뉴욕 주 상원, 시민참여센터 17주년 기념 결의안 통과

2013년 4월 23일, 뉴욕 주 상원에서 시민참여센터의 17주년을 기념하고 지난 17년의 활동을 격려하는 결의안을 채택하였다.

퀸즈 지역의 상원의원 토비 앤 스타비스키 (Toby Ann Stavisky)가 지난 19일에 상정한 이 결의안은 지난 23일 뉴욕주 상원에서 만장일치로 채택되었다. 뉴욕주 의회는 시민사회단체들의 활동을 격려하는 결의안을 통과시켜 시민 활동을 북돋는 역할을 해왔다. 그러나 이러한 결의안을 한인 사회 단체를 위해 채택한 것은 처음이다. 또한 타 민족의 사회 단체들을 위한 결의안과는 다르게 총 63명인 뉴욕주 상원의원들 중 상정자인 스타비스키 의원을 제외한 전체 62명의 의원들이 공동후원자로 이름을 올려, 표결 이전에 만장일치로 지지를 받고 있음을 보였다. 이는 한인들의 정치 참여를 격려하고, 한인 사회의 높아진 정치적 위상을 증명하는 이례적인 결의안이다.

결의안의 주요 내용은 1996년 한인유권자센터로 창립된 시민참여센터의 창립 17주년을 축하하고, 창립이래로 25,000 여명의 한인 유권자 등록을 받았으며 매년 1,200여명의 한인 유권자들을 돕는 등 다양한 활동으로  한인사회의 권익 신장과 정치 참여를 도운  공적을 인정하는 것이다.

다음은 결의안 J1316-2013 전문이다.

J1316-2013: Celebrating the 17th Anniversary of Korean American Civic Empowerment

LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION celebrating the 17th Anniversary of Korean American Civic Empowerment

 WHEREAS,  In  2013,  Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE) celebrates  its 17th year of service to the Asian community in Queens; and

 WHEREAS, KACE has been an advocate for voting rights of Asian Americans and works to mobilize, increase accessibility to polls, and educate the community on how to exercise their voting rights; and

 WHEREAS, Since 1996, through its year-round voter registration drives,  KACE  has  registered more than 25,000 new Korean voters in New York and New Jersey, and assists more than 1,200 voters annually in a variety of ways; and

 WHEREAS,  KACE  conducts  get-out-the-vote campaigns, exit polling and  poll monitoring, has a voter hot-line,  conducts  voter  data  analysis,  redistricting for  Asian  Americans, and conducted Census 2000 and 2010

 with the US Census Bureau; and

 WHEREAS, Formerly known as the Korean American Voters’ Council (KAVC),  a non-partisan, not-for-profit community-based organization  established  in  1996,  worked to empower the Korean American community by advocating  voting rights; and

 WHEREAS, Since 2006, the organization has been providing innovative Internship and training opportunities to the younger generation including Grassroots Internship  and  Activist  Training  Programs  which  are

 designed to educate participants about grassroots activism, outreach and  organizing, lobbying, using media and social networking; and

 WHEREAS, In April 2012, KAVC changed its name to Korean American Civic  Empowerment to better reflect its expanded programs which now include  Encouraging diverse civic engagement and participation among Korean  Americans by organizing and supporting them to become responsible and  Respectable community members; and

 WHEREAS, In addition to its voter efforts, KACE advocates for issues  At the local, state and federal levels to address community concerns and  Interests such as the NYC Small Business Survival Act, NJ Dry Cleaning

 Business advocacy and the US HEAP application assistance program; and

 WHEREAS, KACE organizes events to mobilize and strengthen the Korean  American community’s solidarity with Korea, and educates and informs the  Korean American community and other ethnic, religious and cultural

 Communities about Korea by inviting elected officials to visit Korea,  Providing programs or information regarding the issues that Korea faces  And increasing awareness of Korea and its culture among the U.S. citizens and community; now, therefore, be it

 RESOLVED,  That  this  Legislative  Body pause in its deliberations to  celebrate the 17th Anniversary of Korean American Civic Empowerment  and  to recognize its years of service to the Korean American community as it

 seeks to  empower, engage and create involved and concerned citizens of  the Queens community and beyond; and be it further

 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Korean American Civic Empowerment.