For Immediate Release
April 9, 2012

Contacts:
Joyce Yin, NAKASEC, jyin@nakasec.org | 202-299-9540
Jani Kim, KRC, jani@krcla.org | 323-937-3718
Youngsun Song, KRCC, youngsun@chicagokrcc.org | 773-293-4050

NAKASEC, KRCC & KRC’s 5th Annual DREAM Scholarship Fund Launches Nationwide

Program to Provide Financial Support to Young Asian American and Pacific Islander Students Who Exemplify Leadership and Service for Community

Washington, D.C. – The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and its affiliates the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC) in Chicago and the Korean Resource Center (KRC) in Los Angeles are excited to announce the launch of the 5th Annual DREAM Scholarship Fund (DSF) program for Asian American and Pacific Islander students. Funded largely through grassroots efforts by youth groups from our affiliates, Fighting Youth Shouting Out for Humanity (FYSH) in Chicago and the Alliance of Korean American Students in Action (AKASIA) in Los Angeles, the scholarship program will enable young people to continue with their education on the collegiate level. Based on financial need, leadership and service to local communities, a total of eight $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students in California, Illinois and nationwide.

The scholarship program was founded in 2007 by Korean American youth who tirelessly campaigned for the passage of the federal DREAM Act for over a decade, to meet the immediate needs of their peers who were facing undue financial hardships in continuing their education. It has since become an annual effort to raise awareness of the federal DREAM Act and to fundraise on a grassroots level for access to education.

“DSF is not only important, but necessary because it allows young people to have an opportunity to become leaders and help provide access to higher education for other young people who may not the means to do so,” said Bryan Wright who is involved with youth organizing at KRCC’s youth council, FYSH.

In Chicago, FYSH has played a critical role in facilitating the growth of not only Asian American youth, but also youth of color. They have undertaken a series of campaigns and the focus of their efforts this year will be raising awareness on the federal DREAM Act.

In Los Angeles, KRC’s undocumented youth organizing group, AKASIA, has also been actively working on access to education issues for a number of years. Specifically, youth have led AB540 (California’s in-state tuition law) workshops and consultations to Korean American students and their parents.

“This scholarship program provides students with the opportunity to get closer to achieving their academic dreams and inspires us to keep reaching for our dreams,” said Jamie Kim, student leader with AKASIA. She continued saying, “It is support like this that empowers me to keep studying and to give back to my community.”

Application deadline: May 18, 2012

To download the application form, donate to the scholarship fund or for more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/nakasecdsf2012

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The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) was founded in 1994 by local community centers to project a national progressive voice and promote the full participation of Korean Americans as a part of a greater goal of building a national movement for social change. NAKASEC is based D.C. and Los Angeles. NAKASEC also has affiliates in Chicago (Korean American Resource & Cultural Center) and Los Angeles (Korean Resource Center).

보도의뢰서
April 9, 2012

연락:
조이스 인, 미교협 Joyce Yin, NAKASEC, jyin@nakasec.org | 202-299-9540
제니 김, 민족학교 Jani Kim, KRC, jani@krcla.org | 323-937-3718
송영선, 시카고 마당집 Youngsun Song, KRCC, youngsun@chicagokrcc.org | 773-293-4050

미교협, 마당집, 민족학교가 제 5회 드림 장학금을 수여합니다

커뮤니티를 위해 봉사하고 리더로서 모범을 보인 젊은 아태계 학생들을 위한 장학금

워싱턴 디씨- 민주한인봉사교육단체협의회(이하 미교협)와 그 가입단체인 시카고의 한인교육문화마당집 (이하 마당집)과 로스앤젤레스의 민족학교는 아태계 학생들을 위한 제 5회 드림장학금 신청을 받습니다.  장학기금은 시카고의 Fighting Youth Shouting Out for Humanity (FYSH)와 로스엔젤레스의 Alliance of Korean American Students in Action (AKASIA) 등 청소년회의 주도로 지역의 풀뿌리 모금을 통해 모아집니다. 경제적인 도움이 필요하며, 사회봉사및 리더쉽의 모범을 보인 대학생을 대상으로 캘리포니아주와 일리노이주, 또 전국에서 8명의 학생을 뽑아 $1000씩 수여하게 됩니다.

