News
Opionion piece by Vu and Huynh: In the last month, the LGBT Center OC has shown how grievously out of touch they are with the community that they seek to serve. It is disappointing that an organization self-assigned to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community chooses to erase community voices in favor of a select few on their board. On June 20th, 2019 the LGBT Center OC, also known as the Center, invited uniformed and armed police officers to march with them during the OC Pride Parade. Though Pride is a celebration of our various identities, it is ahistorical to ignore its genesis within decades-long struggles against police brutality led by trans women of color. Today, police brutality continues to enact trauma within black and brown LGBTQ+ communities. Knowing this, the Center moved forward with their decision. There was no room for discussion.
A coalition of 25 Vietnamese American, Asian American, immigrant, student, and civil rights organizations published an open letter on Monday slamming Orange County government officials for siding with the Trump administration as it challenges California’s so-called “sanctuary” law, which prohibits state and local police agencies from using their resources to enforce federal immigration law.
Join us at "Communities for Education," a social event on Saturday, August 10, 12pm at KRC's Crenshaw Office for everyone to learn more about the American education system and its relationship with different communities. Following our presentations on the theme topic, guests will have the opportunity to discuss with a panel of educational figures, activists, and students. Our social will also include free food, games, karaoke, a photo booth, and a raffle giveaway. Spend your summer right by engaging with the community and creating dialogues about the education system.
At the first protest against a planned shelter in Koreatown, Johnny Byul Lee was the lone counter-protester. “Oh man, my own people are showing no compassion,” he thought. “I don't want everyone to think that that's how all of us are.” He went to the first rally with a sign that read “Koreatown, Choose Love” handwritten in thick black marker — the lone counter-protester. Some protesters yelled at him in Korean. “They were really mad at me because they felt like I (had) betrayed them,” Lee said. “They also said ‘You're not really Korean because if you were then you'd understand what we're doing.”
West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (WHCHC) is currently receiving applications to a new affordable senior housing project, The property consists of 77 units for low-income seniors and 15 units for formerly homeless seniors. Application deadline is September 15.
Hermitage, Tennessee community members rushed to a neighbor’s home to protect him and his son from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents early Monday morning, Nashville Scene reports, at one point forming a human chain around the van where the family had been stuck so they could safely exit into their home.
On July 18, more than 200 people gathered outside the Capitol Building for a Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children. Catholic leaders and immigrant-rights activists called out the mistreatment of families as a violation of human dignity and contrary to religious teachings. After reckoning with reports of conditions in the detention camps, and a final prayer, the group moved to the Russell Senate Building rotunda to protest the administration’s immigration policies. The Lord’s Prayer and names of children who’ve died in custody filled the air. Police promptly issued warnings, then arrested 72 people for unlawful demonstration in the space. Becky Belcore, co-director of NAKASEC, advocates for the Reuniting Families Act, which would protect the family-based immigration system that is under threat of being changed to a merit-based system that prioritizes higher-educated and wealthy people.
KRC organizes a group of 60 Korean American seniors (previously known as Community Health Promoters) who meet monthly to learn about health, community issues, and to take action and bring change to the community. In July, we will meet to evaluate our June LAUSD elections Measure EE work and the apartment manager corruption report outreach efforts.
KRC is researching and providing to our members a list of apartments that have open waiting lists. We also help people fill out the waiting list applications - to make an appointment, please call 323-937-3718 extension 5.
Mozgo and others increasingly are taking matters into their own hands, putting obstacles in public spaces to prevent homeless people from sleeping in them. Chris Homandberg, a Koreatown resident and activist with the homeless outreach and advocacy group KTown for All, makes it his business to complain about the fences, planters and rosebushes that have been proliferating in his neighborhood. “These issues go unaddressed and allow property owners to do what they want to get people out of sight. That’s a problem,” he said. “My goal is not to get people in trouble. It’s to work on this idea that you can’t address [homelessness] by pushing people around.”