For Immediate Release
October 9, 2009
Contacts:
Olivia Park: (323) 937-3703 x209 / opark@nakasec.org (English)
Yongho Kim (323) 244-5309/ ykim@krcla.org (Korean)
Youngsun Song (773) 510-0907 / youngsun@chicagokrcc.org (English, Korean)
Holding Firm to Faith, Hope and Change
Thousands gather in Washington, DC as Rep. Gutierrez and progressive allies unveil principles for immigration reform legislation; Simultaneous actions of support take place in Los Angeles and 25 more cities across the US to underscore the urgent need for family unity and immigration reform.
WHAT: October 13th “Family Unity Cannot Wait” events in Washington, DC and in Los Angeles
In Washington, D.C., Junghee Lee of Korean Resource Center and Youngsun Song of Korean American Resource & Cultural Center will join with families, clergy, veterans, and immigrants who are personally impacted by our nation’s broken immigration system. These delegations from FL, IL, MA, MI, MN, NY, NJ, OH, and PA and families from TX, WA, CA, DC, VA, and MD will be meeting with Congressional offices and available to speak with the press throughout the day. The event will include a procession of prayers and a vigil with 2,500 people on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) will be joined by key allies in Congress as he unveils the principles that outline the comprehensive immigration reform bill he is working on and will introduce later this fall. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus Member Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) and other allies will address the gathered crowd.
WHERE/WHEN:
3:00 p.m. Vigil Begins – West Lawn, U.S. Capitol
3:30 p.m. Main Program: Families, Clergy and Members of Congress Speak
In Los Angeles, a procession and rally of families, immigrants, faith leaders and local community members will take place to echo support for immigration reform and solidarity with the larger D.C. and U.S.-wide gatherings will be followed by a press conference featuring the impacted families and concerned community leaders.
WHERE/WHEN:
11:00 a.m. Procession from N Main Street & E Cesar Chavez Ave
12:00 p.m. Rally & Press Conference at LA County Board of Supervisors Hahn Building – 500 W. Temple St.
PURPOSE: Last month, Rep. Gutierrez told supporters of comprehensive immigration reform that he would introduce a bill to fix our broken immigration system this fall. On October 13, at the Reform Immigration FOR Families: Family Unity Cannot Wait event he will announce the principles that will outline this bill.
There is significant buzz in immigrant communities around this event that signals a new beginning to the legislative battle for comprehensive immigration reform in the 111th Congress. The President and leaders in the House and Senate have indicated that immigration reform will be debated late this year or early next and this event – and the forthcoming bill from progressive House Members – signals that the effort is serious.
Supporting organizations for both events include: National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Korean Resource Center, Korean American Resource & Cultural Center, Reform Immigration FOR America, Fair Immigration Reform Movement, Casa Maryland, Illinois Coalition of Immigrant & Refugee Rights, Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition, New York Immigration Coalition, American Civil Liberties Union-Southern California, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, Center for Community Change, Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas de Norte America, Central American Resources Center, Colombo-American Citizens In Action, LA Voice-Pico, National Immigration Law Center, Clergy and Laity United For Economic Justice, Japanese American Citizen League-PSW, Placita Olvera Church, Reform Immigration FOR America, SEIU United Service Workers West.
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NAKASEC is a national organization founded in 1994 by local Korean American community organizations to project a national progressive voice and promote the full civic participation of Korean Americans as part of a greater goal of building a national movement for social change. Based in Los Angeles, NAKASEC opened a D.C. office in fall 2008 and has affiliates in L.A. (KRC) and Chicago (KRCC).
