Washington, DC:  Today, the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) joins the chorus of voices calling for comprehensive immigration reform that truly meets the needs of everyone who calls this country home.  Members of Congress and national organizations here in Washington, DC recognize the urgency for passing legislation that fixes our broken immigration system.  Beyond the Beltway as well, lesbian/ gay/ bisexual/ transgender (LGBT) immigrants and their families that suffer the direct consequences of that broken system demand action from their lawmakers.  The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) is a key component critical to keeping immigrant families together, but NQAPIA recognizes that the broken immigration system affects all immigrants, even if they are not in a couple with an American citizen.  The problems are complex and the solutions must be comprehensive in response.

NQAPIA is a federation of the more than 30 Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) LGBT organizations around the country.  At LGBT Immigration Forums we have been hosting nationwide, issues regarding comprehensive immigration reform and its impact on the LGBT community have been discussed.  Across the country, our meetings have been standing room only and attest to the urgency immigrants and everyone in our communities are feeling.

 As we stand here in Washington in support of legislation to fix our broken immigration system, we know that what’s required are solutions that work for all our communities. We are undocumented and 3^rd generation American citizens.  We march in LGBT Pride Parades and Chinatown Lunar New Year Parades.  The LGBT community includes us all and we have a common stake in all the issues affecting immigration.  We need a path to citizenship and policies that keep our families together.  We need an immigration system that protects our rights AND keep us safe- it can and must do both.  In order to more fully participate in the American dream we have to come out of the closet and come out of the shadows.

NQAPIA and its member organizations around the country count sizable numbers of AAPI LGBT undocumented immigrants in their communities, many of whom are stepping forward to put a human face on these issues.  In response to the unfortunately polarized debate on immigration that has only been exacerbated by events such as the recent anti-immigrant legislation passed in Arizona, we call for hope to replace fear and dialogue to replace intolerance.