Click here to tweet a thank you to Senator Schumer for recommending Lorna Schofield to the federal bench.

Follow us on twitter here: http:www.twitter.com/kayagrassroots
@kayagrassroots

***** For Immediate Release *****

Washington DC – On Monday, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) recommended Attorney Lorna Schofield to the
White House as a candidate for federal district court judge in the Southern District of New York. If nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first Filipino American to serve as an Article III federal judge.

“When I select judges, I always look for three things – excellence, diversity, and moderation – and Schofield exemplifies all of these qualities. I’m pleased to recommend her to President Obama for the Southern District Bench,” said Schumer.

A litigation partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP for almost 20 years, Schofield has extensive trial experience in both the private and public sectors. She became the firm’s first minority partner in 1991 and now serves as Of Counsel. Prior to joining Debevoise, she served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the criminal division of the Southern District of New York. She was the first Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) to chair the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association, and the National Law Journal named her one of the nation’s 50 most influential minority lawyers.

Currently, AAPIs are underrepresented on the federal bench. In New York alone, where AAPIs represent 10% of the population, there is only one AAPI judge serving among the 90 active and senior Article III judges in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Article III judges are nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and appointed lifetime tenure. However, of the 875 federal judges, there are now 14 active AAPI Article III judges in the nation, seven of whom were nominated by President Obama. Moreover, the number of AAPI women on the bench has tripled from two to six. Although much progress has been made under the Obama Administration, the number of AAPI federal judges still do not meet parity.

KAYA applauds Senator Schumer’s efforts to bring talent and diversity to the federal court. “Attorney Lorna G.Schofield represents many Filipino Americans in this country that grew up with independence and self sufficiency as essential values. Her life is an example of creating a future that is achievable for Filipino Americans in the United States,” said KAYA National Co-Chair, Genevieve V. Jopanda.

How to Join: Follow and use tag hashtags #SOTU #KAYASOTU #KDREAM12 to follow the conversation.
RSVP to our #KAYASOTU Watch Party on Facebook

KAYA-DC Watch Party

Tsunami Sushi and Lounge – 1326 14th Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20005-3611

6:30-9:30PM EST

KAYA-SF Bay Area Watch Party with Obama For America – California (OFA CA)

Oakland Event – Host Jacqueline Collins

Everett and Jones Restaurant

126 Broadway, Oakland CA 94617

5:00 – 8:00PM PST

Can’t make it in DC or Oakland? Find a watch parties near you!

You can also watch SOTU live at 9:00 PM EST through these channels:
WhiteHouse.gov/sotu White House Facebook App Live YouTube.com/whitehouse Google+ page

Speakers: @BarackObama

The White House has also recommended some other hashtags to use when tweeting: #jobs #manufacturing #energy #education #fairness

Take action and click here to tweet on your support of the #DREAMAct!

Follow us on twitter here: http:www.twitter.com/kayagrassroots
@kayagrassroots

Starting immediately after the speech and continuing through the rest of the week, senior White House officials will hear from you about the state of our union. You can submit questions for White House panelists to answer by tweeting and using the hashtags #WHChat and #SOTU. Find out more here.

Follow us on twitter here: http:www.twitter.com/kayagrassroots
@kayagrassroots

The White House Internship Program’s mission is to make the “People’s House” accessible to future leaders from around the nation.

The application period for the Summer 2012 White House Internship Program is now open. Applicants have until January 22, 2012 to apply for a Summer 2012 White House Internship. See “Apply Here” for more details.

***** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *****

KAYA condemns Governor Mitt Romney’s stance to veto the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien
Minors (DREAM) Act if he were elected the 45th President of the United States. It is clear that if elected,Governor Romney would support policies that hurt immigrant communities. His recent assertion that he would veto the DREAM Act is further evidence of this.

Governor Romney has taken an extreme position on immigration reform, singling out sensible policies like the DREAM Act. He continues to campaign against the interests of immigrant families and children.