이 장학금은 10년 넘게 연방드림 법안 통과를 위해 활동해 온 한인 청소년들이 경제적 어려움에 직면한 친구들에게 즉각적인 도움을 주기 위한 의도로  2007년에 시작되었습니다. 이후로 드림 장학금은 연방 드림법안에 대한 인식을 높이며 지역사회의 참여를 이끌어내는 연례행사로 정착했습니다

“젊은이들이 힘을 모아 고등교육의 기회를 제공할 뿐 아니라, 그들이 역량있는 지도자가 될 수 있는 기회를 줄 수 있기 때문에 드림 장학금이 중요하고 꼭 필요합니다.” 라고 마당집의 청년그룹FYSH에서 활동하고 있는 브라이언 라이트 씨는 말합니다. FYSH는 아시안 아메리칸 청년들뿐만 아니라 다른 소수계 청소년의 리더쉽 개발을 위해 중요한 역할을 해 오고 있으며, 올해도 연방 드림법안 홍보및 통과를 위해 활동할 예정입니다.

로스앤젤레스 민족학교의 서류미비학생들의 모임인 AKASIA는 교육권을 지키기 위해 활동해 왔으며, 특히 AB540(캘리포니아 거주자 학비법)에 관련, 한인 학생들과 학부모 상담을 해 오고 있습니다.

‘이 장학금은 우리의 꿈을 구체적으로 성취할 수 있는 기회를 줍니다”  AKASIA 회장인 제이미 김씨는 “때문에, 학업을 계속할 뿐 아니라 앞으로 내 능력을 다시 커뮤니티에 봉사하는데 쓰고자 하는 동기를 부여합니다.” 라고 덧붙입니다.

신청서 마감일: 2012년 5월 18일

신청서, 후원금 양식, 드림장학금에 대한 설명: http://bit.ly/nakasecdsf2012

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미주한인봉사교육단체협의회 (미교협)은 1994년에 사회 변화를 위한 전국적인 운동 창출이라는 큰 목표의 일환으로 코리안 아메리칸의 전국적인 진보적 목소리를 결집시키고 시민참여를 도모하기 위해 지역 커뮤니티 단체들에 의해 설립되었습니다. 미교협은 워싱턴 디씨와 로스앤젤레스에 사무실을 두고 있으며  가입단체로는 로스앤젤레스 민족학교와 시카고의 한인교육마당집이 있습니다.

May 4, 2011

Contacts:

Karn Saetang, KRCC, karn@chicagokrcc.org (773-293-4050)

Angela Kim, KRC, angela@krcla.org (323-937-3718)

Olivia Park, NAKASEC, opark@nakasec.org (202-299-9540)

NAKASEC Scholarship Program Aims to Provide Bright Students with a Chance to Dream

^4th Annual DREAM Scholarship Fund Launches Nationwide

Download the application: DREAM Scholarship Fund

The application deadline is June 17, 2011.

Download the DREAM Scholarship Fund flyer in English and also in Korean.

Today, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and our affiliates the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC) and the Korean Resource Center (KRC) are excited to announce the launch of our DREAM Scholarship Fund. Founded in 2007 by Korean American youth who for the past decade have campaigned for the passage of the DREAM Act, the Dream Scholarship Fund will award several $1,000 scholarships to students in California, Illinois and nationwide who face undue financial hardships. The scholarships are created largely through grassroots fundraising within our communities and by our student organizing groups, Fighting Youth Shouting Out for Humanity (FYSH) in Chicago and Alliance of Korean American Students in Action (AKASIA) in Los Angeles.

