For Immediate Release

May 21, 2013

Contact: Jane Yoo, NAKASEC 202.630.4013

Kevin HyunKyu Lee Participates in DREAMers and Families

Meeting with President Obama and Vice President Biden

7 Impacted Individuals from the Keeping Families Together Campaign Call for CIR Passage

Washington, D.C. – Kevin HyunKyu Lee, a recent DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient and organizer with the Korean Resource Center in Los Angeles, met with President Barack Obama this morning as part of the national Keeping Families Together Campaign. He joined 6 other DREAMers who have received DACA and U.S. citizen family members of undocumented immigrants who are directly affected by our nation’s broken immigration system. They shared their stories with President Obama and Vice President Biden to highlight the importance of passing immigration reform.

“I was honored to meet President Obama and Vice President Biden and share my immigration story and to emphasize why we have to protect the family visa categories. For some of my friends, a brother or sister is the only family they have,” said Kevin.

Kevin’s family came to the United States when he was only 9 years old. Despite facing many obstacles that are all too common for undocumented immigrant families, Kevin and his parents persevered. The day of Kevin’s graduation from UCLA, President Obama announced DACA, and a few months later, he received his approval. However, Kevin’s parents are still waiting for a chance to legalize their status and live a life without fear. As a community organizer at KRC, Kevin also meets with families who are waiting to reunite with loved ones and hears of their heartache.

“I have lived in the shadows for too long. Today, I am hopeful that 2013 will be the year for a truly comprehensive immigration reform law based on family unity, justice and fairness. President Obama and Vice President Biden have expressed their support but it will be the will of our community to make it happen.”

The meeting was organized by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement’s (FIRM) Keeping Families Together Campaign. NAKASEC is part of the executive committee of FIRM.

The names of all the participants of the meeting are as follows: Kevin Lee, Miguel Leal, Justino Mora, Medhi Mahraoui, Diana Colin, Melissa McGuire-Maniau and Angie Kim.

###

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).

Dear friend & advocate,

My name is EunSang Lee. I am with the First United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. This week, I’m in Washington D.C. to join NAKASEC, our partners and immigrant leaders as the Senate Judiciary Committee goes into the third week of considering amendments to the immigration reform bill.

As I take part in vigils and legislative visits to remind Senators to stand with families, please take a moment to make a call right now. The members of the Senate Judiciary Committee need to hear from all of us. We need to let them know that family unity must be improved.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

Hello. My name is [YOUR  NAME] from [YOUR CITY, STATE]. I am calling to urge Senator [NAME OF SENATOR] to support amendments to improve family unity, including all of Hirono’s amendments.

I also urge the senator to oppose amendments Cruz #4 and Sessions #48.

Hirono #5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 would allow U.S. citizens to continue sponsoring their siblings and married children over 31, raise the cut-off date for married kids to 39 instead of 31, and improve the likelihood for these family members to be reunited, especially when their U.S. citizen family member has not used the family visa system before or would experience hardship.

Senator Cruz’s Amendment #4

This amendment would completely eliminate family-sponsored visa categories for married adult children as well as siblings.

Senator Sessions’ Amendment #48

This amendment would not give points for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens under the proposed merit-based immigrant system.

**Script and amendment summaries gathered through information provided by Church World Service, Fair Immigration Reform Movement, National Immigration Law Center

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

Senator Leahy (VT): 202-224-4242
Senator Feinstein (CA): 202-224-3841
Senator Whitehouse (RI): 202-224-2921
Senator Klobuchar (MN): 202-224-3244
Senator Durbin (IL): 202-224-2152
Senator Schumer (NY): 202-224-6542
Senator Franken (MN): 202-224-5641
Senator Blumenthal (CT): 202-224-2823
Senator Coons (DE): 202-224-5042
Senator Hirono (HI): 202-224-6361
Senator Lee (UT): 202-224-5444
Senator Hatch (UT): 202-224-5251
Senator Cornyn (TX): 202-224-2934
Senator Flake (AZ): 202-224-4521
Senator Sessions (AL): 202-224-4124
Senator Graham (SC): (202) 224-5972
Senator Cruz (TX): (202) 224-5922
Senator Grassley (IA): 202-224-3744

We have the power to improve the bill for families. Your call is urgent and important.Please take the time to call now and tell the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to support amendments to improve family unity, including supporting all of Hirono’s amendments and opposing Cruz #4 and Sessions #48.

