Korean Americans and Comprehensive Immigration Reform
How Immigration Impacts Korean American
On December 22, 1902, the first group of Korean immigrants arrived in Hawaii to work as laborers on the sugar plantations. Since then, Korean Americans have grown to become the fourth largest Asian Pacific Islander American ethnic community living in the United States. Immigration policies deeply affect all of us given that 71% of the Korean American community is composed of recent immigrants. Here are some facts:
– Family sponsorship is the most common way that Korean Americans enter the United States and currently close to 77,000 are caught in the backlogs, many waiting decades to bring family members into the country.
– Of the undocumented population, over 1 million are of Asian descent and within the Korean American community, roughly 1 out of 5 is living in the shadows.
– As a predominantly immigrant work force with a significant population of those who are limited English proficient, the protection of worker rights for all is just as important.
– Every year, 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school unable to pursue their dreams and fully participate in American society.
– Basic due process rights and civil liberties to individuals are a priority for Korean Americans.
Korean American Principles for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
In 2006, 142 Korean American community, faith, and business organizations and thousands of Korean Americans signed a joint letter outlining their principles for comprehensive immigration reform. The principles are as follows.
1. Keep families together by preserving the family preference categories, eliminating the immigration backlogs, stopping mandatory & indefinite detentions and cruel deportations for minor infractions.
2. Bring millions of hard working undocumented immigrants and their children out of the shadows and provide them a path to citizenship.
3. Protect all workers regardless of their immigration status.
4. Allow young immigrants to reach their full potential through access to college.
5. Protect and restore basic rights and liberties, including allowing every person to have their day in court.
The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) was founded as a consortium in 1994 by local community centers that realized that only by coming together can we build and contribute to a national movement for civil rights. They are the Korean Resource Center in Los Angeles, the Korean American Resource & Cultura Center in Chicago and YKASEC-Empowering the Korean American Community in New York. Our mission is to project a national progressive voice on major civil rights and immigrant rights issues and promote the full participation of Korean Americans in American society. For more information, visit www.nakasec.org or call 323-937-3703.
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium
Korean American Resource and Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Korean Resource Center, Los Angeles, CA
YKASEC – Empowering the Korean American Community, Flushing, NY
5.18 Gwangju People’s Uprising Commemoration Committee, Los Angeles, CA
Agape Presbyterian Church, Prospect Heights, IL
Alameda Korean Presbyterian Church, Alameda, CA
Antioch Presbyterian Church, Montrose City, CA
Asian American Adult Center, Flushing, NY
Association of Korean Jewelers of Eastern USA, New York, NY
Beauty Supply Association of Greater New York, New York, NY
Bethel Korean United Methodist Church, Santa Clara, CA
Brooklyn Project, Brooklyn, NY
Bultasa Buddhist Temple of Chicago, Chicago, IL
California Korean American Grocers Association, Los Angeles, CA
California Korean Contractors Association, Los Angeles, CA
California Swapmeet Vendor’s Association, Huntington Park, CA
Cana Korean New Family Counseling Center, Fullerton, CA
Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Doraville, GA
Chicago Kollaboration, Palatine, IL
Chicago Korean American Chamber of Commerce, Chicago, IL
Chicago Unity SDA Church, Chicago, IL
Christ Vision Chapel, Anaheim, CA
Coalition of Korean American Associations of NY, Brooklyn, NY
Committee of Human Rights for Undocumented Immigrants, Los Angeles, CA
Community Relations of KCS, Flushing, NY
Divinity Community Church, Burbank, CA
Education Development Institute, Flushing, NY
Family in Touch, Flushing, NY
FGS Korean Community Center, Flushing, NY
Full Gospel Chicago Church, Chicago, IL
Full Gospel San Francisco Church, San Francisco, CA
Glenbrook Korean United Methodist Church, Northbrook, IL
Good News of P.C. of San Francisco of PCUSA, San Francisco, CA
Good Samaritans of the East Bay, El Sobrante, CA
Grace Presbyterian Church, Wheeling, IL
Hanmee Presbyterian Church, Itasca, IL
Han-Mi Christian Service Center, Los Angeles, CA
Holy Light Methodist Church of New York, New York, NY
Home Delivered Meals Program, Flushing, NY
Honam Friendship Association, Los Angeles, CA
Illegality Preventive Christian Connection, Los Angeles, CA
Immigration / ESOL of KCS, Flushing, NY
International Qi-Gong Research Association, Los Angeles, CA
Joint Together Society, Los Angeles, CA
Karey and Taormina, Inc., Whittier, CA
Korea Export Insurance Corp., Los Angeles, CA