“For those who do not have enough financial means to pursue higher education and their life goals, the DREAM Scholarship Fund is like a candle keeping a steady light of hope for many students like myself. I have been able to follow my passion for the arts, photography and interior design,” said Han Joon Kim, one of the recipients of the 2010 DREAM Scholarship Fund, who is currently attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

“While many of the students in AKASIA and FYSH have financial needs ourselves, we are honored and empowered to know that our fundraising goes toward helping fellow students to follow their dreams. The DREAM scholarship is a way for us to build up our community as we continue to organize, educate and campaign for social justice and change,” said Angela Kim, student leader of AKASIA in Los Angeles.

Download the application: DREAM Scholarship Fund

The application deadline is June 17, 2011.

To donate to the DREAM Scholarship Fund: http://krcla.org/dsf

• There is likely to be less than 1 week to make sure DREAM Act passes this year. Tuesday is a key vote to allow the Senate to consider DREAM as an amendment to the annual military spending bill. With 60 votes, DREAM can then be considered as an amendment.

What’s going on?

• Immigration reform or DREAM Act should not be a partisan issue as it impacts people in all states. We hope that all Senators will step up, Democrats and Republicans alike. Leaders from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus recently announced a three-prong legislative strategy for immigration reform in the fall, which is to 1) push for passage of the DREAM Act, 2) introduce a new comprehensive immigration bill in the Senate and 3) press the White House to provide administrative relief.
• There is a sense of urgency. If DREAM Act is successfully voted on as an amendment to the annual military spending bill, the Senate must vote again to pass the bill before DREAM Act can become law.

Stand With Immigrant Children and Young People to Gain Access to Higher Education for All. Recently there has been a surge of activism across the country for the DREAM Act. There are 1.7 million undocumented immigrants under the age of 18 nationally. Every year, 65,000, undocumented students graduate from high school unable to realize their potential and fully participate in American society.  Ethnicities of undocumented students are quite diverse. Many came to the US as children from various parts of the world. In fact, about 15% of Korean Americans are undocumented. In California, we have AB540 that helps students access in state tuition regardless of status.  About 25% (one quarter) of all AB540 students are Korean American – more than any other Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) group.

At different moments in history, we have seen, especially in economic downturns, politicians demonize people such as immigrants as scapegoats. We have to recognize that this is a win-win for America. We hope that fairness and reason will prevail over emotional and political opportunism.

Make Your Voice Heard. Your participation is one step toward building a just and humane America.

Nationwide Targets: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- KY). In Illinois, we are also targeting Rep. Mark Kirk (R – 10^th District).

What To Do:

1. If your Senator is not listed above, call Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) toll-free at 866-877-5944.
2. If your Senator is listed above, or to share your support for DREAM Act with those Senators, call 866-996-5161 to reach the Capitol Switchboard.
3. To reach Rep. Kirk’s DC Office, call 202-225-4835.

Sample Script:

I’m calling from (your city and state), to make sure that Senate Minority Leader McConnell / (Your Senator) knows that we need his support for the DREAM Act to pass this year.

[Listen to response] Will the Senator vote to pass the DREAM Act this year?

Let us know you called. Leave a comment on our page, tweet or “Like” our Facebook statuses about DREAM!

Like the pictures below? Take one and pass it along! We encourage people to use it as your profile picture on Facebook and other social networking sites you may have!

Suggested photo caption (copy & paste):

DREAM Act faces an important vote on Sept. 21. Call Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) toll-free at 866-877-5944 and tell him to support to DREAM Act. Visit ow.ly/2Giq4 to find out who else you can call.

[Click on picture for original size]

• Download: ACLU Arizona Travel Alert [KOREAN]
• Click here to see corresponding press release.

For Immediate Release
July 23, 2010

Contact:
Jane Yoo, NAKASEC, 718-710-2277
Dae Joong Yoon, KRC, 323-937-3718

NAKASEC Partners with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Affiliates in California

to Release Korean Language Arizona Travel Alert

Los Angeles, CA – Due to potential civil liberties threats posed by the passage of Arizona’s racial profiling law SB 1070, the ACLU of Southern California, ACLU of Northern California and ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties issued a travel alert informing California residents of their rights when stopped by law enforcement when traveling in Arizona. In collaboration with these affiliates, NAKASEC is releasing a Korean language translation of the alert to inform Korean American residents of California of their rights should they travel to the state of Arizona.