Thank you.

Together, we build America’s future.

– Rev. EunSang Lee, Dae Joong Yoon, Dong Yoon Kim, Jane Yoo and the entire NAKASEC team

Please Vote for the Photo and Story that has touched you, or made you think of your family and stories.

Below are the submissions that our NAKASEC, KRCC, and KRC staff, board members, and community members decided on for public voting.

• We love our son, Sahn! by Hyeyoung Lee from Chicago, IL http://bit.ly/10TyJvT

• Last Picture of my Family Together by Sagar Patagundi from Louisville, KY http://bit.ly/15GVNH8

To Vote for the Photo and Story that touched you the most please click on this link and follow the instructions
http://bit.ly/12pOpev

Last day to Vote is Monday May 20th 2013. Winners and prizes will be announced the following day.

Name: SaeHee Chun

Currently: A Rising sophomore at Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University majoring in Asian studies, double minor in Business Administration and korean Languages & Literature

What made you want to intern with NAKASEC?

Having grown up in Annandale, I have always been surrounded by a huge Korean community.  However, with so many middle class to wealthy families in the areas, I feel that the underlying issues that many struggling Korean American families face go neglected.  My knowledge about these issues is also very minimal.  Whether it be related to difficulties with the current immigration policy, access to education, or hate crimes, there are so many issues that need attention in the Korean community.  In high school, many Korean American students had very surface-level knowledge about their heritage that was mostly based on Korean dramas and KPop.  Not many showed too much interest in social issues, history, or traditional culture. In college, the students seem much more interested in the roots of their culture beyond pop culture.  However, I feel that the issues that should really be of concern including struggles with the poor immigration structure, lack of voter engagement, and unequal access to health care and education remain unnoticed.  Because NAKASEC addresses both cultural development and education as well as social issues, I became very interested in working with the organization.

What are you most eager about learning?

I hope to learn about issues affecting our community,  how to better engage the Korean American community in addressing these issues, and connecting with other Korean American communities in the country.

What is the Korean American community like where you grew up?

Annandale really lives up to its title as “Koreatown.”  There is a vibrant community filled with dozens of Korean restaurants, clothing stores including hanbok (Korean traditional dress) shops, groceries, doctor’s offices, law firms, travel agencies, hakwons (tutoring centers), car repair centers, and more.  Anything you need, you can find a Korean business for it.  There is also a wealth of resources in my neighborhood to learn about topics such as Korean language, history, traditions, holidays, or traditional arts. Among students, the Korean community can be described in two categories –  students who were born here or came here at a very young age (2nd generation or 1.5 generation) and students who recently immigrated from Korea

During your free time, what do you like to do?

Attending rehearsals and practicing gayageum, watching Korean dramas, variety shows, and movies, reading books or researching online about Korean history and culture, exploring DC.

If you could have any super(s)hero power, what would it be?

Mind-reading or superhuman eating so that I could eat froyo non-stop without getting sick

SaeHee can be reached at schun@nakasec.org. Thank you!

I was looking for a picture of my family. I came to realize that I don’t have any pictures of my family together since I was at age 3-4. These past 21 years of my life there has someone always that’s been missing out of my life because of immigration issues. When I was in India, my father was here for more than a few years to find a employer who would sponsor him. When he did, he came back to India and got us our Visa’s to come to the States, I was with my family from 2002-2005. Then in 2005 when my father went to get his H1-B approved for the THIRD time he was rejected again and revoked his 10 year multiple visa back to the U.S.

