While many prepare to take advantage of the new temporary relief immigration program announced by President Obama Thursday, many in the Asian Pacific Islander community are still scared to come out of the shadows, due to lingering feelings of fear, shame or family reasons.
Trina Lei Pasumbal only recently decided to speak out about her immigration status, and now hopes others will do the same.
"We still feel in the API community there is still a lot of fear in coming out and a lot of shame in being undocumented," Pasumbal said.
Fifteen percent of undocumented individuals in California fall under the Asian Pacific Islander category.
Michelle Yoon, who was born in South America, said she’s still hesitant to share pictures of her family. For the next three years, she is in the U.S. legally, under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.
She said she didn’t apply right away because her mom is undocumented and did not qualify for deferred action.
But now she said she believes taking advantage of immigration reform — albeit temporary — is a must.
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"We need this," Yoon said. "(To) really show politicians."
Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents California’s 27th District, said she’s well aware of the statistics.
"There are about 8 percent of young people who are API who are eligible for DACA, but only 2.6 percent that actually applied," Chu said at a news conference.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization, is also helping with the effort to encourage young people in the community to utilize their legal options.
Stewart Kwoh, executive director, said the organization provides legal assistance at little or no charge, and holds monthly information sessions in multiple languages. His legal advice is to take advantage of the immigration plan Obama has presented.
"It will provide relief for their family situation," Kwoh said.
Pasumbal and Yoon said they plan to share their experiences with different communities, and encourage others to also come out of hiding.
"No one’s going to come after you, you’re going to get the help that you need," Pasumbal said.
And they vow to fight past fear for a more permanent solution.
"I am afraid but I also think it’s important that we tell people to apply," Yoon said. "Show them the faces. We are here and we want to stay."
The group warns people to be wary of scammers offering money to help fill out applications that don’t yet exist. They advise to seek immigration advice from a qualified professional whom you can trust.
To contact the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles, you can call 213-241-8885, 213-241-8886, or visit their website for various language options.
