Committed To The DREAM

NAKASEC and its affiliate KRC and other members of the Los Angeles DREAM Team coalition began to meet with key California congressional members to strategize on a student legalization bill for 2005. Initial meetings were held with Congressman Howard Berman and district and D.C. legislative staffers from Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard’s office. NAKASEC plans to continue with legislative visits to Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as other key representatives in Southern California.

APIAs In Education

On Jan. 7–8, NAKASEC Executive Director EunSook Lee joined over 50 national and local leaders, researchers and school personnel at the National Summit on Asian and Pacific Islander Issues in Education. The conference was co-hosted by the National Education Association (NEA) and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies in Washington D.C.

It was an opportunity for a diverse group of conference participants to address complex questions about Asian Pacific Islander American education issues. The information generated at the conference will contribute to a report on APIA students to be released by NEA in May 2005 as part of a series of reports on the status of education on underserved groups. The conference also contributes significantly to NAKASEC’s determination of its education policy priorities for 2005.

YKASEC staff member Steve Choi spoke on the rights of Korean Chinese workers at a press conference with the Korean Chinese Assosiation of New York.

MOU Passes

On Jan. 11, members of the Immigration Enforcement Committee held a press conference before a public hearing held by the board of supervisors on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Homeland Security. KRC Immigrant Rights Coordinator Sungpyo Ma spoke at the press conference stating the negative impacts the MOU would have on the Korean American community.

On Jan. 25, NAKASEC program associate Morna Ha was one of 20 community members who testified at the public hearing against the proposed MOU. However, the MOU passed by a 3-2 vote as a six-month pilot program. The following day, civil liberties advocates, lawyers and community members held a press conference to express disappointment and outrage at the passage of the MOU.

Doing The Wave

KRCC program coordinators Kat Choi and Gloria Kim, along with an intern, attended the Third Wave Young Women’s Conference in New York City Jan. 28-30. Twelve different women’s groups from across the nation met to discuss the need to include women of color in the reproductive rights dialogue. Participants also had the opportunity to evaluate their successes and shortcomings in 2004.