NAKASEC
Template:TOCnestleft NAKASEC is the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, a grassroots organization founded in 1994 by local community centers to project a progressive voice and promote the full participation of Korean and Asian Americans within the larger society. Our mission is to organize Korean and Asian Americans to achieve social, economic, and racial justice. NAKASEC has affiliates in Los Angeles and Orange County (Korean Resource Center) and Chicago (HANA Center) and maintains offices in Los Angeles, Chicago and Annandale, Virginia.
NAKASEC began its work in Virginia five years ago. Current programs are centered around Immigrant Rights, Civic Engagement, and Parent and Youth Organizing. NAKASEC VA’s work is focused on the most vulnerable community members including low-income, recent immigrants, limited English proficient, undocumented, youth, women, and seniors.[1]
The NAKASEC Action Fund is NAKASEC’s 501(c)(4) advocacy arm.
Officers
NAKASEC officers, as of January 2018;[2]
- Wan-Mo Kang – Chair (Princeton, NJ)
- Inhe Choi – Vice Chair (Chicago, IL)
- Cliff Sukjae Lee – Secretary (Garden Grove, CA)
- Amanda Lowrey aka Kim Eun-Ja – Treasurer (Honolulu, HI)
Board Members
As of January 2018;[3]
- Dan Choi (Philadelphia, PA)
- Helen Gym (Philadelphia, PA)
- Ju Hong (Sacramento, CA)
- Emily Kessel (Arlington, VA)
- Nanwon Kim (Princeton, NJ)
- Julie Kil Joo Lee Kurumada (La Crescenta, CA)
- Edward Chongkuk Lee (Philadelphia, PA)
- Rev. Eun-Sang Lee (Denver, CO) i
- Kent Chaegu Lee (Chicago, IL)
- Felix Lim (Kirkland, WA)
- Doorae Shin (Honolulu, HI)
- Inbo Sim (Irvine, CA);
Staff
As of January 2018;[4]
- Becky Belcore, Co-Director
- Dae Joong Yoon, Co-Director
- Huong Nguyen, Civic Engagement Coordinator
- Min Su Kang, Immigrant Rights Fellow
- Nancy Wu, Finance Manager
- SaeHee Chun, Program Associate
- Serafina Ha, Communications Fellow
- Sookyung Oh, D.C. Area Director
- Maro Park, Immigrant Rights Fellow
- Sumi Yi, Community Organizer
Host committees, 2017 Gala
Host Committee
- Laphonza Butler
- David Huerta
- Wan-mo Kang, Esq.
- Stephen K. Kurumada, DDS
- Joann Lee
- David Lin
- Angela Oh
- Courtni Pugh
- The Honorable Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
- Myungsoo Seok
- Paul Song
- Bill Wong
Honorary Host Committee
- The Honorable Senator Kamala Harris
- The Honorable Congressman Ted Lieu
- The Honorable Congresswoman Linda Sanchez
- The Honorable Senator Kevin De Leon
- The Honorable Senator Josh Newman
- The Honorable Speaker Anthony Rendon
- The Honorable Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva
- The Honorable Assemblymember Miguel Santiago
- The Honorable City Council President Herb Wesson
- Monica Garcia, LAUSD Board Member
Organizations and Individuals
- Adam Crapser
- Arab American Action Network
- Black Youth Project 100
- Chinese Progressive Association
- Khmer Girls in Action
- Little Toyko Service Center
- National CAPACD
- Orange County Congregation Community Organization
- Orange County Labor Federation
Asian Americans Demand a Clean DREAM Act
According to communications contacts Michelle Boykins, Marian Manapsal, Sam Yu;
Asian American Immigrant Youth and Allies Convene at the U.S. Capitol to Demand the Passage of a Clean DREAM Act Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, November 15, marks over 2 months since the Trump administration killed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, putting the lives of immigrant youth immediately at risk for detention and deportation.
On November 15, over 120 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) immigrant youth and leaders from across the country will convene to demand that the passing of a clean DREAM Act become Congress’s top priority before the end of the year.
Following the press conference, AAPI leaders will engage in a march and a rally as well as legislative visits urging key congressional targets to pass a clean DREAM Act by December 8th.
When: 11:00 AM ET | Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Where: House Triangle, United States Capitol, Washington, DC 20016
Who:
- Steve Li, – ASPIRE
- Saba Nafees, Ph. D. Candidate – Texas Tech University
- Jung Bin Cho, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
- Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair
- Congressman Mark Takano (CA-33), CAPAC Member
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) (invited)
- Johanna Puno Hester, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
- Patrick Carolan – Franciscan Action Network
- Additional CAPAC Members[5]
Chu, Gutierrez, NAKASEC arrestees
Nearly 5,000 undocumented young people, immigrant rights advocates, and faith leaders congregated December 6, 2017 at 12:00 PM at the Upper Senate Park for a rally in support of a clean DREAM Act and permanent solution for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Events included: stories from directly impacted people, calls to action by members of Congress, and a civil disobedience on the steps of Capitol Hill resulting in the arrest of Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) and Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and 182 individuals, five from the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC).
Congresswoman Chu, the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), stated, “There is a bipartisan bill ready to be voted on that I know could gain a majority vote if only Speaker Ryan would let us bring it to the floor. We have tried everything from large scale rallies to a small meeting with the Speaker to make our case. But each time, we have been ignored. Today, I know our words were heard, but will Republicans have the courage to act on them? Our ask is simple: let us vote on the DREAM Act so we can do the right thing for our families, our communities, and our economy.[6]
Waters award
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), was awarded the “Standing Up for Justice” recognition by the Korean Resource Center (KRC) and the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium for her commitment to women, children, people of color, and low-income communities during their 34th Annual Gala, October 19, 2017, in Los Angeles.
