Jubilee’s 10th Anniversary Celebration on Sept. 12th: Remarks by Xingyuan Chen and Jose Ng

Xingyuan Chen, Jubilee client

My name is Xingyuan Chen. I was born in Taishan, China and was raised there. In 2015, I met my ex-husband in the U.S and we got married later. In 2019, I was having a very difficult time in my marriage and my husband was treating me poorly. I was depressed and went to seek help. I met Ms. Fung from Cameron House who referred me to Jubilee where I met Amy. 

At the time, I didn’t realize what domestic violence was but after I met Amy, I understood what domestic violence was and that I was a victim. I learned that even without my husband, I could apply for immigration benefits including a green card and applications for my sons (who were in China) to join me here. I received hope and had the courage to divorce my husband. After that, she helped me with the entire process. In the process, she helped me a lot. I got my green card and my sons arrived in the U.S. two months ago. I’m extremely thankful for all the help that Amy and Jubilee provided me.

Jose Ng, Immigrant Rights Program Manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action

Good evening, everyone. My name is Jose Ng, and I work at Chinese for Affirmative Action as the Immigrant Rights Program Manager. Being here today just reminds me about the very first time that I brought our clients to this church where we got to meet Amy and Clare—it’s hard to believe that was almost ten years ago. 

Over the past 10 years, we’ve partnered closely with Jubilee Immigration Advocates to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our community—immigrants with limited English proficiency, particularly low-income Chinese working-class immigrants in the Bay Area. Jubilee is one of the few AAPI-led immigration legal service providers in San Francisco, and for so many families facing language, cultural, and financial barriers, they have truly been a lifeline. They are often the first organization we turn to when immigration cases require more specialized legal expertise. 

Over the years, together we’ve hosted workshops to unpack policy changes and their impact on immigrant communities, organized numerous clinics to provide screenings and consultations for newly arrived Chinese migrants at the southern border, and even collaborated on Chinese-language radio programs to share timely updates with the community. Just as importantly, the Jubilee team has always been supportive and patient whenever we reach out for guidance on complex immigration questions. Because of their support and legal guidance, CAA has been able to expand our program to provide limited scope of immigration legal services to the underserved communities in San Francisco.

I could attest that there are many lives touched by Jubilee. I might not be able to share about all of those but today I’d like to share one. A Chinese immigrant woman came to us after suffering spousal abuse shortly after immigrating from China. On top of rebuilding her life, she faced urgent immigration challenges. Amy and her team handled her case with such care, compassion and dedication. After nearly two years, her case was resolved positively, and she was able to remove the restriction on her green card and eventually she was able to move forward with her life. I’ll never forget the gratitude she expressed when she returned to the CAA office to thank the Jubilee team. Stories like this remind us just what the impact of Jubilee’s work is. I cannot emphasize enough how much Jubilee and its dedicated team of professional immigration attorneys and staff mean to AAPI immigrant communities in San Francisco. We look forward to celebrating more decades of partnership with Jubilee and each of you, in serving the community. Thank you!