I have not seen him, or felt his presence around me ever since. He missed my graduation, he missed my activities that I was involved with in high school, he missed out on my move in day for college. It never crossed my mind all the things he missed out on, and how he probably felt about it as well till recently. There are still so many things he will probably miss out on, it hurts to think about it. My College graduation? He is going to miss out on *sigh. Now, last year I had to send my mom off to take care of my dad, I haven’t seen my mom since Aug 1st, 2011. One of the hardest things I’ve done in my life was sending my mom off back to India. I wouldn’t shed a tear in front of her, I had to be strong for her. When she was ready to go through TSA she put her head down and starting crying. One of the hardest things in life is to see a mother cry for you. It was devastating, it was hard for me to see her to do that, and knowing that I won’t see her again for god knows how long. Well, at least I don’t have to worry about my father anymore.

Me and my brothers have grown very much through this struggle. We were pushed out into the real world at a early age. We had to start early to mature, and take care of ourselves. I realized, you can’t just sit there and wait on something to happen. If you want anything done, then you got to get up and make the moves yourself. So once again, my family is torn apart. I’m glad I have my brothers with me. But the empty feeling of my parents not being here will can never be replaced by anything right now. I’m waiting for that picture of my family back together.

[in order: Lola Sianing (great aunt), Auntie Ne (great aunt), Lola (grandma on Ma's side), Ma, Carla, KC, & me in the stroller; my Pa took the picture]

This photograph was taken when my family (parents, 2 sisters, great aunt, and myself) arrived in the U.S. on tourist visas to visit my Lola, who was working in Illinois already. This image captures the most important women in my life (though don’t get me wrong, I love my Pa!).

Lola Sianing immigrated to the U.S. with us to visit her sister, my Lola. My parents worked long hours when my sisters & I were children– my mom cooked for wealthy families and my dad drove a delivery van for hours each day, and both always came home exhausted. Lola Sianing was the first person we saw when we got home. She made us merienda when we got home from school, she took care of us when we were sick, and took care of the house. She treated my sisters & I as her own, and was so selfless when so much was asked of her into her old age. She moved to Louisiana in the summer of 2003 to live with another sister when I was 12. In summer 2007 when we planned to visit her for the first time, she passed away.

Auntie Ne is the sister of my Daddy-Ku (Ma’s dad). When I was 8 or 9, Daddy-Ku passed away in the Philippines and left a large sum of money and belongings to my mom and our family. Unhappy relatives threatened to call immigration on us. The night we found this out, all 7 of us (my parents, sisters, Lola, Lola Sianing, & myself) packed whatever we could carry and hopped on the soonest Greyhound to California, leaving our lives behind. We were terrified, though my parents hid their panic well and stayed strong for us. Auntie Ne took us into her home for a month, caring for us until it was deemed safe for us to return home. No matter how busy she was and no matter how inconvenient it must have been to care for 7 people in a small house, she did everything she could to make sure we felt at home and comfortable.

Lola was the whole reason we came to the U.S. in the first place. She was a travel agent in the Philippines and raised my mom on her own after her & my Daddy-Ku separated. She immigrated to the U.S. before us in order to escape an abusive partner and started working for a family in Highland Park, Illinois. She spent her week living with them and her weekends at home with us. I still remember being excited for Friday nights as a child, knowing my Lola was coming home. She balanced taking care of another family and helping take care of ours. She passed away when I was 11 in September 2002.

My Ma, the best Ma in the entire world. She, along with my Pa, made the decision to bring our family to the U.S. and made the decision to stay after Daddy-Ku, her father and legal permanent resident at the time, promised that he would petition us after he gained his citizenship. Afterhe passed away the year he was set to become a citizen, we had no legal pathway to citizenship. At this point, my parents had built a life for us already and chose to stay away. Since we’ve been here, my mom has worked for numerous families, cooking and cleaning in order to provide us with a comfortable life. Ma went above and beyond to provide for our family. She taught me about the importance of education, hard work, and kindness. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her, and I wouldn’t have accomplished half the things I have without her guidance, support, and love. She never fails to make me want to be a better person and go for the gold. Everything I do in life, I do for her and Pa.

