Community Organizing & Civic Engagement

Immigrant Justice Project, #Citizenship4All

HANA Center is one of the few Asian American organizations in greater Chicago that organizes and empowers community members to advocate for immigrant justice. Korean Americans provide a strong and steady voice at the municipal, state, and federal levels regarding the importance of comprehensive immigration reform.

Current campaigns include fighting for more inclusive health care (#HealthCare4All), supporting DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) and DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents), ensuring expansion of educational scholarships and financial aid (#Education4All), and making sure that Illinois has a fair, progressive tax system (#FairTaxes4All). HANA Center also anchors the Asian American and Arab American Collaboration for Deferred Actions (A4CDA) to coordinate outreach, collect stories, share and document best practices, and develop common tools among others.

Civic Engagement

Understanding that civic participation and civic engagement is fundamental to larger movement building work, HANA Center integrates civic engagement work into all aspects of the organization’s programs year-round. Additionally, HANA Center works closely with Chicago Board of Elections and Cook County Clerk’s Office to combat voter suppression and increase immigrant voter access.

In the 2020 Election Year, HANA Center is advocating for a passage of an equitable State tax in Illinois - where taxpayers’ rates correlate directly with their income. A fair tax means that 97% of taxpayers will get a tax cut or pay the same, and will raise more than $3 billion a year to invest in schools and other critical priorities for our state.

Take one minute now to pledge to VOTE YES TO A FAIR TAX on the November ballot!

Coalition Building

HANA Center strongly believes in the importance and power of coalition building. HANA Center is the Chicago affiliate of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC). It is a member of the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Advancing Justice-Chicago’s PAVE Collaboration, the Korean American Human Service Providers Council, Illinois is Our Home, Responsible Budget Coalition, and works with a myriad of other partners including community-based organizations, government agencies, small businesses, religious institutions and foundations.