As a follow up to the last episode of the Voices for Human Needs podcast about securing a pathway to citizenship, a new episode drops next week, featuring a panel discussion with undocumented and unafraid young organizers and advocates from the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC), in addition to the Korean Resource Center (KRC), based in Los Angeles, California. On September 21, 2021, thousands of immigration advocates from across the country marched in Washington D.C. to welcome Congress back from their August recess. The event, entitled “Welcome Back Congress – March for Citizenship, Care, and Climate,” was a part of a nationwide effort to demand a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the budget reconciliation package. Senators Chuck Schumer, Bob Menendez, Alex Padilla, and Congressional Representatives Chuy Garcia and Ilhan Omar spoke at the rally. 

This episode’s featured speakers include Matthew Hernandez (KRC), Ferny Estrada (KRC), Hyunja Norman (Woori Juntos), and Hwangchan Yu (Hana Center). These organizers and student advocates are currently attending colleges in California and Chicago, some as recipients of the DACA program. The group discusses the strength in intersectional organizing and making sure that all immigrant communities are represented in advocacy campaigns to finally secure a pathway to citizenship and permanent protections for undocumented immigrants: “I think we need to uplift that and just let folks know that this isn’t just a Latinx issue. This isn’t just a young people issue. It’s an everyone issue.” 

Rachel Koelzer, the Communications Manager at NAKASEC, also joins this next episode and speaks to the benefits that a pathway to citizenship would have for the Asian immigrant community, specifically in being able to respond to increased incidents of hate and violence.

Be sure to add your voice and ‘people power’ to the movement of finally achieving meaningful immigration reform by taking some of the actions listed below! 

Start by following and subscribing to our show wherever you get your podcasts (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more), to receive notifications when we release a new episode! If you haven’t already, check out our past episodes.

Additional Actions You Can Take Now!

• Take Action with NAKASEC or their affiliate organizations, and register for their newsletters.
  • Use and re-share this DACA toolkit (available in English and Korean) with advocacy actions, FAQs, and share resources with those whose DACA status is delayed and expiring.
  • E-mail Congress and the White House to demand Citizenship for All!
  • Call your congressional representative to renew DACA and clear the DACA backlog.
  • Follow @nakasec on Twitter and Facebook.
• Learn more about the Korean Resource Center, a non-profit community organization empowering low-income immigrants, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and people of color communities in Southern California.
  • Follow @krcla on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
  • Become a Member of KRC. 
• Take action with the #WeAreHome campaign!
  • Re-share content on social media using #WeAreHome’s social toolkit.
  • Call your Senator to build a path to citizenship.
  • Sign We Are Home’s petition to include a path to citizenship in the upcoming infrastructure budget.

• Take action with the National Immigration Law Center:
  • Sign the National Immigration Law Center’s Petition: Urge the Senate to Stand Up for Immigrants and Keep Fighting for Citizenship in the Reconciliation Bill Today!
  • Tweet at Congress Citizenship Now!
• Sign CHN’s petition and tell Congress to pass the most critical investments in our future since the New Deal.