My sisters, KC and Carla. These two women have helped shape me into the who I am. Starting at a young age, KC has filled both mine and Carla’s worlds with music, movies, and books we wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise. She helped us develop our own interest in art, painting in our basement for hours at a time in high school. She continues to expose Carla and I to her current favorite things, just as she did when we were kids.
Carla has helped me grow in so many ways. She inspired me with her strength and courage to come out of the shadows and reclaim being undocumented as part of her identity without shame. She’s encouraged me to become more education about social justice issues and to speak out against injustice whenever I see it. Without her, our whole family would still be in the shadows living in fear. She changed that.

The meaning of my family to me is love and hope. Family doesn’t always have to be blood related. It can be anyone who supports you, care for you, and love you.

I was born in Busan, South Korea. My father was abusive and a drunk. He would always come home drunk and never was really there for the family or  make money to help out. I still remember and have memories of my father abusing my mother and sometimes me even though I was a baby. My mom couldn’t handle the domestic violence at home anymore. She decided to moved to the United States for a better life for her and for me and my sister.

We were very poor and we couldn’t afford to get on a plane and fly to the United States. She found a way from Korea to the U.S. The trip from Korea to the U.S. was very difficult and hard considering we didn’t take a plane. It was more difficult for my mom because she took me and my sister with her. We came to the U.S. through a ship and a cargo truck and we came to Los Angeles through Mexico. It was a very long trip and it was a miracle that we even made it all the way to Los Angeles in one piece.

My mom is my hero and role model because she sacrificed herself and everything she had to bring us here to make sure that we have a better life. I always thank God because without his love and support, I think I would have never made it to the U.S. I came to the Los Angeles, California in 1998. I was 2 years old at the time and we had absolutely nothing. We had no money, no house, and no food. Luckily, my mom found a friend and she took us in for a year. After we left the house we lived in, we found a church that a family lived in and lived there for 2 years and we became a part of that family. That is when God became an important part of my life.

Once my mom got settled in, we moved out and finally found an apartment of our own, which was a block away from the church. We started with nothing and now we had everything that we needed to live. We had a home, food, and clothes and shoes. My immigration status never really had an effect on me because I was young, but my mom had a lot of worries that we were going to get deported back to Korea or to Mexico.

There was a time when I thought we were going to get deported. I was 10 years old at the time and I had a babysitter because my mom worked at night. My babysitter disappeared in the middle of the night and left me and my sister alone. My sister always had nightmares at night and woke up crying. I never knew how to stop it and so the neighbors called the cops on us and me, my mom, and my sister went to the police station. Luckily, we came out safely. When I was 5, I broke my arm and I had to go to the hospital. I was taken to USC hospital and got surgery. We were poor, had no health care, and couldn’t afford to pay for the medical bill, but the USC hospital took care of all our medical bills and paid it for us instead. We were grateful and thankful for their generosity. This was another miracle that I am grateful for.

Up until high school, I didn’t know what an immigrant was or if I was even an immigrant. I was just living my life like everybody else without worrying about my status. In my junior year in high school, I learned that I was an immigrant and that I wasn’t like everybody else. I couldn’t get a job, drive, or go to college. I lost hope in everything and gave up on everything. I thought that no matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t going to get into a good college because I was undocumented. I started slacking off in school and I skipped school for a month. Once I found out about a non profit organization called Korean Resource Center through my friend Helen Cho, I started getting my hopes up and my motivation back. I found out that I wasn’t the only immigrant and that there were many other people who were in the same position as me. At first, I was really nervous to tell my friends and the people at KRC that I was an immigrant because I thought that they would judge me or single me out because I was not a citizen. When I finally got the courage to tell my friends and KRC that I was an immigrant, they welcomed me with open hearts and open arms. It felt like I was a part of the KRC family.  A fellow KRC member and friend (Kevin Lee) helped me when I was lost and didn’t know anything about immigration. He supported me and helped me see the bright side of life and status. He said ” Whatever you set yourself out to and as long as you work hard, opportunities will always be open.”

