(October 1999)
NAKASEC and its four affiliates organized over 140 Korean Americans from seven major cities for DC Advocacy Day, as a part of the national Fix ’96 campaign. Fix ’96 was launched by a broad network of immigrant and advocacy groups to call for rolling back of the harsh anti-immigrant provisions passed in the 1996 welfare, immigration and anti-terrorism laws. The day began with an Asian Pacific American press conference, the first event that publicly expressed a pan-Asian support for the broad Fix ’96 agenda. The event was co-sponsored by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and over 30 Asian American and immigrant rights groups. Korean Americans then made legislative visits to 35 Congressional offices.
The delegation later joined a rally attended by over 500 immigrants and advocates, in front of the Capitol. The participants also met with the Clinton Administration staff (Laura Efurd, White House Office of Public Liaison, Shamina Singh, the White House Asian Pacific Islander Office and Irene Buenos from the White House Domestic Policy Council.) Other highlights of the event include the sponsorship of a large scale mural done by a Chicago-based artist Joe Kwon, that portrayed the changing face of American immigration.
