LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION celebrating the 17th Anniversary of Korean Ameri-
can Civic Empowerment

WHEREAS, In 2013, Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE) celebrates
its 17th year of service to the Asian community in Queens; and
WHEREAS, KACE has been an advocate for voting rights of Asian Ameri-
cans and works to mobilize, increase accessibility to polls, and educate
the community on how to exercise their voting rights; and
WHEREAS, Since 1996, through its year-round voter registration drives,
KACE has registered more than 25,000 new Korean voters in New York and
New Jersey, and assists more than 1,200 voters annually in a variety of
ways; and
WHEREAS, KACE conducts get-out-the-vote campaigns, exit polling and
poll monitoring, has a voter hot-line, conducts voter data analysis,
redistricting for Asian Americans, and conducted Census 2000 and 2010
with the US Census Bureau; and
WHEREAS, Formerly known as the Korean American Voters' Council (KAVC),
a non-partisan, not-for-profit community-based organization established
in 1996, worked to empower the Korean American community by advocating
voting rights; and
WHEREAS, Since 2006, the organization has been providing innovative
internship and training opportunities to the younger generation includ-
ing Grassroots Internship and Activist Training Programs which are
designed to educate participants about grassroots activism, outreach and
organizing, lobbying, using media and social networking; and
WHEREAS, In April 2012, KAVC changed its name to Korean American Civic
Empowerment to better reflect its expanded programs which now include
encouraging diverse civic engagement and participation among Korean
Americans by organizing and supporting them to become responsible and
respectable community members; and
WHEREAS, In addition to its voter efforts, KACE advocates for issues
at the local, state and federal levels to address community concerns and
interests such as the NYC Small Business Survival Act, NJ Dry Cleaning
business advocacy and the US HEAP application assistance program; and
WHEREAS, KACE organizes events to mobilize and strengthen the Korean
American community's solidarity with Korea, and educates and informs the
Korean American community and other ethnic, religious and cultural
communities about Korea by inviting elected officials to visit Korea,
providing programs or information regarding the issues that Korea faces
and increasing awareness of Korea and its culture among the U.S. citi-
zens and community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
celebrate the 17th Anniversary of Korean American Civic Empowerment and
to recognize its years of service to the Korean American community as it
seeks to empower, engage and create involved and concerned citizens of
the Queens community and beyond; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Korean American Civic Empowerment.