Blog post written by: APAP member Olivia Chow (oliveoil)

Tragedies can sometimes bring out the best in people. For the people along the Gulf Coast, they have certainly had their share. From Hurricane Katrina to the recent BP Oil spoil that devastated the natural beauty of the area, as well as destroying countless jobs and endangering a whole lifestyle, residents of the Gulf Coast have had to dig deep. One such amazing person to emerge is Siriporn Hall.

Mrs. Hall has always been a strong advocate for the Thai, Cambodian and Laotian communities in Alabama where she resides as a crabber. Throughout her tenure of over 40 years in America, Mrs. Hall has overcome many obstacles. Immigrating from Thailand, she did back-breaking work in the Kentucky coal mines for over 15 years and is a breast cancer survivor. Since then she has made a home in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, where she catches crabs for a living.

Devastated by the BP oil spill on April 20th, 2010, Mrs. Hall's crab traps have been land locked. Mrs. Hall now struggles to make ends meet being unable to catch crabs and fears for the long term environmental effects of the oil spill on the fisher people of the Gulf Coast. While the Gulf Coast disaster has acknowledged the dominant force of Vietnamese fisher folk making up 1/3 of the region, Mrs. Hall serves as an advocate for the already underserved Southeast Asian community. As one of the few Thai & English speakers, Mrs. Hall has organized and spoken out for the Thai, Cambodian and Laotian communities through the BP claims process and the Vessel of Opportunity program. Mrs. Hall has met with White House Officials and National Community Leaders to advocate upon the fisher people.

Fishing in the Gulf Coast is a family tradition, many community members literally grow up fishing are limited English proficient and lack accredited education. Even if fisher people are able to pull in a big catch customers are not willing to buy it. In lieu of fishing for their livelihood, community members in the Gulf Region are trying to find new ways to make ends meet. Mrs. Hall hopes to reinvigorate the Thai, Cambodian and Laotian communities in Alabama through social entrepreneurship community gatherings. They have tossed around the idea of providing hometown services like massages and manufacturing Asian delicacies like dried squid and fish sauce.

Photo credit: Pacific Citizen