Olympian Simon Cho Speaks Out on Immigrant Rights

From the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium:

US Olympian Simon Cho Reaches Out to Youth in Face of Anti-Immigrant State Proposals
Former Undocumented Immigrant Speaks Up for Immigration Reform

Los Angeles –Kicking off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Thursday, May 6 and Friday, May 7, the youngest member of the US Olympic Speed Skating Team and 2010 bronze medalist Simon Cho spoke to about 1,140 people as part of a community tour sponsored by Korean Resource Center and National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC). Simon Cho reached out to Los Angeles students from elementary school grades through college-age,  as well as to seniors in the Korean American community, to share his struggles growing up in an immigrant family and how he achieved his dreams as a person of color. For most of his formative childhood years, Simon Cho was an undocumented immigrant in America. His accomplishments shine light on what America has to gain when immigrants are welcomed and given a path to citizenship.

After participating in his first Olympic Games, Simon Cho feels a responsibility to stand up as an athlete whose family suffered the consequences of our failing immigration system. He shared his memory of physically crossing the border from Vancouver to Seattle, and answered questions about his personal life, the sport he excels in, financial hardships he faced, and his hope for a better America.

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