For Immediate Release
March 22, 2010
Contact:
HyunJoo Lee, NAKASEC, 323-937-3703
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National Korean American Census Network:
Assisting Korean Americans across the U.S. to Fill Out the Census
(Los Angeles, CA) As households begin to receive their 2010 census forms in the mail, partner organizations of the National Korean American Census Network are organizing census assistance events in eight states to ensure that every Korean American fills out the forms and gets counted.
“In the 2000 census, the undercount for Asian Americans was 1% and nearly 5% for Pacific Islanders. It is estimated that up to 175,000 AAPIs were missed in California which resulted in a loss of about $2.1 billion in federal funds. With this year’s census, we have the opportunity to improve the lives of our communities and showcase our growing political power. That is why the National Korean American Census Network came together – to build a national voice encouraging all Korean Americans, from Los Angeles to Chicago to Washington D.C., to fill out the census form and have our community’s needs acknowledged,” said HyunJoo Lee of NAKASEC and affiliates, Korean Resource Center (Los Angeles) and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (Chicago)
“Full integration is not just about finding a good job, decent housing, and education for kids. A critical component is understanding and then engaging in the civic and political process as Asian Americans. Census 2010 is one of the best ways to really exercise our voice and rights as members of this society and that is why the Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS) is committed to getting everyone counted in Georgia. We are also the lead for the Census Asian Complete Count Committee of Georgia and are working hard to ensure that all Asians in Georgia are counted for Census 2010 not only for the benefit of our Pan-Asian communities, but for the benefit of every single person,” said Helen Kim, Director of Advocacy and Education at CPACS.
“There are 9,000 Korean Americans living in Anchorage, including nearly 300 small business owners, 20 Korean churches, and over 20 community-based organizations. The Korean Community Center of Anchorage has been working with many groups and allies like the churches to educate and encourage participation in the census; through advertisements, community meetings, and outreach events, we are spreading the message. We have the opportunity to put Anchorage on the map and show everyone in the U.S. that our community is growing and striving to become civically engaged,” said Paul Moon, Chief Director of the Korean Community of Anchorage.
Below are a list of Census Assistance activities that partners of the National Korean American Census Network are planning in late March 2010:
Center for Pan Asian Community Services (Doraville, Georgia)
Date: March 18-April 18
Time: 9AM – 5PM. The Doraville office will be open during the weekend.
Location: Doraville office at3760 Park Avenue, Gwinnet office at 5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Suite F-131
Description: CPACS will serve as a QAC at both Doraville and Gwinnet offices. They also planning an array of assistance events in the community. On March 21, from 12-6PM, CPACS will be providing assistance in collaboration with the Asian Haiti Fundraising Event (at their Gwinnet office) and on April 14, from 11-2PM, CPACS will be providing assistance at the Chinese Cultural Center in Doraville. For more information, please contact 770.936.0969, ext. 44
Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (Chicago, Illinois)
Date: March 19-April 19
Time: 9AM – 5PM
Location: 6146 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
Description: KRCC will be a Questionnaire Assistance Center or QAC – community members may visit to receive assistance in filling out their census forms. For more information, please call 773-588-9158
Korean American Women in Need (Chicago, Illinois)
Date: March 26
Time: 1PM – 5PM
Location: H Mart at 801 Civic Center Drive, Niles
Description: In collaboration with the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center, volunteers and staff will assist community members fill out their census forms in front of the supermarket. For more information, please call 847-299-1392.
Korean Community Center of the East Bay (Oakland, California)
Date: March 15-April 15
Time: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 10AM – 3PM
Location: 4390 Telegraph Ave, Ste. A, Oakland
Description: Serving as a QAC, community members may come to receive assistance in filling out their forms. For more information, please call (510) 547-2662.
Korean Community of Anchorage (Anchorage, Alaska)
Date: March 15-Aril 15
Time: 8AM – 5PM
Location: 1204 West 33rd Avenue, Anchorage 99503
Description: Community members of Anchorage are encourage to visit the Korean Community QAC. For more information, please call 907-561-5345.
Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.)
Date: March 15 – April 1
Time: 9AM – 5PM
Location: Virginia office at 7700 Little River Turnpike, Suite 406, Annandale (703-354-6345); Montgomery County office at 847-J Quince Orchard Blvd, Gaithersburg (240-683-6663); Prince George’s County office at 6410 Kenilworth Ave, Riverdale (301-927-1601).
Description: Community members are welcome to call or visit any of the three offices to receive assistance in filling out their census forms.
Korean Resource Center (Los Angeles, California)
Date: March 19-April 19
Time: 1PM – 5PM
Location: 900 S. Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles
Description: KRC will serve as a QAC to provide census assistance to community members. They will also have market assistance on March 27-28. For more information please call 323-937-3718.
Korean Service Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Date: March 15-April 15.
Time: 9AM – 5PM
Location: 630 Cedar Ave. S. #B-1 Minneapolis, MN
Description: KSC will serve as a QAC to provide census assistance to community members. For more information, please call 612-342-1345.
The National Korean American Census Network is a network of ten grassroots community-based organizations in ten different states who are working to educate and organize Korean Americans for this year’s census count. The goal is to compile and share resources such as in-language census materials and best practices in order to increase the capacity of partner organizations to assist and educate Korean Americans in states like Alaska, Georgia, and Virginia. The Network also seeks to build a unified national voice for policy recommendations that will ensure a fair and accurate count of immigrant communities like the Korean American community. For more information, please visit www.nakasec.org/census .
Census stories of Korean Americans are attached as addendum. Community leaders and members are available to interview with media. To schedule an interview, please contact HyunJoo Lee at hlee@nakasec.org/323-937-3703 x 202.
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Founded in 1994, NAKASEC is a multi-issue civil and human rights organization that is based within the Korean American community. With affiliate centers in Los Angeles (Korean Resource Center) and Chicago (Korean American Resource & Cultural Center), NAKASEC works to project a national progressive voice for issues important to the immigrant and Korean American communities such as civil and immigrant rights.
