 900 block of Daly Street has championed resolve and resilience. Six years removed from his initial questioning of what he could cultivate in America, the burgeoning activist has become a finalist for the inaugural Peace First Prize.
“I have lost and found hope again on my journey, which in many ways is just beginning,” the 22-year-old said Friday morning before heading to help helm the Chinatown-situated Chinese Youth Organizing Project, which he co-founded two years ago. “I want to contribute to my community, so to have an opportunity through this competition humbles me.”
The Lower Moyamensing dweller learned of the award, the eponymous brainchild of a Boston-based nonprofit peace education program, through peers from Asian American United. Chen applied in February and heard last month he and 49 others had emerged from among 700 applicants as finalists for the two-year, $50,000 fellowship. The accolade honors young people who are situating themselves in the global quest for harmony, a pursuit the local contestant has chased since arriving from China’s Fujian Province.
“I had been outgoing in my country, but after I was beat up at school for being different, I didn’t speak much,” the crusader said of receiving a jolt to expectations that a move to America would yield more joy than grief. “I found I was not alone, but there were so many bad emotions I struggled to comprehend.”
Chen elected to skip school for a week, returning with apprehension yet no real means to summon courage to rail against his frustration. He sought aid in October ’08 after a subway-situated display of violence against Asian students at Broad Street and Snyder Avenue and garnered it Columbus Day when he orchestrated a gathering with prominent figures, including Helen Gym, to discuss his angst.
“What constantly impresses me about Wei is his belief that the world can change for the better when young people come together to demand it,” the co-founder of Parents United for Public Education said of the young man. “[When I met him,] he said we as community members had to act. How could we refuse?”
Along with Gym and her colleagues, Chen added many allies, including the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition Inc., 1711 S. Broad St., and oversaw a coalition of Asian learners at Southern. Even with support, he remained uncomfortable, with Dec. 2 and 3, ’09 being his breaking point.
“I attribute them to the administration’s lack of concern for us,” Chen said of attacks within and around his alma mater that required 13 Asian enrollees to seek medical attention. “Following the incidents, I knew there could be no turning back.”
Fond of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the teenager echoed the leader’s call for civil disobedience by organizing an eight-day boycott and helping to generate a complaint against the School District of Philadelphia, which the U.S. Department of Justice in December ’10 stipulated must develop an action plan to address harassment. Since his graduation three years ago, Chen has rooted for his old haunt, especially Principal Otis D. Hackney III, who arrived at the Lower Moyamensing location just after he had become an alumnus.
“I see change and dedication to engaging in long-term thinking,” Chen said of Southern’s current corps of power players. “I would like to be a student there now because it seems normal. I became accustomed to abnormal when I was there, so I’d like to be a leader there.”
Having obtained a sense of his inner strength by being a defender of his forlorn friends, the progressive individual worked on his external confidence by bettering his English at Community College of Philadelphia, eventually adding photography tutelage. Over his two-year matriculation, he remained active in the Asian community, with participation within Asian Americans United and the creation of his Chinese-centered youth initiative solidifying his commitment in ’11.
“My belief is that we all have power, so why not be more powerful together?” Chen, who uses Asian Americans United funding and office space to guide immigrant youths on their road to leadership acquisition, said. “I’m looking to change the culture for them and get them involved.”
Along with altering youths’ perceptions of growth, he is aiming to have his family believe he can succeed as a community organizer, which he figures to make his key vocation for at least the next four years. His relatives feel he should seek a different occupation, but just like with his work at Southern, he is standing by his stance that looking out only for himself essentially amounts to ignoring others.
“I know my parents want for me to do well, and I respect their opinion,” Chen said. “I’ve decided I want to be a little different, and I know that’s a heavy responsibility. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I’ve cried because of it.”
“I don’t feel like Wei thinks he’s making a choice between his family and himself,” Gym added. “I think Wei is struggling with the sustainability of community organizing as a viable career and future. That is an important and thoughtful question for all of us here in Philadelphia, but it has particular resonance within immigrant communities, where families have so narrow a margin.”
Set to hear the prize personnel’s decision next month, Chen realizes the significance of upholding hope among his Asian brethren, especially those who feel downtrodden. If he secures the fellowship, he would apply his diligence to defining community as a collection of people who need opportunities to thrive and who should reciprocate when they have chances to help their neighbors to excel.
“I believe Wei understands his work is all about community building, not choosing an independent life for himself,” Gym said. “The challenge is whether Philadelphia and others will recognize the incredible value and work he brings to our city and invest in him as well. No one is more deserving of this honor.”
Ever humble, Chen places into perspective gaining a reputation among his people as a tireless advocate, seeing himself as a conduit for their evolution.
“When the violence occurred four years ago, we were victims who became organizers,” he said. “I feel fortunate but there’s more to do.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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