News
On March 12, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard introduced H.R. 6, The Dream and Promise Act, to protect Dreamers and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) and DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) recipients. The bill allows Dreamers and individuals with TPS and DED status to contribute fully to the country they love and know to be their home by providing a pathway to citizenship. Congressmember Katie Porter has not yet co-sponsored the Dream and Promise act. We are urging our members to call the congressmember and ask her to co-sponsor the Dream and Promise Act.
House Democrats are teeing up their next major piece of legislation: an immigration bill that would allow as many as 2.5 million people to apply for legal status and put them on a path that could ultimately lead to US citizenship. The Dream and Promise Act would allow DREAMers to apply for legalization, and TPS holders to apply for green cards. The bill won’t pass into law in its current form. But it reflects a new Democratic consensus.
Wanna change OC/be civically engaged, but don't know where to start? FOREground is the space for you! The Future Organizers Rooted in Empowerment ground (FOREground) seeks to educate youth on our collective and individual identity and shared struggle in order to empower them to become civically engaged leaders and advocate for their community on issues of racial, immigrant, and economic justice. Because of their sheer size, the youth of color community has the potential to drive policies and shape the county to better represent their needs and interests. We will start meeting weekly on Wednesdays, beginning in March! RSVP here!
KRC's Crenshaw Office will be closed on March 6 and 7, and the Kingsley Office will be closed on March 11, due to a weekend-long staff/board/volunteer planning retreat.
The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education began discussions Tuesday morning to increase district revenue via a possible parcel tax, one month after the district reached an expensive contract agreement with striking public school teachers. Hoping to harness popular support for public schools in the strike’s aftermath, district policy professionals proposed that the school board submit a parcel tax measure for local special election ballots as early as June 4th or Nov. 5th of this year.
A new PRRI/The Atlantic survey on Americans’ feelings about the health of our nation’s democratic institutions reveal significant partisan divisions over racial diversity and religious pluralism. “Divergent attitudes about the very desirability of ethnic and religious pluralism are one of the key drivers of partisan polarization today,” said PRRI CEO Robert P. Jones. “Compared to Americans who identify with the Republican Party, Americans who identify with the Democratic Party are twice as likely to affirm a preference for an ethnically diverse country and are four times as likely to prefer a religiously diverse country.”
We are gravely concerned by the steps taken today by the United States Congress and the president. Jonathan Paik, director of the Korean Resource Center, a NAKASEC affiliate, stated: “This is a reckless move and endangers the future of our country. Our democracy is in incredible danger- this is the true national emergency. We call on all our fellow Americans to resist these abuses of power and reclaim our democracy!”
On December 12, 2018 the United States government shut down. Why? Because Donald Trump was willing to hold the entire country hostage in order to get $5.7 BILLION for a wall that will benefit absolutely no one expect Trump’s divisive, anti-immigrant agenda. This move affected all communities, including the Korean and Asian Americans. Rather than negotiating with members of Congress towards a solution that would protect all immigrants, including those in border communities, Trump opted to shut down the government for 35 days, effectively stopping essential departments like the Department of Housing/Urban Development, Education, and Agriculture, from operating.
Scholarships are essential for many undocumented students to pay for higher education, especially students who do not qualify for in-state tuition and state-based financial aid. Undocumented students pursuing higher education need to know that scholarships are available to them—regardless of their immigration status. This year, Immigrant Rising added 79 brand-new scholarships to its 2018-2019 List of Scholarships. The complete list now contains 232 scholarships that do not require proof of citizenship or legal permanent residency (198 scholarships are open to individuals who don’t have DACA or in-state eligibility).
We are in solidarity with Jussie Smollett and all impacted communities who have survived hate crimes. Like so many members of our community, we are disturbed and outraged by the recent assault and vicious hate crime against Mr. Smollett in Chicago, which was reportedly perpetrated by two white men yelling "This is MAGA country."