by Erin Pangilinan

At the California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit Gala Banquet, the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, composed of the California's Asian American legislators, honored several politicians, who commented on Arizona's draconian anti-immigrant law.

Among the honorees were Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15) who is Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Congressman Honda is familiar with issues of racial profiling and national security as he was a Japanese American internee. He noted that if any English-only bill that they were “80 moves ahead” upon introduction. He also spoke of building coalitions with the TriCaucus (Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus) as well as with the Progressive Caucus in moving legislation to positively impact Asian Pacific Islander communities, including healthcare reform financial reform, and comprehensive immigration reform.

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32), who sits on the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, was also honored as the first Chinese American woman elected to the House of Representatives. Chu is a third generation Chinese American and Chiang is a second generation Chinese American. Congresswoman Chu and State Controller John Chiang also expressed significant concern about Arizona laws and told their personal family immigration stories from China. Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans are top two largest Asian American ethnic groups in the California.

The summit also had participants pay particular attention state allocations encouraging viewing the California State Assembly Committee on the Budget hearing on the cutting of Cash Assistance Programs for Immigrants (CAPI) and Cash Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Awardees support funding for these programs.

Robert Uy, Staff Attorney at Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO) presented on Human Trafficking and the API Community” and noted “it is fundamentally unfair that the Filipino and API Community must continue to struggle in the face of a broken immigration system. Comprehensive immigration must come about in order to help give immigrants a chance, reunite families, and bring hope for a better tomorrow to our people.” APILO supports comprehensive immigration reform that “provides a pathway to legalization, adherence to due process, supports family reunification including a provision for (LGBTQ families), protects immigrant workers, protects victims of crime, supports legalization of minors (DREAM ACT), and does not increase enforcement in a way that violates the civil rights of immigrants and non-immigrants.”

Chris Punongbayan, Deputy Director of the Asian Law Caucus, who helped lead this year's Policy Summit Civil Rights track, along with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) released a statement on Arizona laws. “We look to Congress to enact a just and fair immigration reform that upholds the constitutional right of the federal government to enact and enforce immigration laws. Asian Law Caucus along with other national civil rights organizations have stressed opposition to the U.S. Senate comprehensive immigration framework proposal by Senator Schumer and Graham, saying the continuation of the 287 (g) program, which poses civil rights violations.

The Civil Rights Track prioritized advocating for bills such as the recognition of Fred Koramatsu Day (birthday recognizing landmark case for Japanese American reparations and redress, (AB 1775 Assemblymember Warren Furutani) comprehensive data collection of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AB 1737, Assemblymember Mike Eng), supporting federal legislation supporting reuniting binational same sex couples the Uniting American Families Act and comprehensive immigration reform's pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (AJR 15 and AJR 37, Assemblymember Kevin De Leon).

APILO, Asian Law Caucus, and Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) have all participated in the campaign to Reform Immigration for America and have led efforts for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Honda and Chu along with other members of the TriCaucus have co-sponsored Congressman Luis Gutierrez bill, Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009. Though CIR ASAP legislation has not moved to the U.S. House of Representatives floor, the Real Enforcement with Practical Alternatives for Immigration Reform (REPAIR) proposal recently released last week is loosely based off of the framework by U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Lindsey Graham, which have been widely critiqued for their focus on biometric Social Security cards, employment-Verification, and border security enforcement. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) now is the month where all eyes are set on both federal and state law impacting Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrant communities.

Voters will be paying specific attention immigration reform moving at both state and national levels before November elections.