 The Legal Connection Fall 2008 |
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Happy Thanksgiving...
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Dear APALRC Supporters:
 About 400 years ago, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to give thanks
for their survival in the new land. Since the arrival of
the first settlers, every day, new immigrant families come to America, the land of freedom and
opportunity, with the hopes of prosperity, justice, and equality.
As we gather with family and friends to remember all the things we're
thankful for this year, we at the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC)
are grateful for your partnership with us in ensuring access to justice for
low-income and limited English proficient Asian Americans in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan region over the past decade.
Since 1998, APALRC has provided legal advice and representation to hundreds
of low-income, limited English proficient Asian Americans in the region, and we
sincerely thank you for being there with us every step of the way.
This second decade, APALRC will grow our efforts in advancing the legal and
civil rights of those who are most in need, through legal services, community
education, and advocacy, and will make sure to share our success stories with
you throughout the year.
Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!
Myron Dean Quon
Executive Director
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APALRC Tenth Anniversary Celebration
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In celebration of ten year's of legal service and advocacy, APALRC honors the following founders, founding board members, and first executive director for their exemplary and
outstanding leadership and community service in advancing the legal and civil
rights of Asian Pacific Americans in the Washington,
D.C. metropolitan region:
 Chan Park, Co-Founder;
Sunil Mansukhani, Board Member;
John C. Yang, Co-Founder;
Deepa Iyer, Founding Board Member
 Jayne Park, First Executive Director
Event Sponsors
Event Pictures
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Food for Thought...
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"Yuri Kochiyama, a civil
rights activist who was interned during WW2, once said in a speech that it was
her sincere hope that Asian Americans continue to side with the most
oppressed.
I am sure all of us have
stories of how our families, parents, or ancestors somehow made their way to America, and
how they became acclimated thanks to the help and kindness of others more
privileged.
My father showed up in Birmingham, Alabama in
1971 with $100 and limited English, but there were many people of all races who
helped my parents learn American culture, improve their English, and figure out
life in America.
Though most of us are the privileged, so-called
model minority, with our advanced degrees and command of the English language,
it is our duty and calling to assist those Asian immigrants who need a helping
hand."
-Judy Tseng, Esq., APALRC Former Law Student Volunteer
Judy Tseng is the founder and owner of the Wake Law Office.
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Employment Opportunities
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Staff Attorney Position
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| Client Highlight
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Ms. L is an elderly Chinese widow who speaks no
English. Ms. L lives in government
subsidized housing, and lives entirely on her monthly social security benefits
and food stamps. She is eligible to apply for citizenship with exemption from the
English language requirements associated with naturalization as she is over 55
years of age and having been a lawful permanent resident for 15 years.
APALRC assisted Ms. L with the filing of her naturalization
application as well as her fee wavier application to waive the $595.00 filing fee.
Nearly two months later, the fee waiver was denied. There was, however, no indication that the naturalization
application itself had been denied. The
United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) requested that Ms. L
submit additional information for her fee waiver. USCIS, by phone, stated that the
naturalization application had not been denied and instructed us to send a copy
of her naturalization application along with the new information added to her
fee waiver application.
Two weeks later, USCIS sent another response indicating that
they would only accept applications that had an original signature, and
instructed Ms. L to submit a new application for naturalization with an
original signature. This response,
however, entirely contradicted the very instructions that USCIS had provided
over the phone less than a month earlier. APALRC contacted USCIS over the phone
again to inquire further into the matter.
After speaking with three different immigration officers, all of whom
acknowledged USCIS's mistake, the third immigration officer advised us to
re-file the entire application. It had
now been nearly 5 months since the original application had been filed. APALRC is now working with Ms. L to submit a
new application for naturalization and a new fee waiver application.
Ms. L's story is not uncommon, nor is USCIS's conflicting
instructions. Unfortunately, in many
instances, those applying are unable to navigate through the USCIS complicated
system, and as a result, are unable to access the immigration benefits they may
be entitled to. Continued support for
organizations like APALRC would ultimately help individuals to access
meaningful services.
- Nadia Firozvi, Staff Attorney
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