For Immediate Release April 9, 2010
More than 25 Asian-American and refugee organizations stand united against Senate Bill 67, the English-only Driver License Bill.
Twenty-six leading Asian American and refugee organizations are uniting in opposition to SB 67. SB 67 seeks to eliminate the ability of Georgia citizens and legal residents to take the written portion of the permanent driver license test in a language other than English.
Organizations include: Asian American Resource Center (AARC); Association of Chinese Professionals (ACP); Asian Cultural Experience / nonprofit team (ACE); Asian Pacific American Council of Georgia (APAC); Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIA Vote); Boat People SOS (BPSOS); Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS); Chinese Business Association of Atlanta (CBAA); Chinese Community Federation of Atlanta; Culture Connect; The Japan-America Society of Georgia (JASCG); Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta (KAAGA); Korean American Coalition (KAC); Korean American Democratic National Organization (KADNO); Korean American Resource and Cultural Center; Korean Resource Center (KRC); National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC); Vietnamese American Community of Georgia (VAC-GA); Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA-GA); OCA National; Pan Asian Action Network (PAAN); Raksha, Inc.; Refugee Family Services (RFS): Refugee Women’s Network, Inc. (RWN); Thai American Chamber of Commerce; Thai Association World Center USA
"Limited English Proficient (LEP) Asian American citizens and legal residents of Georgia stand to hurt the most if SB 67 is passed," said Norman Chu, President of OCA-GA. All LEP individuals applying for a permanent driver license must already prove a basic level of English proficiency and pass the road sign test in English. Only the written portion of the test is offered in 13 languages, 7 of which are Asian languages. Two of the top 3 languages requested are Korean and Japanese.
"Many Asian Americans that I know are industrious, law-abiding citizens that own small businesses and want to contribute to their family and society," said Lam Ngo, President of APAC. Small businesses in Georgia accounted for 97.9% of the state's employers in 2006, and a significant percentage of Georgia small businesses is Asian-owned.
BryAnn Chen, Executive Director of Refugee Women‟s Network, a group that leads a micro-enterprise program to promote local business growth and sustainability, noted "Small businesses -- mom and pop shops -- are the backbone of our economy. They create a ripple effect for other businesses. A business owner must drive to meet with clients, banks and vendors. Taking away their ability to drive will take away the jobs they created for themselves, their employees, and their vendors."
Beyond the harm SB 67 would have on the every-day lives of Asian American citizens and residents of Georgia, Asian American groups and business interests are also concerned about the negative impact the bill could have on future foreign economic development. "Kia Motors Corp. (Korean) and Sany Corp. (Chinese) have invested billions of dollars in our state and provided employment to thousands of Georgia workers, and both companies have been quoted as selecting Georgia due to its business-friendly and „international‟ feel," said Jay Eun, President of KAAGA and member of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. "In contrast, SB 67 sends a message that this is not the best place for Asian immigrants to live, work and grow," said Richard Li, President of the Chinese Business Association of Atlanta.
Asian American groups are also upset because SB 67 would hinder new citizens and residents from learning English since they need to drive to classes. "Many of our organizations provide or support ESL courses. There is always a waiting list so we know immigrants want to learn English," said Trinh Pham, Executive Director of BPSOS.
"Everyone needs time to become fluent in a new language," said Aparna Bhattacharyya, Executive Director of Raksha, Inc., a South Asian domestic violence organization. "For many Asian women who are domestic violence victims, it is not uncommon for them to be LEP based on their abuser keeping them from English classes and not letting them learn how to drive. This bill would have unintended consequences on battered immigrant women who without means for transportation will have limited access to services, safety, and a way to financially support themselves," said Bhattacharyya.
SB 67 is in conflict with federal laws, provides an exception for illiterate persons and temporary license holders, and is not supported by any statistical proof that LEP citizen drivers cause more accidents on the road because they are LEP. "Contrary to what the sponsoring Senator Jack Murphy has said, we have studied SB 67 and understand the bill very well," said Helen Kim. "What we don‟t understand is why the Senator thinks an Asian LEP foreign executive who is temporarily in Georgia is better fit to drive on our roads than an Asian LEP citizen that commits to being an American," said Kim.
Asian American and refugee leaders held a press conference on Monday, April 12th at 4:00 p.m., at the offices of KAAGA.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Press Conference of Key Asian American and Refugee Organizations in Opposition to SB 67
Date and Time: Monday, April 12, 2010, 4:00 p.m.
