For Immediate Release
July 02, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC - The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) today applauded U.S. President Barack Obama's comprehensive approach to reforming our immigration system.

"We support the President's call for comprehensive reform to fix our nation's broken immigration system, and welcome his leadership in moving Congress toward concrete action," said Kathy Lim Ko, APIAHF president and CEO. "Comprehensive immigration reform must favor family unification and immigrant entrepreneurship, promote accountability from government, businesses and individuals, and improve the legalization pathway for undocumented immigrants."

"We must also address exclusionary state and local laws, such as the one recently passed in Arizona, that create a culture of fear in immigrant communities and hinder the ability of public health and safety officials to keep our communities healthy and secure," said Ko. "Such policies compound existing barriers that prevent racial and ethnic minorities from seeking health care services, a pattern that many Asian American and Pacific Islander communities experienced in California under the discriminatory Prop 187 measure in the mid-1990s. We look forward to working with our leaders to ensure that the health of our communities is considered in the development and implementation of policies."

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.