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Dear friends, On March 28, 2017, I gave testimony before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to express serious concern over the erroneous Korean language sample ballots for the 34th Congressional district that solely impacted our community. In a race where there is only one Korean-American candidate, our community consists of close to 18,700 registered Korean-American voters in this district. We felt the urgency when the County Registrar/City Clerk's office could not quantify the scope of the problem during our press conference on March 24, 2017. Click to view SBS coverage With support from AALDEF, KAFLA, OCA-GLA and UDLA, we submitted a formal letter to County Registrar/City Clerk Dean Logan and the LA County Board of Supervisors on March 28, requesting remedy to the problem and answers to questions affecting our voters. KAC's Letter to LA County Registrar/City Clerk's Office Following the public hearing before the LA County Board of Supervisors, Mr. Logan provided for public record on March 29th, that based on their review, "it appears that substantially less than 777 voters may have been impacted..." In addition, he outlined the actions that were being taken to provide remedy to the problem. Mr. Logan's Statement. We encourage you to take full advantage of the County hotline if you have questions or any doubt regarding your vote by mail, 1-800-815-2666 (option 3 for Korean speakers). Final Thought Democracy only works when we partake in the process that many before us have fought to ensure; as lawful citizens of the United States, we must exercise the right to vote. If you live in the 34th Congressional district or know of anyone who has not cast their mail-in ballots, early voting at the polls begins this weekend (April 1 - 2) at Pio Pico Library (694 S. Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The formal primary election is on April 4th. Please take advantage of the opportunity to vote early in this election. This is the opportunity for the citizens in our community to stay informed, contribute to progressive change, and exercise the right to partake in strengthening the legacy and history established by those who battled and sacrificed before us. This is why we, as a community, can stand where we are today. Yours sincerely, Joon Bang Executive Director Korean American Coalition-Los Angeles  Heroes and Legends in Pre-Production Production is Scheduled to Launch April 1, 2017 The Korean American Coalition in partnership with internationally acclaimed and award winning filmmaker Christopher HK Lee launches pre-production of “Heroes and Legends.” KAC is holding a casting call on Saturday, March 18, 2017 from the hours of 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in its office, located 3727 W. 6th St., Suite 305, Los Angeles, CA 90020 for students interested in making a film about heroes and legends in the Korean American/Immigrant community. No experience is necessary. The casting call is strictly for high school and college students. Students will be given 45 minutes to complete a two page essay on what it means to be a hero or legend in the Korean American/Immigrant community. Synopsis of the project: Told through the eyes of younger generations, “Heroes and Legends 2017,” a short documentary profiles the lives, contributions and achievements of the Korean American/Immigrant heroes and legends of California. Selected students from local high schools and colleges will work closely with filmmaker Christopher HK Lee, to research, review, select and document ten Korean American/Immigrant heroes and legends. Participants will need to commit every Saturday from April 1 to August 1, 2017 to complete the film. Heroes and Legends will be made available on DVDs, books and screened during KAC’s annual Gala on October 14, 2017. All participating students will receive internship certificates for school credit and attend the Gala as special guests. For more information visit the official Heroes and Legends Film website: www.fadingawaymovie.com/heroesandlegends Media Coverage: Radio Korea, Korea Times  Eight of KAC-LA's MUN students participated in one of the largest MUN conferences in the world at UC Berkeley: Berkeley Model United Nations (BMUN). Four of our students won awards at BMUN--they brought back four research awards, two awards of commendation, and two awards for outstanding performance. One student also won the "Critic's Choice" award in the BMUN Instagram contest!
Media Coverage: Korea Daily  KAC has been hosting and participating in a coalition that includes the Unification of Disabled Latin Americans, the Wilshire Center Business Improvement District, Fundacion Jalisco, and the Offices of Councilmember David Ryu, Council President Herb Wesson, Supervisor Hilda Solis, and State Assemblymember Miguel Santiago. This coalition was developed to help small business owners protect themselves from lawsuits that exploit ADA principles for profit.
Look forward to hearing more soon! KAC has been working with the Raids Rapid Response Coalition since the beginning of
February. On February 23rd, the coalition wrote to elected officials about the issue of ICE posing as LAPD. Later that day, LA City Attorney Mike Feuer, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Council President Herb Wesson released a statement on this issue and recognized the members of the coalition. KAC's stance on ICE posing as LAPD was covered by the Korea Times on February 24. On February 22, LA18 covered KAC and the coalition's position on the recent changes to deportation.  Congratulations to the recipients of the Manhee Koju Foundation Life Grant Awards! The Manhee Koju Foundation, a non-profit organization, provides grants to community members in need, and the awards were presented at the Koreatown Senior and Community Center. KAC was proud to work with our diverse, multiethnic community to nominate outstanding individuals for this award.
 KAC held a voter registration drive with OCA-Greater Los Angeles in front of the LA Convention Center and registered new citizens to vote in time for the March election. KAC staff and volunteers had the pleasure of meeting LA City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell, who dropped by during the drive. If you haven't registered yet, please drop by our office or our upcoming events to get registered!
Media: Korea Times (2/15), Korea Times (2/21)  On 10th of February, more than 160 people were arrested in Los Angeles-area ICE operation that targeted criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives. KAC stresses to "Know Your Rights" especially regarding responds to such operations.
Please forward the link to friends and families. Media: Korea Daily  The Korean American Coalition's Executive Director Joon Bang stood with community leaders from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, California Rising Collaborative, Church World Service, CLUE LA, El Rescate, Islamic Center of Southern California, Latino Coalition of Los Angeles PAC, SEIU California, and SEIU-USWW at the #WeAreAllAmerica Solidarity peaceful protest.
Media: Korea Times  KAC hosted a successful meeting of the Asian Jewish Initiative, which was led by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). KAC met with representatives from ADL, OCA-Greater Los Angeles (OCA-GLA), Filipino American Services Group, Inc. (FASGI), Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD), Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP), South Asian Bar Association SABA), Wells Fargo, Loyola Marymount University, Congressman Ted Lieu’s office, Councilmember David Ryu’s office, the Israeli Consulate, and the Japanese Consulate to discuss future collaborative projects.
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