Asian American Organizations Condemn Anti-Latino Voter Intimidation in Orange County

Asian American Organizations Condemn Anti-Latino Voter Intimidation
in Orange County


LOS ANGELES, October 20, 2006 - Asian American and Pacific Islander
organizations in Los Angeles and Orange Counties are denouncing the
recent use of mailers to Latino voters in Central Orange County,
calling such tactic intimidating and illegal. The groups, the Los
Angeles-based Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern
California (APALC), which also has an office in Orange County, the
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA),
and the Washington D.C.-based Asian American Justice Center (AAJC),
also signed on to a letter earlier this week, along with numerous
Latino organizations, in requesting an investigation by the U.S.
and California Attorneys General into the matter.

The letter, in Spanish only, had apparently been sent last week to
Spanish-surnamed naturalized U.S. citizens born in Latin American
countries who are registered voters in Orange County. The mailer
purportedly warns people that only U.S. citizens are permitted to
vote, that voting by immigrants is a crime and a deportable offense,
and that a host of immigration restriction organizations has access
to a federal computer database of properly registered voters.

"The use of such mailer as an attempt to intimidate registered
voters of Hispanic decent is an attack on all minority voters,
including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who are merely
exercising their rights to vote under a democratic system," said
Stewart Kwoh, executive director of APALC. "Any effort by any
candidate or organization to threaten or intimidate voters in any
fashion is an offense to our country's democracy and should not
be tolerated," Kwoh continued.

"The use of such tactic is an attack on the entire immigrant
community, which has been unfairly targeted, even scapegoated,
in the past year amidst the nation's debate on immigration
reform," said Karen Narasaki, executive director of the AAJC.

"This is a country of immigrants and the letter and this kind of
tactic is not acceptable, and is morally and spiritually wrong,"
said Loc Nam Nguyen, director of the Immigration and Refugee
Department of Catholic Charities in Los Angeles and a member of
APALC's board of directors. "Voter intimidation is a justice
issue and touches upon human rights, and should not be employed
for political gains," Nguyen added.

While some media outlets have indicated that investigation into
the
letters is proceeding, the Asian American and Pacific Islander
community is calling for authorities to fully investigate and
prosecute whoever perpetrated this intimidating tactic and/or
committed any offenses in violation of federal and state laws.
Meanwhile, APALC wants to remind immigrant voters that so long
as they are naturalized citizens and duly registered to vote,
they can and should vote in the November election.

Groups who have signed on for denouncing the use of these
intimidating tactics and for calling for full investigation and
prosecution of any and all offenses include the following:

Asian American Justice Center
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Korean American Coalition - Los Angeles
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
Southeast Asian Community Alliance
Vietnamese American Community of California
Vietnamese American Public Affairs Committee



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