KRC helped me a lot with my immigration status and also helped me with my DACA. My DACA has finally arrived and I believe that I can achieve anything if I work hard for it. I really want to thank my friends that are always there for me and support me and the people who supported me til this day and still continuing to support me. I truly want to thank my mom for bringing me into this world and raising me til this day. I have high hopes  and goals for my future and I support immigration reform. I believe that kids who have came to the U.S. at a young age should get the same education and life of a U.S. citizen.

David Han (Los Angeles, California)

Na Young Kim, La Crescenta, CA

I’ve always been placed in the middle, regardless of the cost or burden, and my parents have sacrificed everything for me with a smile on their faces.

My life began at the age of five. Everything prior is comparable to my dreams; there are undeniable truths, but I cannot ascertain whether they are rooted in reality. Childhood memories of Korea are a hazy blur yet I clearly remember my excitement when news arrived: we’d finally be reuniting with my father in “the land of opportunities,” “the home of the brave,” the United States of America. Despite my young age, I knew life had changed drastically from the moment I entered our new apartment. I savored every trivial detail, like the view of the mountains outside my window, the clean smell of my unfamiliar father, and even the feel of the soft carpet. And I still remember the dreamlike quality captured in each novel experience until it too was just another distant memory.

It’s strange to be the byproduct of two cultures, especially when these cultures vary beyond mere comparisons. Culture and upbringing are two crucial influences in shaping one’s individuality and self, especially throughout the tumultuous journey of growing up. Trying to balance the relationships in my life can become exhausting, and oftentimes, I believe my parents do not truly understand me because they do not see the multifaceted aspects of my character. I used to feel as if I were two separate people, struggling to discern who I really was and assuming the ego of whichever identity fit my situation best.

As an immigrant, I had never noted a difference between my fellow peers and I; we enjoyed the same music, devoured the same foods, and even had the same terminologies and dialect. I was naturalized by America, and always considered California to be my home. Once liberated from my soft-spoken shell which I had hidden myself in, I became a reflection of the American culture and quickly let the memories of the past erode. Yet, as time passed and my naivety abated, there were more and more privileges my friends had that I could not relate to. I could not visit my family in Korea, much less leave the country, I could not obtain my driver’s license, I could not open a bank account, I could not seek employment, I could not obtain insurance, I could not.

When I first learned the truth about my situation, I cannot describe the shock that flooded my mind and soul. To discover I was not only different, but also estranged from my fellow peers struck a chord within, one which was harsh and dissonant. The reality was that one day, my visa expired. But I stayed blissfully ignorant of this fact and remained so until sophomore year, when my parents unexpectedly confronted me about my situation. Suddenly, I was an “undocumented student” or less eloquently deemed by the state, an “illegal immigrant.” Hearing these words crushed my spirit. It felt so unfair to be rejected from the only place I had ever known to be home.

Perhaps this is the reason why my parents were never strict; they encouraged discipline but nothing was ever forced upon me that I had not wished so myself. Although they did not fully comprehend the American culture, and thus me, my mother and father did everything in their power to support me. They labored day and night to provide me with the “American Dream” that they never had. In return, I worked diligently to excel both in school and in my community and to cultivate the passions I discovered along the way. And I also discovered love. This love is what transformed my shame into determination, for my status would not deter me from success. I began applying myself to life instead of distancing away from it in fear that it’d be torn away from me. By dismissing this fear, I also embraced my Korean pride and culture, for I realize it is a part of me that resonates not just externally, but in every fiber of my being. I now acknowledge the blessings in my life rather than the struggles, both of which has shaped me to be the person I am today, the person who is self-assured and assumes a single identity: herself.

