This week, hundreds of Asian American and Pacific Islanders across the country are participating in "Fast for Families" to illustrate the united support of AAPI communities for a humane and inclusive immigration process, and to compel Congress to act on comprehensive immigration reform: 500+ AAPIs Join "Fast for Families"
The 24-hour fast is a show of solidarity for individual advocates who have fasted much longer for immigration reform. Three core "Fast for Families" fasters -- National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) Executive Director Dae Joong Yoon; Eliseo Medina of the Service Employees International Union and DREAMer and Mi Familia Vota's Cristian Avila - abstained from all food since November 12.
This morning in Washington DC -- Day 22 -- they broke their fast, passing it on to new fasters. That's DJ Yoon in the photo above, breaking his fast in a ceremony with bread given by Father Jacek Ozechowski.
Meanwhile, At least 180 advocates from 33 AAPI groups have committed to take part in 24-hour solidarity fasts over the next two weeks, including several of our friends at Advancing Justice-LA:
As of December 3, 2013, many Asian Americans and Pacific Islander leaders have committed to join the effort led by the fast participants in Washington, D.C. to heighten the moral dilemma that the House of Representatives perpetuates in its refusal to take action to reform the nation’s broken immigration system. They are also refocusing national attention on the thousands of families that are torn apart every day by the Obama administration’s aggressive enforcement of deportation policies.Here's the rest of the press release: Advancing Justice - LA Joins National Solidarity Fast.
Just last week, the reality of immigrant families’ pain was courageously displayed when Ju Hong, an undocumented Korean youth, spoke out to the president of the United States during a speech he gave in San Francisco. Hong reminded the president that families need his help and that he can and should provide administrative relief to them while Congress stalls on providing a humane and inclusive solution.
As a community that is 60 percent immigrant, Asian Americans will be profoundly affected by changes in immigration policy, whether it be reform in detention policies, alleviating the visa backlogs, or providing a pathway to citizenship to 11 million undocumented immigrants, 1.3 million of whom are of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.