DREAM Act Campaign! PETITION DRIVE
Organized by the Korean American Coalition-DC Area Chapter
and the Korean American Association of Washington Metropolitan Area

Saturday, March 13, 2004 from 1PM to 5PM Super H Mart
(10780 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030)

IMMIGRANT STUDENTS WANT TO KNOW: WHY NOT DREAM PRESIDENT BUSH?

(Washington, DC, 3/4/2004) –Students, educators, and communities of faith will join the Korean American Coalition-DC Area Chapter and the Korean American Association of Greater Washington for a Day of Action on Saturday, March 13, 2004 from 1PM to 5PM in front of Super H Mart to demand that Congress pass the DREAM Act, a bill that opens doors to higher-education and work for young, energetic and talented immigrant youth who grew up in the U.S. Every year, approximately 65,000 undocumented immigrant youth graduate from U.S. high-schools and find themselves trapped in the web of a broken immigration system.

Earlier this year President Bush called on Congress to reform the broken immigration system that would bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and into the mainstream of American life. Today, millions of immigrant families suffer the real-life consequences of our broken immigration system, living in constant fear for their livelihoods. Especially tragic are the broken dreams of young, energetic and talented students who have no hope of realizing their dreams of a college education and adjusting their immigration status.

The DREAM Act Campaign Petition Drive is part of a nation-wide Week of Action organized by the United We DREAM! Campaign— a national effort headed by a coalition of grassroots and national organizations, educators, and concerned constituents. For the next two months, immigrant rights groups will organized thousand of calls to President Bush and Senate Majority Leader Frist to demand that Congress pass a bill this year. If President Bush is serious about reforming the broken immigration system, he should work with Congress to pass the DREAM Act this year.

Last year Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, (S. 1545)— legislation that if passed would allow states to provide in-state college tuition to undocumented students and provide students the opportunity to become legal permanent residents. In late October, with strong bipartisan support, bill was reported out of committee on a solid 16-3 vote. It is now up to the Senate Majority Leader Senator Frist (R-TN) to schedule the bill for full Senate vote.

The Korean American Coalition is a national membership-based nonprofit community service, education and advocacy organization established in 1983 to facilitate the Korean American community’s effective participation in civic, legislative, political and community affairs. KAC was founded in Los Angeles, home to the largest number of Korean Americans in the nation. KAC’s Washington, D.C. Area Chapter, formerly known as the Korean American Alliance, began operations in January 2001.

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