This issue is dedicated to those who have been falsely arrested or convicted, and the families who have been left in the wake of that injustice. We honor your innocence. 01 ...... Falsely Arrested 03 ...... Deported for Graffiti 04 ...... I am Deported 05 ...... Lens and Pens 07 ...... Gay Teen Victory 08 ...... No Immigrants Allowed 09 ...... Por Vida 10 ...... SJ Sonidero 11 ...... Getting layed off 12 ...... Fresh off the College Boat 13 ...... Tow Truck Thieve’n 14 ...... Moving Companies Blues 15 ...... A Shot at Justice 17 ...... Building my own company 18 ...... Selling My Books 19 ...... Soul Striving 20 ...... The Young & the Damned 21 ...... SJ on Zero a Day 22 ...... R.I.P. Dr. Octagon 23 ...... Coming Out the Shadows 24 ...... Five Finger Discounts 25 ...... DB Summer Media Acadamy 27 ...... El Chilo SJ on zero a day Mothers fight back Lens & Pens A book by Sean Boyles and Abraham Menor. Editor’s Note: The first time I saw Ramon Vasquez was through a glass window in the main jail during a visit. His family had been coming to De-Bug for a while, telling us about the life he had built, and the situation he was in that threatened to destroy it all. Ramon was falsely arrested for a serious crime he was completely innocent of, and if convicted, would spend the rest of his life in prison. Despite the context of the moment and place – Ramon was the man his family promised he would be – charismatic, sincere, funny. But every now and again, as he was recounting stories of his childhood or his experiences as a father, he would stop, mid-sentence, suspended in a state of shock. Inevitably, all of his life stories lead to where he was now, and the uncertainty if he will ever return to what once was. The first draft of his story he wrote from jail, shortly after our visit. We were going to publish it in the last issue, but then the ending changed – he was released. When I see him now, coming through De-Bug after a day’s work, before he goes off to coach his son’s football team, I am the one in shock. How a man not only endures but prevails from such an injustice is a testament of what is possible through courage, faith and family. This issue is filled with similar testimonies of men and women facing the most monumental struggles of their lives – the young man facing deportation for graffiti, mothers who are fighting for their children’s freedom, those beating substance abuse, and more. We are honored to be helping these authors share their testimonies, and hope they inspire, enlighten, and strengthen you, as their stories have done for us. -- Raj Jayadev Silicon Valley De-Bug is a project of: NEW AMERICA MEDIA Family to Family Support for False Arrests What: An open meeting where families who have loved ones they feel have been falsely arrested can find support and guidance from other families who have gone through, or are currently in, similar situations. Families can connect with one another as a community, advocate for the rights of one another, and create solution-based strategies. If you are an organization that would like to start a similar process at your center, contact us for a presentation. When: Sundays at 2:30pm Where: De-Bug Community Center 701 Lenzen Avenue San Jose, CA 95126 Cover: Tiburon!F!B! Art Direction/Layout: Adrian Avila Translators: Angel Luna, Adriana Cabrera- Garcia, Melody Valdez, Alejandra Lizardo, Laura Villa