Korea Seafood Association of New York, Bronx, NY
Korean Agro-Food Association, Flushing, NY
Korean Alliance for Peace and Justice of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Korean Alliance for Peace and Justice of USA
Korean American Association for Rehabilitation of the Disable, Flushing, NY
Korean American Association of Greater NY, New York, NY
Korean American Association of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Korean American Bar Association of Washington, Seattle, WA
Korean American Beautician Federation, Inc., New York, NY
Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County, Garden Grove, CA
Korean American Chambers of Commerce & Industry of New York, New York, NY
Korean American Community Health Center, Flushing, NY
Korean American Community Services, Chicago, IL
Korean American Cultural Troupe – HanNuRi, Los Angeles, CA
Korean American Dental Technician Association, New York, NY
Korean American Executive Association of NY, New York, NY
Korean American Family Service Center, Flushing, NY
Korean American General Merchandise Association of New York, New York, NY
Korean American Grocers Organization (KAGRO), Philadelphia, PA
Korean American Grocery Association of New York, New York, NY
Korean American Insurance Association of New York, Flushing, NY
Korean American League for Civic Action, New York, NY
Korean American Mechanic Association of New York, New York, NY
Korean American Merchants Association of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Korean American Nail Salon Association of New York, New York, NY
Korean American Peace Association, Los Angeles, CA
Korean American Professional Society, Seattle, WA
Korean American Senior Center of Corona, Corona NY
Korean American Senior Center of Flushing, Flushing, NY
Korean American Senior Center, Chicago, IL
Korean American Senior Citizens Society of Great New York, Flushing, NY
Korean American Seniors Association, Philadelphia, PA
Korean American Soccer Association, Philadelphia, PA
Korean American Student Association of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Korean American Voter’s Council, Flushing, NY
Korean American Voters Alliance, Bellevue, WA
Korean American Women in Need, Chicago, IL
Korean Americans for Just Immigration Reform, Philadelphia, PA
Korean Apparel Manufacturers Association, New York, NY
Korean Association of Tacoma, Tacoma, WA
Korean Business Leader’s Council of New York, New York, NY
Korean Church of Chicago, Hoffman Estates, IL
Korean Churches Federation of Greater Chicago, Lake Forest, IL
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan NY, New York, NY
Korean Construction Association of New York, Flushing, NY
Korean Drycleaners and Laundry Association, Gardena, CA
Korean Drycleaners Association of New York, New York, NY
Korean Family Counseling and Research Center, Flushing, NY
Korean Immigrants Service of New York, Inc, Flushing, NY
Korean Martyrs’ Catholic Church, Chicago, IL
Korean Mutual Aid Society, Flushing, NY
Korean Produce Association of New York, New York, NY
Korean Quarterly, St. Paul, MN
Korean Senior Citizen Mutual Center, Los Angeles, CA
Korean United Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Korean Women’s Association of Washington State, Tacoma, WA
Korean Youth Center of New York, Flushing, NY
Korean-American Association of Flushing, Flushing, NY
Korean-American Association of Greater Atlanta, Doraville, GA
Korean-American Association of New Jersey, Fort Lee, NJ
Korean-American Presbyterian Midwest Church, Wheeling, IL
Koreans at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, Los Angeles, CA
L.A. Christian Mutual Association, Los Angeles, CA
Lee and Bardavid Attorneys at Law, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Mokhwa Senior Center, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles New Times Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA
Loving Corps America, Buena Park, CA
Mayfair Community Church, Chicago, IL
Mi Ju Bethel Church, Los Angeles, CA
Mid-West Korean Traditional Artist Association, Chicago, IL
NAKA – New York Chapter, New York, NY
Namgajoo Fellowship Church, Pomona, CA
National Korean Chinese Association, Flushing, NY
New Life Church of Chicago, Palatine, IL
New York Korean Church of Christ, New York, NY
NYPD Korean American Officers Association, Flushing, NY
Project Homecoming, Brooklyn, NY
Public Health Program of KCS, New York, NY
Rainbow Center, Flushing, NY
SaeKwang United Presbyterian Church, Des Plaines, IL
Salem Korean UMC, Schaumburg, IL
Seattle-WA Korean Association , Seattle, WA
Shimtuh Korean Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, Oakland, CA
St. James Church, Los Angeles, CA
St. Paul Catholic Church Council Center, Flushing, NY
Sungdo Church in Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Thrift Shop of KCS, Flushing, NY
True Light Korean Presbyterian Church, West Covina, CA
University of Chicago, Korean Student Association, Chicago, IL
Won Buddhism New York Temple, Flushing, NY
World Mission TKD Association, Los Angeles, CA
Young Christian Business Men’s Committee, Los Angeles, CA
Young Koreans United of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
YWCA of Queens, Flushing, NY
