Rooted in Community – February eNewsletter

Earlier this month we asked you to make calls to Congressional members to protect children and hardworking immigrants. Your calls worked!

On February 15, Congress reached a final deal to pass the payroll tax cut extension that ensured immigrant tax-paying families won’t be denied access to the Child Tax Credit. Concerted grassroots efforts helped to stop attempts to balance the budget on the backs of children and low-income immigrant workers!

Thank you for taking part in this action.

KRCC Advocates for Immigrant Programs

On February 29, KRCC traveled to Springfield, IL, for the annual state advocacy day and rally sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Over a thousand community members and advocates boarded buses from Chicago to tell state legislators to protect our communities, win drivers licenses for all immigrants, strengthen funding for immigrant integration programs, ensure health care access for all, promote early learning through parental engagement and stand against all forms of hate.

KRCC met with Illinois state legislators including Senator Ira Silverstein, Representatives John D’Amico, Daniel Biss, Kent Gaffney and Edward Acevedo.

KRCC staff, Hey Eum and George Lieu, meet with Representative Kent Gaffney (52 District) for the annual state advocacy day.

Thousands of young Korean Americans have been registering and turning out to vote in Southern California over the past few years. To build on this wave of civic participation among college students, the Korean Resource Center will launch the “College Voter Challenge” in April encouraging voter registration efforts for the Primary Election cycle.

Click here for the KRC College Voter Challenge rules. For more information, contact Dayne Lee, Civic Participation Coordinator at 323-937-3718 or email – dayne@krcla.org.

On February 11, KRCC staff members, Sik Son, Chan Kho Kim, Carla Navoa and Hey Um attended and presented at the Asian American Leadership Forum hosted by the Asian American Institute. Over 150 people were in attendance to participate in dialogues about professional leadership development, legal advocacy and organizing.

Sik Son, executive director of KRCC, who has also been leading the efforts for KA Voice, spoke during the opening plenary about building power and presence through civic participation and collaborative work. Referencing KA Voice as an example, Son Sik showcased the multi-generational organizing tactic to engage Korean Americans during this election year.

Carla Navoa (second from right)with other youth panelist discusses issues pertaining to young Asian Americans.

Youth organizer Carla Navoa presented in the Student Organizing and Community Engagement workshop track, which created space for academic professionals, community activists and college students to brainstorm ways to connect campuses with community-based organizations. Carla shared her immigration story and how she came to her own as a leader and organizer and expressed the need for more engagement and activism for immigrant rights in the Asian American community.