Executive Summary
HANA began in February 2017, as a merger of Korean American Community Services (est.1972) and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (est.1995). HANA means “one” in Korean, symbolizing unity and wholeness. By combining over 75 years of experience, HANA created a one-stop which breaks down barriers for immigrants to access critical resources and builds an informed and engaged community working together to uplift their collective lives. HANA engages 16,000 Korean and multiethnic immigrants annually in Chicago and northwest suburbs.
HANA centers directly impacted people to lead its campaigns, and 100% of its board and staff are bicultural immigrants, or children of immigrants, who represent the community. Key programs include Education & Economic Empowerment (adult ESL, workforce development, senior services and public benefits, housing assistance and counseling), Immigration & Legal Services (naturalization, DACA, asylum, adjustment of status, pro-bono legal clinic), Community Wellness (mental health counseling, domestic violence prevention, health screenings and education), and Organizing & Advocacy (youth and community leadership development, organizing, civic engagement, policy advocacy).
HANA leads with the vision of achieving Citizenship for All (C4A) - a world where immigrants can thrive as full citizens, without fear of deportation or family separation. C4A advocates for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and also for critical policies such as affordable and quality health care, housing, higher education, clean environment, and removing barriers from civic participation, regardless of immigration status. C4A also focuses on ending systemic racism which oppresses BIPOC, such as police brutality and criminalization based on perceived racialized identities.
Lead Organization
The HANA Center
Charity, fund, non-governmental organization, religious institution, school, or other entity
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