If enacted, the DREAM Act would have a significant impacts on the Filipino American community. Second to Korean Americans, Filipino Americans have the next highest number of undocumented residents in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, at over 20%. Nearly 40% of the students at the University of California system alone who would benefit from the DREAM Act are AAPI.

KAYA members have actively supported this legislation because it provides a pathway to citizenship to
undocumented students who arrived in the U.S. and is a bipartisan plan that would let young immigrants who give back to the only country they’ve ever known by serving in the military or going to college the opportunity to earn a path to citizenship. The DREAM Act is an important first step toward passing comprehensive immigration reform.

President Obama has been a consistent advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and believes that
immigrant youth who were brought here through no fault of their own, that work hard, follow the rules, and know no other home should have an opportunity to earn a path to citizenship and fully contribute to the United States. President Obama’s most recent action under U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) helps eliminate separation for many Filipino American parents and children. This demonstrates his commitment to immigrant communities and family unity.

This starkly contrasts with Governor Romney, whose explicit statements that he will not support DREAM Act, will take our country in a backward direction if he were elected President. KAYA calls on Governor Romney’s campaign to stop its attacks on immigrant students and communities, which include many Filipino American families and children.

For more information on the DREAM Act, visit http://www.DREAMActivist.org

Sponsored by: APALA-DC, KAYA-DC, South Asians for Obama, Korean Americans for Obama, & Asian Pacific Americans for Progress-DC

KAYA-DC will be convening at Tsunami at 6:30 for a chapter meeting before the SofU festivities.  All interested in KAYA-DC are welcome to join!

–

With the 2012 national and congressional elections looming, there are many issues at stake. We must continue advocating for the 99%, champion fair immigration policies, defend our civil liberties and address our warming climate. Once again, we’d like to recognize the amazing work of Asian Pacific American progressives around the country.

Nominate your 2011 AAPI Unsung Hero by Saturday, January 21, 2012.

Check out the announcement which includes a look at the 2010 winners. For additional questions, please e-mail unsunghero@apaforprogress.org

Photo credit: Erin Pangilinan

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Organizing for America is now taking applications for State Operation
Vote Directors positions to work in various states as part of Operation
Vote. Operation Vote drives our strategy to mobilize and engage core
demographic groups – Women, Latinos, African Americans, Young Americans,
AAPI, LGBT and others – in support of President Obama and Democrats up and
down the ticket.

State Operation Vote directors must be able to develop and execute a
metrics-based constituency mobilization and communications plan that
focuses on turning out key demographic groups in support of President Obama
and Democrats up and down the ticket. Working with other senior leadership,
the SOVD will develop and manage programs aimed at increasing the vote for
core demographic groups. There will be a heavy emphasis on field
mobilization efforts. All mobilization programs will be executed by Field
staff, in coordination with Operation Vote Directors. Other
responsibilities potentially include but not limited to: representing Our
Movement or The President’s Grassroots Organization at community events and
meetings, speaking on the record with press in consultation with the OFA
Communications Director, and serving as an in-state contact person for
local campaigns, allied organizations, and community leaders.

Organizing for America is a project of the Democratic party in the state
in which the SOVD will be employed. Applications and resumes for the
position of SOVD may be shared with Obama for America. Once hired, the SOVD
will report to the State General Election Director but may engage with the
Obama for America Operation Vote leadership as needed.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills, experience meeting
deadlines, and some experience writing campaign plans and budget management.

Candidates will preferably have at least two election cycles of field
organizing experience, including at least one cycle of senior level
campaign experience.

The ideal candidate will have a working knowledge of the structure of
political campaigns, familiarity with modern campaign technology, and
experience managing staff and/or volunteers.

Organizing for America is committed to diversity among its staff, and
recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to
obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality
services to supporters and constituents. Organizing for America is an equal
opportunity employer and it is Organizing for America’s policy to recruit,
hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without
regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic
status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity
or physical disability, or any other legally protected basis. Organizing
for America will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such
conduct is strictly prohibited.