For Immediate Release
May 12, 2010
Contacts:
Eun Sook Lee, NAKASEC, 323-937-3703 x 205
Sik Son, KRCC, 773-588-9158 x 201
Dae Joong Yoon, KRC, 323-937-3718
NAKASEC & Affiliates’ Statement on Continued Racism via Arizona Laws With HB 2281 Proposing to Limit Ethnic Studies Programs
(Los Angeles, CA) In the wake of passing the egregious and deplorable SB 1070, the Arizona legislature has hurtled forward with another racist law (HB 2281) proposing to embargo funding for schools that include certain types of ethnic studies in their curriculum. With the signing of SB1070 in April, along with HB2281 yesterday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is fomenting a climate of hate and intolerance that will have a devastating impact on Arizona residents, particularly immigrants and communities of color.
“Ethnic minorities have been historically marginalized and continue to advocate for the inclusion of their histories within the canon of American history. Signing HB 2281 into law is an immense step backward. For many Asian Americans, it isn’t until higher education that they find meaningful validation through ethnic studies programs of their place within America. It is through self-awareness and knowledge of other communities that we can counter ignorance, intolerance, and hate in this country” stated EunSook Lee, Executive Director of NAKASEC (National Korean American Service & Education Consortium).
“Last Friday, April 30, Korean Americans of Chicago joined a large protest outside Wrigley Field to condemn SB 1070 through the boycott of the Arizona Diamondbacks. KRCC is prepared to continue pressuring Arizona to repeal SB 1070 and are prepared to approach HB 2281 with similar pressure,” said Sik Son, Executive Director of the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC) of Chicago.
“The Korean Resource Center and Los Angeles, for that matter, stand strong behind the communities in Arizona that are being targeted by these ugly and hateful laws. On April 25, we organized a solidarity bus to rally beside Arizonans in firm resolution to fight back until SB 1070 is repealed. We will continue to support the communities in Arizona against HB 2811,” said Dae Joong Yoon, Executive Director of the Korean Resource Center (KRC) of Los Angeles.
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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.