In addition, other informative materials are available in English and Spanish by the ACLU. They include a “Know Your Rights” card outlining instructions, applicable in any state, on coping with vehicle stops and questioning by police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or the FBI, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions document specific to SB 1070.

The need to alert our communities comes at a critical time. While SB 1070 does not go into effect until July 29, ACLU affiliates in California are concerned that some law enforcement officers may already be acting on provisions of the law.
SB 1070 requires law enforcement agents to demand “papers” from people they stop and suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S. If individuals are unable to prove they are permitted to be in the U.S., they may be subject to warrantless arrest without any probable cause that they have committed a crime.

The ACLU and other leading civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the Arizona law in May, but until the law is struck down, the ACLU warns that individuals traveling in Arizona must be aware of their rights if stopped for questioning. NAKASEC supported an amicus brief for this lawsuit.

On July 29, NAKASEC and KRC will be going to Arizona with other advocates to protest the implementation of the racist SB 1070 law.

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National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (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.

Korean Resource Center (KRC) empowers the Korean American, low-income immigrant and people of color communities through social services, education, culture, advocacy, and grassroots organizing. KRC is a founding affiliate of NAKASEC.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded to defend and secure the rights granted by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and to extend them to people who have been excluded from their protection. Such rights include individual liberty and the right to privacy, to equal protection of the laws and to due process of law.

"We Are Our Own Heroes!" read the placards created and displayed by the young KRC members.

The reason for the protest was obvious enough for an 11-year-old Korean American girl from KRC who first pointed out to us that this film was racist. Unlike the original Saturday morning cartoon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” whose cast is made up entirely of Asian and Inuit people, the Hollywood version features white main characters and “Slumdog Millionaire’s” Dev Patel who is playing the villain. Dev Patel joined the cast only after Jesse McCartney dropped out from playing the role.

Young Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do not need to grow up discouraged and feel like they need to seek other avenues to feel proud and confident of their identity and race. This is our America that we helped build and an America we are continuing to make vibrant and dynamic. America is changing and the youth of today will not support continued whitewashing of their history, culture and community.

For more coverage, read the LA Times story and watch the ABC 7 story.

Ms. Pasquarella shared about the serious harm done to our communities by immigration enforcement, while Mr. Kaye challenged the audience to think not just locally, but globally about migration.  Reverend Lee spoke about alliance building and the potential of immigrants and African Americans to forge a progressive agenda together.

EunSook Lee briefed the audience on policy opportunities for immigration reform and also about the importance of telling our stories, which can be powerful forces to influence and change minds of those who may be at first opposed to or uncertain about immigration reform.

EunSook Lee states, “Immigration reform is not just a policy; it’s about communities and integration.  Dialogues like the one we shared tonight among diverse communities including Muslim Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans and Jewish communities are a critical part of inclusive, humane and meaningful immigration reform.”

Read Korean language media coverage of the event at the Christianity Daily.

NAKASEC Executive Director EunSook Lee pictured with author/journalist Jeffrey Kaye.

12 arrested in mall immigration protest from L.A. County

BY CINDY CARCAMO and IAN HAMILTON

2010-06-15 09:15:48

COSTA MESA – The 12 immigration rights protesters arrested after they snarled traffic by blocking a major thoroughfare for about an hour Monday near South Coast Plaza were all from Los Angeles County, Costa Mesa police said Tuesday.

They joined about 200 demonstrators who descended on the shopping landmark about 3 p.m. to protest the Costa Mesa City Council’s recent resolution to declare the city a “Rule of Law City” that does not welcome those who are in the country illegally. The protesters also denounced Arizona’s new immigration enforcement law.

The demonstration was a highly-orchestrated event by leaders of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles who had the names of those who’d planned to be arrested before it actually happened. Buses pulled into the area about 6 p.m. to take protesters  home.