“It is such a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Korean Resource Center and the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium for my efforts to advocate for minority communities in greater Los Angeles,” said Congresswoman Maxine Waters. “These two organizations have fought tirelessly on behalf of immigrants and people of color, particularly Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Their efforts have strengthened our democracy, and I am so pleased to join with them to celebrate all they have accomplished over the past 34 years.”
During her acceptance speech, Congresswoman Waters discussed recent actions by the Trump Administration that have targeted immigrant communities, most notably the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) which could impact more than 800,00 young people -- 200,000 of which live in California -- and upend the stability of nearly 50,000 school-age children living in Los Angeles County that will become eligible for DACA in future years.
“To all those who have been affected by Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant actions, I want you to know I have your back and so do my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate,” said Congresswoman Waters. “We are fighting every day to hold Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans accountable, and we will continue to push for a bipartisan solution for DACA before the clock runs out.”
KRC is the California affiliate of NAKASEC. Together, the organizations advocate for “just and humane comprehensive immigration reform.”
"The Korean Resource Center and the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium were thrilled to honor Congresswoman Maxine Waters at their Building a Movement for Change Annual Gala on October 19th. Her powerful words were inspiring and clearly moved the audience to want to take action. It was one of the best speeches we have had at our gala in over 34 years," said Becky Belcore, NAKASEC Co-Director.
"Congresswoman Maxine Waters is a fierce advocate for the DREAM Act, immigrant rights and all marginalized communities. Her speech energized us for the fight ahead and we are so proud to have her as our Congresswoman and ally," said Dae Joong Yoon, KRC President.[7]
As Members of Congress continue their deliberations, impacted Korean and Asian American youth and allies continue their organizing and advocacy to provide a daily reminder that their lives are not bargaining chips.
December 14 2017, Maro Park, Immigrant Rights Project Fellow with NAKASEC, participated in a Facebook live interview with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) where he spoke on his experience as an undocumented young person in the United States.
Park honed in on his expired license as a reminder of his struggles as an undocumented individual. He mentioned how to get around and work in America, one needs to have a vehicle but because he is undocumented, each drive is a risk. “Something as simple as a broken tail light could deport me and separate me from my family,” explained Park as he highlighted how something so ordinary to most is life or death for him and other undocumented youth. “When the DREAM Act finally passes, I can be a part of society that helps America grow and be affluent,” stated Park as he spoke on the important contributions that immigrant youth make to the country.
Senator Cortez Masto affirmed Park’s point on contributions. “We know that if we’re going to deport 800,000 DREAMers, it’s going to have a negative impact on our economy… [DREAMers] are paying taxes, working hard, they’re a part of our growing economy… So, these are the stories, the real stories of people who are contributing and why we need to fight to keep them here,” asserted Senator Cortez Masto.[8]
2009 15th Anniversary Fundraiser "Rooted in Movement"
In 2009, NAKASEC held a fundraiser called "Rooted in Movement."[9],[10]
Standing Up for Justice Awardees
- Deepak Bhargava, Center for Community Change
- The Honorable Luis Gutierrez, U.S. House of Representatives
- The Honorable Harold Hongju Koh, United States Department of State
- Korean American Women In Need (KAN-WIN)
DREAM In Action Youth Awardees
Host Committee
- Olivia Park
- Dong Hyun Ahn, Korean Resource Center
- Paul Carman, Chapman & Cutler, LLP
- Lisa Hasegawa, National CAPACD
- Taryn Higashi, Unbound Philanthropy
- Kwang Sun Jang, Korean Alliance for Peace & Justice of Philadelphia
- Je Yon Jung, Civil Rights Lawyer
- Kyong Chi Kim, Late Yoon Han Bong Commemoration Committee
- Hyun Ko, HSBC
- Stephen Kurumada, DDS
- David Lin, AT&T
- Eliseo Medina, SEIU
- Kap Joon No, Korean American Resource & Cultural Center
- Carrie Hoojoo Pugh, National Education Association
- BJ Sung, Citi
- Doua Thor, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Virginia DACA press conference
NAKASEC June 15, 2016;
- In celebration of the fourth year anniversary of #DACA, we held a press conference and screening of Halmoni with Delegate Mark Keam, ethnic media reporters, community leaders, and staffers from U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Mark Warner, and Congressman Gerry Connolly's offices. It was through the bravery of young people who shared their stories, dared to dream above their challenges and barriers, and their perseverance that DACA was earned and won...
References
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ [4]
- ↑ [http://aapidream.org/24 NAKASEC Asian Americans Convene in DC to Demand a Clean DREAM Act NOVEMBER 10, 2017YONGHO KIM]
- ↑ [http://aapidream.org/160 NAKASEC 200 Immigrants Converge on Capitol Hill for Civil Disobedience DECEMBER 6, 2017YONGHO KIM]
- ↑ Rep. Waters Receives ‘Standing Up for Justice Award’ at Building a Movement for Change Annual Gala Posted on 10/26/2017
- ↑ NAKASEC, Maro Park Shares Story with Sen. Cortez Masto DECEMBER 14, 2017YONGHO KIM
- ↑ Event: NAKASEC 15th Anniversary Celebration: Rooted in Movement, accessed January 14 2018
- ↑ CCC’s Executive Director to Receive “Standing up for Justice” Award from NAKASEC, accessed January 14 2018