For Immediate Release
October, 2, 2013
Contacts: Dae Joong Yoon, NAKASEC, djyoon@nakasec.org
Dayne Lee, KRC, dayne@krcla.org
Sik Son, KRCC, sonsik@chicagokrcc.org
NAKASEC, KRC, and KRCC Join Other Pro-Immigration Reform Supporters in Actions Surrounding the Major Mobilization on October 5 & 12, 2013, Declaring “National Day for Dignity & Respect”
Groups in 130 + Cities Engage in Actions to Pressure the House Leadership to Vote on Legalization with Path to Citizenship and Protection of Immigrant Families
Los Angeles, CA- Today, Congressmembers introduced an immigration reform bill sponsored by the Democratic Congressmembers.
We congratulate the sponsors of this legislation including a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and expedited process for DREAMers to become aspiring new citizens.
At the same time we have concerns about trigger for undocumented immigrants to apply for the RPIs and legal permanent resident status as well as lengthy period, 13 years, to become citizen, continuous employment, penalty, and more. We also have concerns that during about 10 years of RPIs status the undocumented immigrant are excluded any public safety net including Affordable Care Act.
Today’s introduction of immigration reform legislation by Democratic Congressmembers is a very important step toward a sensible immigration reform that Americans have been demanding for decades. We will continue to work with our communities members to keep the good provisions of the bill and improve the concerning areas of provision of the legislation.
“In the past, over 10 years, we organized our community, marched on the streets, talked to our representatives, and mobilized immigrants’ votes. The Congress members should remember what we did in the past and what we will do in the future. Immigration reform is not about political issue. It is about people’s real life,” said Hee Joo Yoon, Executive Director of the Korean Resource Center (KRC). After Congress’ Recess in August, the KRC continued to keep the air crisp with calls for immigration reform by holding a meeting to engage community members in discussions about CIR.
Despite the government shutdown, NAKASEC, its affiliates, and other national and local pro-immigration reform supporters, will continue to stay on track. “U.S. House has been avoiding their responsibility to tackle the national issue. The more they delay, the more pain our families have to endure. We need to fix the problem,” said Sik Son, Executive Director of KRCC. The Korean Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC) is also reaching out to community members through phone banking in an effort to push for CIR.
“For many years, especially this year, the American public made a loud and clear message to the Congress that the current immigration system is broken and we need a sensible immigration reform that uplifts America’s family value and embraces hard working new citizens. However, we are deeply concerned that House leadership is avoiding its responsibility, not doing anything to fix immigration reform and ingoing people’s concerns. The time is now to pass the immigration reform in the House and any immigration reform legislation must keep families together by clearing the backlog, reuniting families and welcoming aspiring citizens,” said Dae Joong Yoon, Executive Director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium.
This Saturday, October 5th, at 11:00 a.m., KRC and NAKASEC staff will join Asian American and Latino leaders, along with faith and labor communities in Irvine for a rally and march from Irvine Spectrum to Congressmember John Campbell’s office as part of a national mobilization movement on October 5th. KRC, a key organizer of the event, will mobilize around 40 KRC supporters, along with its co-organizers Orange County Labor Federation, SEIU-USWW, and OCCO Groups.
The KRCC, in Chicago, is mobilizing its youth group, FYSH, and community members to participate in a major rally on Saturday, October 12th. Poongmool, the Korean traditional drumming, will be a part of the march and rally efforts in Los Angeles and Chicago.
NAKASEC continues to educate Korean American and AAPI communities about the importance of voting by creating and distributing voter registration guides in three Virginia counties. Every vote plays a critical role in electing officials who support the immigration reform efforts of NAKASEC and its affiliates.
To learn more about planned October actions for the National Day for Dignity & Respect, please check out: octoberimmigration.org and about NAKASEC and its affiliates, please visit: https://nakasec.org
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The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) was founded in 1994 during a political turning point for Korean Americans. The LA Civil Unrest of April 29, 1992 and the subsequent anti-immigrant wave in Congress, precipitated by Prop 187, posed tremendous challenges to Korean Americans as people of color, working families and immigrants. The state of America at that time led a group of local grassroots community based organizations to come together to form NAKASEC with the purpose of projecting a national progressive voice on major civil rights and immigration rights issues and promoting the full participation of Korean Americans with the greater goal of building a national movement for social change.
Today, NAKASEC is based in Los Angeles and Annandale, VA. NAKASEC also has affiliates in Los Angeles (Korean Resource Center) and in Chicago (Korean American Resource & Cultural Center).
