APAP-DC presents AAPIs and the Urgency for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
by Erin Pangilinan

In case you missed it, see below for clips of our APAP-DC videos of the event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GVY3u3YKHM
APAP Board Member, Erin Pangilinan and Karen Narasaki, the panel moderator, Executive Director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) introduce the event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC1pt8ckbDQ
Opening remarks by Congressman Eni Faleomavaega, Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) discusses Pacific Islanders, undercounting, and comprehensive immigration reform.

Congresswoman Judy Chu discusses remarks by Jay Leno on the March for America events, a Subcommittee on Immigration hearing discussing increased, citizenship fees, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the importance of comprehensive immigration reform. Chu cites that AAPIs are 5% of the U.S. population and 10% of the undocumented population (1.2 million).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6flnoWjeVY

Ben de Guzman, Co-programs Director of National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), National Coordinator of National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE), and Policy Director of KAYA - Filipino Americans for Progress, discusses the politics of inclusion, ranging from the provision for family reunification with Filipino WWII veteran families and the controversial Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) for bi-national same sex couples impacting the Filipino American community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skHjAvqtpZg

An immigration lawyer and immigration law professor at Santa Clara University, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren discusses how comprehensive immigration reform is vital to nurturing our country with the immigrant character. She also discussed past work on comprehensive immigration reform in 2006 and 2007 and the current work in the House Subcommittee on Immigration. She briefly critiques the past detention issues within Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Representing Silicon Valley, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren discusses the importance of the Senate to act on comprehensive immigration reform before it moves in the House.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQFP0PXcnq0

Doua Thor, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) discusses harsh enforcement, civil rights concerns in e-Verify, racial profiling in 287g programs, raids, and their work supporting family unity, fighting deportation and detention issues arising after 2003 Cambodia MOU and 2008 Vietnam MOU. Thor also talks about areas of opportunity with possible legislation allowing for bar on deportation for refugee youth, restoring jucial discretion, and future legislation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SRXv9HX0DA

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus emphasizes the importance of solidarity, coalition building, and comprehensive immigration reform's impact on the African American community in New York. "I felt that for far too long, the face of immigration reform was not not reflective of all the people who have been impacted. That for too long Latino brothers and sisters have had to shoulder this very very serious issue and have been stigmatized unfairly and unjustly just by virtue of their numbers here in the U.S. No matter what generation you were American, if you were of Latino descent, you could be at any point in time victimized by the system that was running rampant and picking people up and shoveling them around. I would assume that very largely Asian concentrated areas you may see a similar type of phenomenon. They didn't care if you were 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation--if you looked Asian you were subject to ridicule. For those of African descent it's a little bit different, it's not until you open your mouth and hear your accent that someone may accuse you of being here undocumented."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I27sEa__Ts

Prerna Lal, co-founder of DREAMActivist.org and blogger for Change.org tells her personal story as an undocumented student reapplying in several different immigration lines in attempts of legalization. Lal is a fierce advocate for undocumented immigrant youth and stresses the crucial need for the passage of the DREAM Act.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQpaR1ZFGJk

Hemi Kim, DC Director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) discusses principles in legalization, as well as future action and events. Kim discusses financial access in immigration ranging from affordable application fees per family, fines per family, and payment of backtaxes. She also touches the importance of ensuring trust of immigrant communities emphasizing the need for confidentiality of applications to waivers of minor crimes and avoiding the danger of prioritizing enforcement/border security over legalization and touchback (going back to country of origin and reapplying for immigration status).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfCg-gR_YtA

And remember, please text AAPI to 69866 to join in on the updates on comprehensive immigration. You will be asked to reply with your zip-code and email to become a part of the national Reform Immigration for America campaign's Cell Phone Action Network. As a part of the network, you will receive periodic text messages on the latest news and action opportunities around immigration reform, specific to your state or local community.