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NAKASEC and affiliates continue to push Congress on immigration reform on Saturday, April 10

By April 9, 2010No Comments

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 10th, is one of the last times for people in the United States to pitch to their representatives in Congress the urgency of introducing legislation on comprehensive immigration reform this year. The date falls during a Congressional recess and is an important marker after the March for America held on Sunday March 21. In our community, the Korean Resource Center (KRC) and NAKASEC are organizing one of the buses leaving from Los Angeles heading to a massive gathering in Las Vegas. Our bus will carry a multigenerational group of children, seniors, working parents and young students who bonded together to meet the Senate Majority Leader on his home turf.

Eight limited-English speaking Korean American seniors who united to improve immigrants’ access to healthcare in Los Angeles’ Koreatown are riding the bus. One grandmother is riding so that her grandson can afford college tuition which is too expensive due to his income and undocumented immigration status. This same grouping of seniors and working families were key participants of a sit-in at the governor’s office in the California fight to make food stamps and cash assistance available to low-income legal immigrants in the wake of the anti-immigrant 1996 federal welfare reform laws. While unassuming, anonymous and unheard, the seniors continually overcome stifling language barriers through KRC to make real the critical health and human rights of themselves and others.

In Chicago, a handful of Korean American immigrant rights activists will attend this Saturday’s rally with Senator Durbin. Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC), Sik Son and George Lieu are organizers who reach out to students, churches and families regardless of their immigration status. KRCC participates in a strong and growing youth network in support of the DREAM Act and building local community power.

The April 10 events are gatherings of thousands of US citizens and recent immigrants alike in regions across the United States, as part of a longterm effort to redress the mistreatment of immigrants and the need to improve outdated immigration laws. NAKASEC, KRCC and KRC both recently mobilized about 100 people to attend the national March for America in Washington, DC, to build political momentum and demonstrate public support for immigration reform in 2010.

APRIL 10 Events that NAKASEC, KRC and KRCC will join:

  • 10:30am-11:30am Rally for America with Senator Richard Durbin.  Teamsters Local 705: 1645 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL. Contact lieug@chicagokrcc.org for more information.
  • 12:00pm-3:00 pm Las Vegas Townhall with Senators Harry Reid and Luis Gutierrez. Contact hayeon@krcla.org for information.
  • Please also join us online @nakasec, @krcla and @chicagokrcc on Twitter throughout the day! Some recommended hashtags include #ri4a #aapi #koreanamerican #immigration.
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