Location: Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta
6930 Buford Highway NE (near intersection of Amwiler Rd.)
Doraville, GA 30340
770.263.1888
Supportive Local and National Asian American and Refugee Organizations:
1. Asian American Resource Center (AARC) is a Georgia non-profit with the purpose of strengthening the Asian American community by providing a host of social services
2. Association of Chinese Professionals (ACP) is the largest Chinese professional association in the US
3. Asian Cultural Experience- Nonprofit Team (ACE) is a collective of more than 1,500 volunteer participants, representing 15 Asian countries, that come together annually to celebrate the diverse and rich cultures of our Asian-American communities in Georgia.
4. Asian Pacific American Council of Georgia (APAC), established in 1985, serves as an umbrella group of 14 APA organizations in Georgia united in promoting the full participation of Asian Pacific Americans in American society and to maintain Asian-Pacific cultural heritage
5. Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state and local levels
6. Boat People SOS (BPSOS) is a national Vietnamese-American community-based organization with the mission to empower, organize, and equip Vietnamese individuals and communities in their pursuit of liberty and dignity
7. Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS) is a private non-profit whose mission is to counteract problems faced by immigrants, refugees and racial-ethnic minorities by creating and delivering culturally competent and comprehensive social and health services
8. Chinese Business Association of Atlanta (CBAA) is an association of Chinese-owned businesses that promotes business development and growth
9. Chinese Community Federation of Atlanta is a non-profit with a mission to provide all possible assistance and service to the entire Chinese-speaking community in metro-Atlanta, with a focus on civic engagement
10. Culture Connect develops cultural fluency among immigrants and their service providers to advance Atlanta as an internationally diverse community
11. Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta (KAAGA) is a non-profit group dedicated to promoting the well-being of Korean Americans in metro-Atlanta
12. Korean American Coalition (KAC) is a non-profit that seeks to facilitate the Korean-American community's participation in civic, legislative, and community affairs, and encourage the community to contribute to and become an integral part of American society
13. Korean American Democratic National Organization (KADNO) is a national group formed to empower the Korean-American community through active participation in the political process at all levels of government
14. Korean American Resource and Cultural Center was formed in 1994 to empower the Korean American community of greater Chicago through education, social service, organizing/advocacy and culture
15. Korean Resource Center (KRC) empowers the Korean American, low-income immigrant and people of color communities in Los Angeles through social services, education, culture, advocacy, and grassroots organizing
16. The Japan-America Society of Georgia (JASG), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote mutual understanding between the people of Japan and the State of Georgia through establishing and promoting ties and programs in the areas of culture, customs, education, commerce and politics
17. National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC), founded in 1994, is a group of local grassroots community based organizations coming together with the purpose of projecting a national progressive voice on major civil rights and immigrant rights issues and promoting the full participation of Korean Americans with the greater goal of building a national movement for social change
18. Vietnamese American Community of Georgia (VAC-GA), established in 1994 with a mission for service to, and promotion of, Vietnamese-Americans and their cultural heritage
19. Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA-GA) is the Atlanta chapter of a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States
20. OCA National is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans
21. Pan Asian Action Network (PAAN) is a local Georgia network of Asian American Pacific Islander organizations, business interests, faith-based groups, student associations and individuals united in promoting and protecting the health, civil and human rights of AAPI citizens and residents of Georgia.
22. Raksha, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit whose mission is promoting a stronger and healthier South Asian community through confidential support services, education, and advocacy
23. Refugee Family Services (RFS) supports the efforts of refugee women and children to achieve self-sufficiency in the United States by providing education and economic opportunity
24. Refugee Women‟s Network, Inc. (RWN) is the catalyst that empowers refugee and immigrant women to reclaim their collective voices and reach their full potential through active participation and taking leadership roles in their local, national and international communities.
25. Thai American Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit agency in partnership with the Thai Trade of Miami under the Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, Royal Thai Government.
26. Thai Association World Center USA is an organization dedicated to the social well-being of the Thai and Thai-American community
Other Individual and Group Supporters include:
1. BJay Pak, Republican Candidate for House of Representative District 102
2. Garry Guan, Republican Candidate for State Senate District 5
3. Baoky Vu, Member, Governor‟s Asian American Commission for a New Georgia
4. Anti-Defamation League
5. ACLU of Georgia
6. Coalition of Latino Leaders-CLILA
7. Cobb Immigrant Alliance
8. Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO)
9. Georgia Catholic Conference
10. Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR)
11. International Center Atlanta
12. Latin American Association
13. Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta
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