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RELEASE: NAKASEC Joins the National ‘Fast for Families’ at Capitol’s Doorstep

By November 12, 2013No Comments

For Immediate Release

November 12, 2013

Contacts:

Dae Joong Yoon, NAKASEC, 213-434-4267

Emily Kessel, NAKASEC, 651-399-9016

NAKASEC Joins the National ‘Fast for Families’ at Capitol’s Doorstep

National faith, immigrant rights and labor leaders will fast every day and night on the National Mall as momentum for immigration reform continues to escalate

Annandale, VA— Faith, immigrant rights, and labor leaders announce the launch of the “Fast for Families: A Call for Immigration Reform and Citizenship” to escalate the pressure on the House of Representatives. The press event on Tuesday, November 12 will be followed by an evening prayer vigil.

Dae Joong Yoon, executive director for NAKASEC (National Korean American Service & Education Consortium) was one of the featured speakers at the ‘Fast for Families’ Community Tent on the National Mall.  He is one of seven leaders to fast from food every day and night in front of the Capitol’s doorstep to underscore the urgency for Congress to take legislative action today.

Yoon said: “I am joining the fast to stand with the millions of immigrant families who are being separated or waiting decades to be reunited with their loved ones. Each day, more than 1,100 immigrants are being deported. I believe that my fellow American sisters and brothers support immigrant families. It is an American value that families should stay together, hardworking aspiring immigrants should have the opportunity to become citizens, and young people should have the opportunity to attend college and contribute in their community. The time is now for the House of Representatives to fix the broken immigration system and to stop breaking families apart.”

The national fast will be in conjunction with dozens of local and solidarity fasts, events, and actions already underway in key congressional districts, including the Stand with Families: Time to Act Sign-on Letter Campaign, initiated by NAKASEC and its affiliates, KRC (Korean Resource Center) in Los Angeles and KRCC (Korean American Resource and Cultural Center) in Chicago. Fasters will be joined nationwide by groups and activists who are prepared to make sacrifices for the passage of immigration reform with a path to citizenship.

WHEN: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12

11:00 AM Press Conference: Launch of ‘Fast for Families’

6:00 PM Prayer Vigil with elected, faith and immigrant rights leaders

WHERE: ‘Fast4Families’ Community Tent on National Mall

3rd St. and Jefferson Dr. SW, Washington, DC

WHAT: 11am – Press Conference: Launch of ‘Fast for Families: A Call for Immigration Reform and Citizenship’

SPEAKERS:

Wade Henderson, President, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Rev. Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners

Eliseo Medina, SEIU

Lucy Tzunun, Make The Road NY

Dae Joong Yoon, Executive Director, NAKASEC

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby

Rev. Al Herring, PICO National Network

Rev. Barbara Williams Skinner, African America Clergy Network

Press conference will include Q&A and fasters/speakers will also emilbe available for interviews.

6pm – Evening prayer vigil with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), faith and immigrant rights leaders, including Gustavo Torres of CASA in Action and fasters. Following brief remarks, the participants will lead a procession to the West Lawn for a candlelight prayer vigil, featuring musical accompaniment.

VISUALS: At the Community Tent, there will be a permanent altar to remember those who’ve died in their journey to the U.S., border death memorials, faith and spiritual symbols to represent the unity for reform.

For more information, please contact Casey Schoeneberger at cschoeneberger@faithinpubliclife.org or Dawn Le at dle@allianceforcitizenship.org. For specific information on Asian American participation, please contact Emily Kessel at eakessel@nakasec.org

The “Fast4Families” is being organized by pro-immigrant rights, faith, labor, and community groups determined to pass immigration reform with a path to citizenship for all 11 million. Groups include Alliance for Citizenship, Church World Service, Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Faith in Public Life, Franciscan Action Network, National Council of Jewish Women, National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC), NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, PICO National Network, the Service Employees International Union, Sojourners, and dozens of other groups.

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The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) was founded in 1994 by local community centers to project a progressive voice and promote the full participation of Korean Americans on major social justice issues. NAKASEC maintains offices in Annandale, Virginia and Los Angeles, California. NAKASEC has affiliates in Chicago (Korean American Resource & Cultural Center) and Los Angeles (Korean Resource Center).

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