Life has changed so drastically in a single year but as I reflect upon it as a whole, I understand every obstacle was simply a chance to gain strength. I no longer desire to hide in the dark, concealed from opportunities ahead. Instead, I challenge myself to continue learning and to continue persevering, to experience every moment life offers, and to pursue an existence of wholeness, not merely an empty quest for happiness. These define a meaningful existence. For how does one appreciate happiness before experiencing sorrow and loss or characterize success without the bittersweet taste of failure? Regardless of whatever struggles are before me, I know my parents will always be there to support and love me unconditionally, as I do them. Today I realize future challenges are guaranteed, but only I can limit myself. Though time moves quickly, my entire life is ahead and I will always strive for the life that began to emerge at age five, despite any labels placed upon me. One day, my visa expired. And life continued. I continue.

It was not easy finding a photo of my family where my mom, dad, brother and I were all present in one setting, posing for the camera at the same time, with the oddly resembling smiles in one picture frame. Actually, I couldn’t find one of just us four.

Our pictures are in pieces:

The poorly focused photo of my brother in 6^th grade band, where it takes a whole minute to find his saxophone blowing face out of numerous of other floating heads….

The work-in-action photo of my mom with the unnatural smile in front of a sewing machine that I took for a school project…

And the harder to find picture of my camera shy dad, who always repeats, “My aged self is not pretty to see in pictures.”

The awkwardly picture-less family album, and the oddly fitting reality, the invisible family pictures tells the story of my family’s immigration experience.

The four of us is all we have. And though no luxury granted family photo ops for us to prove that we are one, every day we wake up fighting for each other.

Fighting to survive together.

Often in the pro-immigrant political rhetoric, people point fingers at my parents for their decision to move to the US, in order to legitimate my [undocumented] existence in this country.

While pointing at me, they say, “This innocent child had no choice but to follow her parents”, shaming my mom and dad for the years I lived in this country, “illegally.”

To win votes, to “protect” my filtered-prized goals and dreams, they shove my parents behind doors, shaming their struggles, silencing their existence.

But they are wrong.

My family moved here as one.

I am here with my dreams and goals because of my parents.

I am breathing here today, right this moment, because of my family.

We support each other, we move together, we dream together, and we fight for each other every-single-day.

My family’s experience, my immigrant story is of one collective struggle; filled with love, tears, cries and laughters that belong to my mom, my dad, and my brother.

If you want to talk about my DREAMS, you cannot isolate my family.

Though our pictures are scattered, we move as one.

I am dreaming, hoping, and fighting for a better future, because of my mom, my dad, and my brother.

I am dreaming, hoping, and fighting for a better future with my mom, my dad, and my brother.

I am nothing without my family and they are my everything.

–

By Keish Kim, Roswell, Georgia

#official

영문 자료를 보고싶으시면 여기 클릭 하세요. [영문자료 - English]

보도의뢰서

April 18, 2013

연락처: Jane Yoo, 미주한인봉사교육단체협의회(미교협,NAKASEC) 202.630.4013

상정된 상원법안: http://www.schumer.senate.gov/forms/immigration.pdf

첨부자료: 법안 요점 정리

올해 반듯이 이민개혁을 이루어 내자

미교협, 한인교육문화마당집, 민족학교 본격적인 커뮤니티 조직 활동 전개

비판적 지지-법안의 좋은 내용을 지키고, 우려스러운 조항을 개정하는 활동을 펼친다.

워싱턴 디씨 –4월 17일 “국경안보, 경제적 기회 그리고 현대화된 이민개혁안 2013년”이 연방 상원에 상정 되었다.  미주한인봉사교육단체협의회와 가입 단체인 시카고 한인교육문화마당집과 로스앤젤레스 민족학교는 연방 상원 ‘8인 방’에 의해 상정된 이민개혁법안을 환영하면서 아직도 많은 조항들이 개정되어야 한다는 것을 밝힌다.  동 단체들은 올해 인도적이고, 공정하며, 포괄적인 이민 개혁 법안이 제정 될 수 있도록 지역사회를 교육하고, 조직할 것 이다.

