Press Release

For Immediate Release
August 3, 2015

CONTACT:
English: Healy Ko, hko@nakasec.org, 267-304-5260
Korean: Ga Young, gchung@nakasec.org, 217-281-2267

“Dream Riders Across America” Rally in Front of Alabama State Capitol In the Name of Racial Justice and Immigrant Rights

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – On August 3, 2015, the Dream Riders Across America rallied in front of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery with the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Alabama chapter of the NAACP to organize broad support for the building of a unified progressive network of young people, immigrants, and communities of color marching for immigrant rights, racial justice, and the need for civic engagement in our communities. The Dream Riders have been traveling on a bus from Washington D.C. to engage in these conversations with communities in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and now Alabama, before departing for Louisiana and Texas. The national bus tour was organized by the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC), Korean Resource Center (KRC), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), SEIU United Service Workers West, and SEIU California State Council.

Alease Wilson, Dream Rider from Los Angeles, said: “I am proud to join this rally at the Alabama Capitol with the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice and NAACP as a Dream Rider, who has been traveling across the country to encourage immigrant communities and communities of color to stand together as we take steps forward to lift up the need for immigrant rights, racial justice, and civic engagement. I want to make positive changes not only in my community, but changes that will help better the world we live in.”

David Han, Dream Rider from Los Angeles, said: “I would like to build a bigger and stronger community of immigrants, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latinos/Latinas who can come together to be one voice and inspire others to join the movement for racial justice and immigrant rights. I will remain dedicated to my community back home in Los Angeles and I hope the people we meet along this bus tour will also remain committed to building bigger and stronger communities in their hometowns and states.”

Following the rally, the Dream Riders Across America will depart for New Orleans, Louisiana. Please continue to follow the Dream Riders on Twitter by using the hashtags #DreamRidersAcrossAmerica and #dreamriders2015 and visit our website at: dreamriders.us

Campaign Overview

In 2013, NAKASEC, KRCC, and KRC launched the first Dream Riders Across America campaign to uplift the voices of immigrant Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) young people one year since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program began. The 2015 bus tour is round two of the Dream Riders Across America campaign hitting the road to educate our communities about the experiences and contributions of immigrant families, build meaningful relationships with immigrant and people of color communities, and activate fellow youth to be leaders for change.

Children Over Politics (COP) is a youth led organization. Participants in the program include the children of SEIU members and the children of partner organizations. Last year, the youth came together to fast for the Salvadoran youth who fled gang violence in their home country. In recent months, COP showed solidarity with youth who have experienced police brutality and working parents who have faced wage theft, low pay, and other issues of social and economic justice.

The Dream Riders Across America held a pre-launch kick-off event in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 27 and launched the bus tour from Washington, DC with stops in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas lasting from Monday, July 27 to Friday, August 7, 2015.

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