| Updates!With days left in the Congressional calendar, the immigrant rights movement is ramping up activities to emphasize the urgency of passing immigration reform. The Fast for Families is part of many actions around the country. Read here a timely New York Times opinion piece on the need for leadership and courage on the issue.
The Korean American community has been galvanized to act. Each day, NAKASEC and its centers receive calls from community members pledging to join the fast. Read more about the coverage from WKTV News, KyungHyang Shinmun, and SBS.
News! Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sends words of encouragement to Fast for Families. |
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DAY 11- Friday, November 22 Fasters Receive a Church Blessing On Friday, November 22, Vice President Joe Biden came to the Fast for Families tent and met with the fasters ensuring them that the White House and the Obama administration are committed to keeping families together. Read this blog from Domestic Policy Advisor Director Cecilia Munoz here.
Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders met with Dae Joong Yoon, executive director of NAKASEC, to thank him for encouraging Asian Americans to get involved with the Fast for Families.
Congressman David Valadao (CA-21), the second Republican to visit the Fast for Families tent, also came to visit speak with fasters.
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| DAY 12 –Saturday, November 23Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President prayed with the fasters and listened to them speak about their family stories and the need for immigration reform.
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DAY 13– Sunday, November 24 Cristian, 1 of 3 core fasters, spoke to the congregation at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church about his personal immigration story and call to support fair immigration reform. As the youngest core faster for the Fast for Families and a DREAMer, his commitment to immigration reform was inspiring to young and old alike in the room.
After the mass, fasters met with White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough. Everyday, our fasters are getting more and more tired and hungry, but everyday support from the community continues to grow.
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| DAY 14-Monday, November 25
The Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC) joined other Chicago groups for an event to fast and remember families on Thanksgiving. Senator Dick Durbin and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky joined children to honor and remember the parents who were detained and deported.
Ben Jealous, Civil Rights Leader, prayed with the Fast for Families fasters and pledged ongoing support for the campaign.
As part of the daily evening meeting, Chicago fasters, including members from KRCC, joined the Fast for Families fasters and community members via Google Hangout.
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DAY 15: Tuesday, November 26
Fast for Families Announces the National Days to Act, Fast & Pray On day 15 of the Fast for Families: A Call for Immigration Reform & Citizenship, the fasters announced the National Days to Act, Fast, and Pray onDecember 1-3. The three core fasters spoke about the following: Eliseo Medina: “This will be the first time we will be away from our families during this holiday and instead will celebrate Thanksgiving on the [National] Mall, drinking only water instead of eating turkey and watching a football game. We do so because we feel compelled to help mend a broken and inhumane immigration system that is bringing so much pain and suffering to our communities and to our nation.” Dae Joong Yoon: “Immigration reform is not about politics or policy, it is about people. The human cost of our broken system has created a moral urgency that demands action. That is why we are fasting. Together, we can build an America that upholds family values and respects hardworking immigrant families.”
Cristian Avila: “As we humbly ask the American people to join us to fast and pray on December 1st through the 3rd, we also urge Speaker Boehner to schedule a vote on citizenship before the end of the year.” United We Dream, including one of the youth from the Dream Riders: Road Trip Across America, Yves Gomes, visits the Fast for Families tent. After the morning press conference, a group of congregants from the International Calvary Church in Springfield, VA came to say a prayer for the fasters and immigration reform.
Members of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)stopped by the tent for the evening meeting. They visited with Dae Joong Yoon and expressed their admiration for what he is doing for immigrant families and the community, during Thanksgiving.
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