Who is David Wong?
David is one of three children raised by their mother in Fujian
Province and later Hong Kong. He came to the U.S. in the early 1980s
as a teenager, and worked long shifts at different restaurants.
In June 1984, David was imprisoned in Suffolk County, NY for robbery,
his first arrest, and later transferred to Clinton prison in
Dannemora, NY.
On March 12, 1986, an African-American inmate named Tyrone Julius was
stabbed to death in Clinton prison. Although they had nothing to do
with the stabbing, David and Tse Kin Cheong, the only Chinese
prisoners in Clinton, were apprehended for questioning. Prison,
police, and court officials framed David Wong for the murder and
sentenced him to 25 years to life in August 1987.
Despite official efforts to silence him, David has fought this injustice relentlessly. He has studied to improve his knowledge of the law and English language, and worked to educate people about
systemic injustice. He also has supported the struggles of U.S.
political prisoners such as Mumia Abu-Jamal.