More than 70 HANA Community Members Participate in AAA Day in Springfield, Demanding Protection for Immigrant and Low-Income Communities

Springfield, IL — On May 5, in a record-breaking show of civic engagement, more than 70 HANA Center community members joined nearly 500 Pan Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) Coalition members in Springfield, Illinois this year for Asian American Action (AAA) Day, rallying under the shared call to "Protect Our Futures."

AAA Day brought together one of the largest-ever mobilizations of Pan Asian community advocates to the state capital. HANA Center members joined PAVE Coalition partners to urge Illinois lawmakers to protect critical legislation, including the Immigrant Services Line Item (ISLI), which funds direct cash assistance, citizenship application support, English language classes, DACA and citizenship fee waivers, and immigrant resource navigation; Access to Justice (A2J), which ensures all individuals, regardless of income or background, can access legal services and navigate the legal system; funding for Inclusive Histories to support diverse curriculum implementation; and progressive budget priorities protecting services for immigrants and low-income residents statewide. 

 
The HANA delegation met with 19 different legislators, including State Representatives Chung, Gong-Gershowitz, Grasse, Huynh, Katz Muhl, Kelly, LaPointe, Mah, Olickal, Rashid, Syed, Ventura, Walker, Yang-Rohr, and Speaker Welch, as well as State Senators Fine, Morrison, Peters, and Villivalam. 

HANA Center delegation at AAA Day

HANA Center Super Navigator Sunkyung Park speaking at the PAVE rally

IL State Senator Julie Morrison, who represents HANA's Northwest Office district, met with HANA community members to discuss the issues directly affecting immigrant families. 

HANA Center’s Suburban Youth Organizer Andrew De Las Alas and community members met with Rep. Gong-Gershowitz, a member of the Asian American Legislative Caucus and lead champion of the TEAACH Act, to discuss the implementation of inclusive histories in Illinois schools.

At the PAVE Rally, HANA Super Navigator Sunkyung Park delivered a moving testimony about the real impact of immigrant services for the Korean American and broader immigrant community. Her words brought to life what ISLI and A2J funding mean on the ground, from legal aid and free legal services to community navigator programs and Know Your Rights workshops. HANA Center is the only A2J organization in Illinois providing services in Korean. Sunkyung also spoke to the vital importance of healthcare access for immigrant seniors and adults through programs like HBIA and HBIS. 

For many in the HANA community, AAA Day is a transformative opportunity to engage in the democratic process, make their voices heard in the halls of power, and leave feeling more empowered than when they arrived. 

 
HANA Center remains committed to standing alongside immigrant and low-income communities in Illinois and beyond.