Press Release

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2015

CONTACT:

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

National “Dream Riders Across America” Meet with Youth and Community Members in Atlanta, Georgia

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – On July 30, 2015, the Dream Riders Across America arrived in Atlanta after driving from Washington D.C. to Falls Church, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina on national bus tour, led 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, to engage in a dialogue with community members in Atlanta about immigrant rights, racial justice, and civic engagement. Ivan Vargas from Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR), Edgar Ortiz from Freedom University, and Raymond Partolan from Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta (AAJC) joined the Dream Riders, Children Over Politics, NAKASEC, and SEIU for a press conference at the Georgia State Capitol sharing a unified message that it these issues affect all our communities.

Max Kim, Dream Rider who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and now lives in Annandale, Virginia, said: “I am joining Dream Riders Across America because I want to fight for immigrant rights. I know what it is like to live in fear of deportation, unsure of what will happen in the future. I grew up in America just like every other American and am learning now that while my classmates and peers move on with their lives, I am experiencing many roadblocks because of something I had no control over. I am asking community members to give all immigrants the opportunity to have a fair and equal shot at the American Dream. Join me in this struggle by speaking up for all community members.”

Alease Wilson, Dream Rider from Los Angeles, California, said: “ I am the proud daughter of a security officer who is a union member of SEIU-USWW. I have a little brother and a little sister, we live in a community where racial profiling happens on the daily basis by police. I fear that my brother will be shot dead just walking to the corner store. I fear that my little sister will get kidnapped because she is an easy target. We live in a community where violence is an everyday lifestyle. I am joining the bus tour because I don’t want my brother to be the next Michael Brown.”

Raymond Partolan with AAJC-Atlanta, said: “In the State of Georgia alone, there are estimated to be over 51,000 undocumented immigrants who identify as Asian Americans. The majority of them do not take advantage of the executive action programs that President Obama first unveiled in 2012. This is a problem. Our organization is committed to removing the barriers keeping Asian Americans from taking advantage of these programs and empowering undocumented youth to speak out about their experiences as members of this community.”

The Dream Riders are departing from Atlanta to arrive in their next destination, Tampa, Florida, on July 31.