For Immediate Release:

April 18, 2007

Contacts:
Marie Choi -201-563-4866
Theresa Tran - 248-821-7906
Dennis Chin - 609-954-2111

NAASCon Responds to Virginia Tech Shootings

The National Asian American Student Conference (NAASCon), an organization which aims to serve as a forum for APA student activists to compile resources, coordinate campaigns, and build community around shared values of social and economic justice, human rights, and collective decision-making, expresses its deepest condolences to those affected by the tragic events at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

In the wake of these horrific shootings, NAASCon hopes that college students across the nation, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, and/or other identities, are able to build solidarity with one another for collective healing. NAASCon urges the community at-large to bridge their different experiences to create a dialogue that fosters understanding, compassion, and growth.

"We are horrified at the events that have occurred at Virginia Tech but are hopeful that we can guide the discourse towards more positive and productive dialogue," says Marie Choi, Chair of NAASCon.

NAASCon would like to take this opportunity now to urge local media, students, educators, and community leaders to be conscientious of how this situation is being framed and to be critical of how stories are presented to the public. Though we sincerely hope that this isolated incident does not generate further violence and misunderstanding, NAASCon cautions the community to be vigilant of potential retailation, driven by racial tensions. As the aftermath of 9/11 demonstrates, racially motivated hate crimes and hostile speech is a lived reality that continues to this day.

"Despite his legal citizenship status, and the fact that he is by all accounts American in upbringing, Cho Seung-Hui's racial identity marks Asian Americans as inextricably connected to this tragedy. We have to be aware of the implications of this connection and work to see this tragedy as a non-racial issue, but rather a universal issue that connects Cho Seung-Hai to all students," says Theresa Tran, Constituency Outreach Chair of NAASCon.

As more details of the tragedy develop, NAASCon will continue to lend itself as a resource and ally for the Virginia Tech students and community at-large.

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My deepest condolences to the VA Tech community and their families. It is during times like this that we (all communities) must join together to heal.....

As we have seen from the reactions to the events of 9/11 and many tragedies before that, immigrant/minority communities have been victims of hate crimes and hateful speech. Because of this, I can only hope that the reactions to this tragedy will not be used as a way to target/discriminate the Asian community, more specifically the Korean community. As a Korean American, I cannot help but admit that I am holding my breath.... hoping that ignorance and misplaced anger towards our community will not occur... or be tolerated....but sadly I know that it will..But like I said, I am still hopeful

~Helen Suh

NAASCon Programming Chair Alum

Crap like this is just another unfortunate reminder that racial slurs/racial epithets used towards Asians, as well as violent crimes against our communities is still very much a real and continuous battle....

A link to the article about the recent hate crime in Queens, NY (I had to look up more info on this story after seeing a photo of one of the guys who got beat up on the cover of the The Korea Daily newspaper)  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/14/nyregion/14hate.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=8b723367f9683cc9&ex=1313208000&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

"Two Queens men have been charged with hate crimes after a confrontation that began in Douglaston with racial slurs shouted at a car full of Chinese-American students and escalated into a vicious roadside attack, then led to a fight with two police officers blocks away, the authorities said yesterday" (NY Times )

busy busy..but in a good way

* Dinner at Calle Ocho followed by Summerstage series concert of Noche Flamenca last week. It was just the right weather. Extremely crowded but not surprising, once the word "free" concert gets out you know there will be a crowd, esp in NYC.

* Catching up with an old friend over Thai food although we both got soaking wet from the thunderstorm on the way in---quite funny really

* Henna party at Akbar for Preeti (my good friend Ravi's sister). I have never been to one of these before. I got a cool henna design on my hand. The decorations and clothing were bright and beautiful and the food just as wonderful.

*3 days later Preeti's wedding in New Rochelle. Another great night. Preeti's dress was so beautiful! Good food and great company. Lots of dancing and drinking! Ryan and I had an awesome time.... Congrats again to Preeti and Nik! Ravi---thanks for having us share this great occasion with you and your family!

~Currently following Joomong (a new korean soap opera-old school style ----during the days of kings and queens)

~still working like crazy. taking a break from korean classes until the Fall.

~ LSATs......need i say more?

So i am sure many of you are quite aware of the ongoing debate and the tension growing over HR4437 or the Sensenbrenner bill.  After hearing about the numerous protests and organizing going on throughout the country (via the radio etc) I decided to do a little search through lexis-nexis, so I could get a better understanding of whats going on..... i thought i'd put in some excerpts from this article i read......

"People have been moving from country to country to seek a better life since the beginning of time. But not until now have immigrants been considered criminals.Yet if the Sensenbrenner bill, House Resolution 4437, becomes law that will be the result.

The uniqueness of the Sensenbrenner bill is that, for the first time in American history, the mere act of being in the country without a proper visa would make an immigrant a felon, with a potential penalty of five years of incarceration.

Under the Sensenbrenner bill, not only the immigrants themselves, but family members, attending clergy, social workers and lawyers, would risk prison if they helped an undocumented individual remain in the United States" ("Immigration never should make someone a criminal" The Columbus Dispatch Ohio April 8, 2006 )

*As a first generation child born to immigrant parents, I cannot believe this bill is even being debated and i cannot believe it was passed in the House in December...to criminalize undocumented/documented immigrants and anyone who is associated with/helps them (including families, churches, lawyers etc) will be criminalized is outright ridiculous and pains me deeply. Undocumented workers whether they are Latino, Asian, African etc do not deserve to be punished for trying to make a better life for themselves here.... here the US...America----the "free land" the place where the "american dream" can help you and your family...... Just when I thought the Bush Adminstration and the Republican party couldnt get any worse.....These people are not criminals ----they are people. 

Apparently this bill will help close off/limit those who are crossing the borders into the US, and will help national security..... hmmm help national security? Sort of like when right after 9/11 many South Asian and Arab Americans were randomly being deported and racially profiled because of "national security". (really, i can go on forever about this..... i mean should i even get into why the US has so many enemies to begin with? ) .... i veered off for a moment...

I read in another article that the "felony" provision of the bill will be dropped...which is good news..but I feel uneasy about what will/is coming in its place... our immigration policies here are complicated but certainly we know that criminalizing is not the answer........however coming up with a bill or provision that looks like its helping undocumented people when in reality it is not ...has to also be avoided..... by the way does anyone know about this worker provision plan?

As I sat at dinner with my parents..I realized even more how complex immigration policies are here...its more than just this bill, there are issues of healthcare, housing, taxes, wages...we are all affected (whether people realize it or not) by immigration....

Listen, the truth of the matter is... the US in itself has been built on and continues to be built on by the work of immigrants---both documented and undocumented....they help to stimulate/participate in this economy and are readily part of our communities --whether they are part of our families, friends, partners, or coworkers/employees..... in essence.... in america, we are all immigrants....

if extreme efforts like HR4437 go into affect, I'd really like to see how things will function (ie restuarants, garment factories etc).... if this anti immigrant bill gets passed then what will be next? i wonder how the May 1st boycott will turn out......? the forces and numbers have been growing...people are standing together and standing strong......

ck out:

http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2006/03/114647.shtml

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060404134257492

http://www.mnadvocates.org/Take_Action3.html

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=acad54779e56d8c445b5f8506cc0e8dc

http://www.workers.org/2006/us/immigrants-0413/

http://www.immigrantrights.org/sensenbrenner.asp

http://www.borderangels.org/

http://www.stopgatekeeper.org/

http://www.ilrc.org/HR4437.html

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/22437prs20051208.html

to sign a petition against the bill http://www.PetitionOnline.com/HR4437/petition.html