Those arrested locked arms in tubes and strapped their feet together with duct tape as they sat at a table in the middle of traffic near the intersection of Anton Boulevard and Bristol Street.

Fellow protesters cheered and commuters honked in frustration as police arrested and led each person away from the table. Police eventually directed traffic away from the intersection.

The first to be taken away was a man identified as Carlos Roberto Coronel. He identified himself as a U.S. citizen and a Marine who served twice in Iraq.

“We’re standing up for our families,” Coronel said while at the table. “We’re standing up for our country. We’re fighting for our future, and we want immigration reform.”

Police said the following were arrested:

• Ana Cid, 18, of Los Angeles

• Angelica Salas, 39, of Pasadena

• Eun Sook Lee, 42, of Los Angeles

• Bianette Guadalupe Linares, 19, of Los Angeles

• Jonathan Daniel Klein, 41, of Los Angeles

• Carlos Roberto Coronel, 27, of Sun Valley

• Balmore Dominguez, 21, of Los Angeles

• Felipe Escobar, 22, of North Hollywood

• Lewis Logan, 46, of Los Angeles

• Jonathan Carmona, 21, Asuza

• Neil Rivas, 26, Santa Clarita

• Frank Alton, 58, Los Angeles

The 12 were arrested on suspicion of a variety of misdemeanors, including unlawful assembly, public nuisance and not obeying officers, Costa Mesa Sgt. Matt Grimmond said.

Police said they will recommend that charges be filed with the Orange County District Attorney’s office. Officers cited and released the group by 8 p.m. Monday and the 12 got into a bus that was waiting to take them home, Grimmond said.

Before hopping on the bus, however, the group staged an encore of their earlier protest.

“They started protesting, marching outside our police station,” Grimmond said.

At the first protest, some motorists stuck in traffic confronted the protesters while others complained from their vehicles.

“They have a right to protest, but no right to protest in traffic,” said Diane Beeson of Mission Viejo, who was stuck in traffic for 20 minutes and frustrated at police for not clearing traffic sooner.

It was the latest in a string of protests, shows of support, and backlash directed at the city, which has taken a strong stance against illegal immigration.

Some Latino lawmakers in Sacramento threatened to block the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds to the city from the state after city officials passed the resolution. Click here to read the story.

The City Council’s resolution, recommended by long-time illegal immigration opponent Mayor Allan Mansoor, makes it clear that those in the country illegally are not welcome in Costa Mesa. Click here to read the story.

Klein, a Rabbi, said he had planned to be arrested Monday along with other clergy from a Presbyterian Church and African-American Methodist church.

“Our focus is how a broken immigration system breaks apart families,” said Klein, executive director for the Los Angeles chapter of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. “The goal is to get people to recognize how a broken system leads to exploitation of workers. We have a general religious theme, a moral frame that is we love the stranger.”

Protesters carried banners and posters, such as those reading “Legalization for All”, “and “No to Immigrant Scapegoating.”

It was also the most recent protest addressing the controversial Arizona law that makes it a crime to lack immigration papers and requires police to ask for documentation of legal status if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the person they stopped is in the country illegally.

A group of 40 locals returned early Monday from a Sunday rally in Phoenix, where they joined others critical of the law. Click here to read the story.

The weekend before, the Register followed a group of 15 local anti-illegal immigration activists who left Garden Grove for a rally in Phoenix. The “Phoenix Rising” event on Saturday drew hundreds to the state capitol in support of the law. Click here to read the story.

The law has also sparked an anti-Arizona protest in Santa Ana and a flurry of city officials to request that their city either denounce or support the law.

To read a comprehensive story on Orange County cities’ reactions to this issue, click here.

Monday night, a council member in Cypress unsuccessfully tried to get his city to take on a similar resolution.

Click here to read the story.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7924 or ccarcamo@ocregister.com

More photos at http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-253437-immigration-police.html.

Original story at http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-253437-immigration-police.html