News
On KRC’s 36th anniversary, KRC is remembering and celebrating the 39th anniversary of the People's Uprising in the city of Gwangju with May 18 activist Myung Sook Cha. Through her experience, she will be sharing her reflections about the struggle and fight for democracy in Korea. KRC hopes to educate members about what happened on this historic day, reflect on how this mirrors our current movement, and inspire generationsto move forward with the valuable lessons learned on May 18th. KRC will also announcing its annual scholarship awardees.
We are working in the community to bring health for everyone - expanding the Medi-Cal program to all regardless of immigration status. Over the past two weeks, we met with over 30 immigrant parents to introduce the campaign and brainstorm together ways to make our voices heard in the health care debate. We made plans to meet with legislators and how to effectively share immigrants’ stories with the pubilc.
On May 3, 2019, Reuters reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to issue a proposed rule related to deportation on public charge grounds. This document is intended to help advocates and community members understand current policy and what we may see in the proposed rule.
KRC marched on May Day in the city of Orange with dozens of labor and social justice organizations including VietRISE, Orange County Civic Engagement Table, OC Labor Federation, SEIU, UFCW, IBEW, AFSCME and CLUE.
All workers regardless of status must be protected by labor, employment, health, and safety laws. Join us as we amplify the message of unity, strength and solidarity during May Day.
May 1, 2019
9:00 am – IBEW Local 441, 308 N Rampart, #M, Orange, CA 92868
11:00 am – Rally at UCI Medical Center
AB1620(Santiago), a state bill that will expand in-state tuition eligibility for more undocumented students in California, is being heard in the Assembly Higher Education Committee on April 23rd. Forty Asian American community members from Los Angeles and Orange Counties are taking traveling to Sacramento on an overnight bus and joining Assmb. Santiago and Assmb. Quirk-Silva to show support for AB1620 and undocumented students in the Assembly Higher Education Committee Hearing.
KRC held a naturalization clinic on April 20 and assisted naturalization applications.
Education is a human right - everyone deserves quality education, no matter their status, income or race. KRC is pushing a bill that will allow more immigrant undocumented students to pay in-state tuition in colleges. (AB1620). Immigrant parents and young people participate in the bill’s first hearing in Sacramento on April 23 to make our voices heard and to share our stories with legislators. The measure passed the Higher Education Subcommittee by a 9 to 2 vote.
According to the most recent Department of Homeland Security statistics for 2014, out of the 190,000 Korean lawful permanent residents eligible to naturalize, only 7.7% about 14,600 have actually obtained their citizenship. In other words, nine out of ten people are giving up their right to acquire their citizenship. In 2017, a total of 14,643 Koreans obtained their citizenship and 5,057 of them were California residents. The same year, KRC provided free naturalization consultations to 3,350 people and assisted 880 permanent residents to apply for naturalization. In order to participate and vote in next year’s presidential election, naturalization will be an important task for many Korean immigrants.
Yesterday evening, members of the Assembly Health Committee passed AB 4 (Bonta, Chiu, and Santiago), which would provide access to comprehensive Medi-Cal coverage for all low-income Californians, regardless of immigration status. The bill is moving through the legislature at a time when the Trump administration’s policies have heightened a climate of fear and anti-immigrant rhetoric and harmed the physical and mental health of entire immigrant communities.