In February, the House of Representatives passed the REAL ID Act (H.R.418) in a 261-161 vote. The REAL ID Act has serious negative impacts on undocumented immigrants and citizens alike. The legislation includes these provisions: states would be prohibited from issuing drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants, all drivers’ license applicants would undergo unnecessarily burdensome proof of identity standards, and temporary licenses would be issued to certain legal non-immigrants which would expire according to the validity period of one’s visa.

Additional provisions would make it harder for those fleeing persecution to attain asylum in the US, curtail the rights of immigrants to have a fair trial and expands the definition of “terrorism” to include actions normally protected by the first amendment.

To address this threat, NAKASEC held coordinated press conferences with affiliates in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York to alert community members and launch a three-day call-in action to urge the Senate to oppose the REAL ID Act. Three hundred phone calls were made to senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Barack Obama (D-IL), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY). Affiliate volunteers also made calls on behalf of limited-English-proficient Korean seniors who also wanted to voice their strong opposition.

KRCC volunteers guide Korean Americans through the citizenship process.

Given that the bill has passed in the House, attention is focused more on the Senate. In the coming months, NAKASEC will continue to monitor the legislation and take grassroots actions when needed.

The Path To Citizenship

The New American Initiative is a $3-million program that will promote active citizenship among Illinois’ recent immigrants by running naturalization services and education programs. It is an unprecedented, state-funded program created by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and various state representatives. KRCC, along with two other agencies, was chosen to head up the effort in the Korean American community. A collaborative naturalization workshop was held on Feb. 26, where 180 legal permanent residents took their first step in acquiring citizenship. This effort is tied to KRCC’s civic engagement and voter empowerment work.

Mayoral Race Begins

In preparation for the March 8 Los Angeles primary elections, KRC produced 5,000 copies of bilingual Get Out the Vote pamphlets for distribution. Included are answers to frequently asked questions and a simple voting rights guide. For the pamphlets, KRC translated candidate statements on housing and homelessness, economy, the environment and immigration in collaboration with LibertyVote! KRC also began creating a phone bank of 3,000 Korean American voters.

Easing Tax Day Fears

KRC, KRCC and YKASEC kicked off their low income taxpayer clinics that help low-income, limited English proficient Korean Americans with the complicated process of filing personal income tax forms. In order to meet the diverse needs of our working population, affiliates offer educational forums as well as personal consultations.

The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Inc. (NAKASEC) seeks to empower the Korean American community through education and advocacy. NAKASEC was founded in 1994 by five Korean American community organizations located across the U.S. NAKASEC’s program areas include: education, civil rights and immigrant rights advocacy, civic participation, research, leadership, coalition-building and culture. NAKASEC programs focus on serving those with less resources and access, such as women, youth, seniors, low-income residents and
recent immigrants.