It used to be that members of the Korean Resource Center were the only representatives from the Asian American community working to pass immigration reform.
Not any more, reports KPCC.
This week the Korean Resource Center was working the phones, urging their members to phone their congressman to pass immigration reform.
On the same day, Asian Americans for Advancing Justice was helping Asian Americans to apply for green cards for their adult married children and siblings–something that would not be possible under the immigration bill passed by the senate.
“In the past, we’d be in coalitions or at rallies, and we’d be one of the only Asian-American faces in the room, or in the streets,” said Dayne Lee, a civic engagement coordinator with the Korean Resource Center. “I think what is happening now is that so many organizations are really making a push to get the word out to our community members.”
It remains to be seen how much influence the Asian American community would muster from this new found activism.
“This immigration bill involves a lot of compromises,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan of UC Riverside. “And I think you have a realistic recognition among many groups that they may not be able to get some of the most important things they are pushing for, but that it’s still important to push for it in the chance that it might work out.”