서류미비자 합법화

미교협의 윤선아 사무국장은 “우리는 반듯이 오랜 세월 동안 이민 개혁이 성사될 수 있도록 노력한 지역 사회의 활동과 요구가 있었기에 이번에 법안이 상원에서 상정 되었다는 것을 인식해야 한다.  올해 우리는 시대의 요구에 맞는 이민법을 개정 할 수 있는 기회를 맞았다”고 강조했다.  “이번 상원에 상정된 이민 개혁 법안의 주요 핵심은 1천 1백 만 명이 넘는 서류미비자에게 시민권 신청 기회를 제공하는 것이다.  이 법안에 서류미비자에게 시민권 신청의 기회를 제공한다는 원칙이 포함된 것은 적극 환영하지만, 긴 기간(13년), 고비용, 조건부의 여러 단속 조치와 복잡한 자격 조건 조항들은 성실히 일하고 미국 사회의 일원을 염원하는 많은 서류미비자에게 큰 어려움을 줄 것이다.  더 우려되는 조항은 신청 자격 일시를 2011년 12월 31일 이전에 거주했던 이민자로 제한하여 수 십 만 이상의 서류미비자들의 신청 기회를 박탈한 것이다.  우리 지역사회가 필요한 것은 간단하고, 신속, 저렴, 그리고 보다 많은 서류미비자들이 신분 합법화 과정을 통해 미국 시민권자가 될 수 있도록 하는 기회를 제공하는 것이다”라고 밝혔다.

서류미비청소년 관련 (드림액)

“미교협과 가입 단체들은 10년 넘게 드림법안이 제정 될 수 있도록 수 많은 이민 청년들과 함께 노력 했다.  로스엔젤레스 민족학교의 이민청년 모임 ‘아카시아’는 서류미비자 학생들의 대학 진학과 추방 유예를 신청 할 수 있도록 다양한 교육 및 서류 신청 활동을 전개 하고 있다”고 민족학교의 윤대중 사무국장은 설명 했다.  2013년 4월 10일 기준, 추방 유예 신청인의 출생 국가 보고서에 한국 출생 추방 유예 신청 승인 케이스는 모두 5,476으로 전체 국가별 순위 5위이다.  상원에 상정된 이민 개혁 법안은 추방유예 (DACA) 승인자의 조속한 영주권 신청의 기회를 부여 한다.  “우리들은 드리머라고 불리는 서류미비청년들에게 나이에 상관 없이 빠른 기간 안에 (5년 후) 영주권과 시민권 신청의 기회를 부여하는 상원 이민 개혁안을 적극 환영한다.  우리 서류미비청년들은 예전에도 그랬고, 앞으로도 계속 올바른 이민 개혁법이 제정되어 그들의 부모들에게도 합법적 신분이 제공되고, 가족 초청 이민 비자를 보존 할 수 있도록 최선의 노력을 다 할 것이다”라고 윤 사무국장은 덧 붙혔다.

가족 재결합

“초기에 상원 의원 ‘8인 방’이 가족 초청 비자를 폐지한다는 소식이 언론을 통해 보도되었을 때 시카고의 많은 이민자 단체들은 평화적 시민 불복종 활동을 펼쳤고, 로스엔젤레스에서는 파인스타인 상원의원 사무실 앞에서 시위를 벌여 우리 커뮤니티의 강력한 반대 입장을 밝혔다.  또한 미교협을 중심으로 미 전국에서 가족 초청 이민 비자를 보존하기 위해 2주 동안 모은 1,267여명의 서명을  워싱턴 디씨의 상원 ‘8인 방’과 주요 연방하원 의원 사무실에 직접 전달하기도 했다.”고 시카고 한인교육문화마당집의 손식 사무국장은 밝혔다.  “상원 법안에는 이민자 권익 단체들의 노력에 힘입어 영주권자의 자녀와 배우자는 직계가족으로 변경되어 기다리지 않고 바로 가족이 재결합 할 수 있도록 되었고, 현재 영주권 신청 중에 있는 대기자들의 서류 적체를 8년 안에 해소 하겠다는 희망적 조항들이 포함 되었다.  하지만 시민권자의 형제 자녀 초청 비자를 폐지하고, 시민권자의 기혼 성인 자녀 초청의 나이를 31살 미만으로 제한하는 비인도적인 조항도 포함되어 있다.  이에 우리 이민자 커뮤니티는 좋은 조항을 지키고, 가족을 생이별 시키는 독소적인 반이민자 조항이 폐지 될 수 있도록 그 어느 때 보다 더 소리 높여 우리의 의견을 반영 시켜야 된다”고 손 사무국장은 힘주어 말했다.

우려 되는 상원 법안 기타 조항들:

• 가혹한 국경 단속 조치와 고비용 및 비즈니스의 발전을 저해하는 고용 단속 조항,
• 세금을 내는 이민자의 의료 보험과 공공 복지 수혜 금지 조항.

현재 미국민의 대다수는 인도적 이민개혁을 원하고 있다. 최근 조사된 초당적  Hart/Public Opinion Strategies poll 설문조사 결과에 따르면  80% 이상의 미 국민은 서류미비자의 시민권 취득 기회를 지지하고 있다.  지난 2012년 대선 기간에 아시아 어메리칸 유권자의 72% 이상은 포괄적인 이민 개혁법 제정을 지지한다고 조사 되었다.  올해는 반듯이 이민개혁이 성사되어야 한다.  이번 상원 법안이 잘못된 이민 시스템을 개혁할 수 있는 좋은 첫 단계이나, 우리는 반듯이 성실히 일하는 이민자들이 미국사회에 경제적 기여를 하고, 미국의 가족 가치와 인권이 보장되는 이민 개혁이 제정될 수 있도록 적극적인 관심과 사회 참여 활동을 펼쳐야 한다.

앞으로 펼칠 활동과 지역사회가 참여 할 수 있는 방법

앞으로 미교협, 한인교육문화마당집, 민족학교는 지역 사회 교육 및 우리 커뮤니티의 의견을 정책 입안자에게 전달 하기 위해 다양한 캠페인을 펼칠 것이다.  보다 자세한 문의는 202-299-9540으로 연락하면 된다.

또한 동 단체들은 “우리는 미국의 주인, 미국은 우리의 나라” (http://weareamericaishome.tumblr.com/ — deadline April 30^th) 라는 사진 컨테스트 캠페인을 발표 해 가족 재결합의 중요성을 널리 알리고자 한다.  전국에서 모아진 사진과 사연들은 정책 입안자에게 전달 될 것이고, 미국 시민들에게 가족 중심의 이민 개혁 중요성을 교육할 것이다.

미교협과 가입 단체들은 여러 아시안 이민단체들과 협력하여 ‘전국 아시안 어메리칸 로비의 날’ 행사를 이번 6월 5일 워싱턴 디씨에서 펼칠 계획이다.

이민 개혁에 관심이 있거나 상정된 이민 개혁 법안에 대한 자세한 질문은 cirinfo@nakasec.org 로 이메일을 보내면 되고, 동 단체들은 법안에 대한 자세한 대답과 정보를 언라인과 다양한 커뮤니케이션 매체를 통해 알릴 것이다.

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미주한인봉사교육단체협의회(미교협)는 20년 넘게 활동한 지역 단체들이 중심이 되어 1994년 창립된 전국 단체로 재미동포들의 권익을 대변하며 사회 참여를 증진시키는 활동을 펼치고 있다. 미교협의 지부 사무실은 워싱턴 디씨, 둘루스(조지아), 로스앤젤레스에 있다. 가입 단체는 시카고한인교육문화마당집 그리고 로스엔젤레스의 민족학교이다.