華美福利會啟動商業法律諮詢服務

華美福利會與公民權利和經濟平等律師委員會合作，十九日啟動“促進成功企業”項目，有三名律師在兩個多小時內，為十名報名者提供了一對一諮詢。

華美福利會董事長陳美霞表示，司徒福柱保險公司和國泰銀行的負責人都向她反映過，許多小企業東主，或準備創業者，深怕找律師問，費用會動輒上百成千，常在和他們聯絡時請教法律問題。他們因此攜手和公民權利和經濟平等律師委員會合作，請來Ropes & Gray律師事務所的律師，為社區內有需要者提供免費的商業法律諮詢，

在公民權利和經濟平等律師委員會服務的Gerald Glover III表示，麻州各大律師事務所，一般會期望每名律師一年撥出五十個小時，為社區做免費法律諮詢服務。在大波士頓內，約有十二家以上的大律師事務所和該會合作，以前曾和國泰銀行合作過小企業創辦工作坊，一對一諮詢則是第一次在華埠社區辦理。

十九日晚到華埠為求助者適宜解惑的三名律師，J. R. Ames，Roy Grant，Bryan MacDonald，都來自Ropes & Gray律師事務所。

他們透露，當晚出席的十人，有四男六女，年齡從廿幾到五十幾歲都有，提的問題大都是和合約，版權，企業實體（entity）種類選擇等有關。其中一人想做以網路為基礎的生意，一人是做個人投資方面的生意。

當晚排在最後做一對一諮詢的女士，來自中國河南，已移民美國十四年多，住在尚莫維爾市。她很幸運。輪到她時，其他人都已離開，結果三名律師給她一個人做諮詢。

諮詢結束後，她非常滿意，指出有不少一般性的法律問題，自己查書，查網路，問人，總有似是而非的疑惑，還常得到錯誤資訊，現在面對面的問律師，真是一下子就清楚了。不過，有些比較屬於特定行業的問題，在場的律師卻不見得能回答。她建議華美福利會下次可要參加諮詢服務者，事前提交問題，請律師們事前做準備，他們就獲益更大了。

華美福利會表示，該會將就這首次辦理的一對一諮詢服務做一檢討，再和公民權利和經濟平等律師委員會商量，下次什麼時候再辦，估計將來一季辦一次。

查詢可洽華美福利會，617-426-9492 分機 205，或以電郵scarlettwu@aaca-boston.org 和Scarlett聯絡。

圖片說明：

            左起，公民權利和經濟平等律師委員會服務的Gerald Glover III，華美福利會董事長陳美霞和三名律師，Bryan MacDonald，Roy Grant，J. R. Ames在諮詢服務結束後合影。（菊子攝）

President’s Immigration Announcement a Welcome but Incomplete Step

President’s Immigration Announcement a Welcome but Incomplete Step 

WASHINGTON—Kathy Ko Chin, president and CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) issued the following statement following the announcement by President Obama that he will implement targeted immigration relief, protecting an estimated 5 million people from deportation.

“The President’s announcement is a much needed and welcomed step. Providing deportation relief is within his legal authority and is the fair and humane thing to do for millions of our immigrant community members who have been living in the U.S. and supporting our economy for decades. At the same time, we are in this positon because Congress has failed to act on comprehensive reform.

While administrative relief will undoubtedly change the lives of those impacted for the better, the President can, and must, do more. We are disappointed that, as millions of Americans shop for and enroll in the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) coverage options, some immigrants who legally live, work and pay taxes in this country are locked out of the Marketplace. When the administration granted young people relief under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, it later removed their ability to access affordable coverage. Secretary Burwell has noted this must be fixed and that we need an immigration system that includes access to health care. Yet the administration’s policy does the opposite and undermines the historic achievement of the ACA. This is a glaring inequity that President Obama should remedy today.” 

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The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Learn more at http://www.apiahf.org/.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTION ON IMMIGRATION

STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTION ON IMMIGRATION

BOSTON – Thursday, November 20, 2014– Governor Deval Patrick today released the following statement on President Obama’s Executive Action on immigration: 

"I am grateful for the President's leadership.  By calling for action on comprehensive reform legislation, he has not ignored the Congress's authority, and by using his executive authority as he has, he has not ignored his own.”

"America's enduring strength is her appeal to the hunger in the human heart for freedom, equality, opportunity, and fair play. That has brought aspirants to our shores for centuries,  to renew and replenish our culture and our economy.  We need to fix the rules that govern how they come and deal with the reality that, in the land of the free, some of our neighbors, friends and coworkers live in the shadows."

Statement from ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND

ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND

 

Tonight, President Obama announced his plan to provide administrative relief to certain groups of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The following is a statement by Margaret Fung, executive director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund:

 

"We welcome President Obama's use of executive authority to provide relief from deportation to millions of undocumented immigrants and their families. The Asian American population nationwide is 19 million, and close to 1.5 million Asian immigrants are undocumented. Current deportation and detention policies have separated Asian American families, harmed low-wage workers, and created fear and mistrust of local law enforcement. With the continued failure of Congress to enact comprehensive legislation, President Obama's action to delay the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants is long overdue. 

 

In our exit poll of 4,100 Asian American voters in the 2014 midterm elections, 65% expressed their support for executive action on immigration. The measures announced tonight are an important step in the right direction, in order to ensure that the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws adheres to human rights principles and reflects American values of fairness and family unity.

 

The omission of large numbers of undocumented immigrants with strong ties to the U.S., such as the parents of immigrants who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), is disappointing. AALDEF will continue to support organizing and advocacy efforts that seek long-term solutions to our unworkable immigration policies. Such actions will pave the way for Asian immigrants and their families to gain a pathway to citizenship, contribute more fully to their communities and to our country as a whole, and protect the rights of all Americans, both native-born and immigrants."

 

President Obama Is Taking Steps to Fix Our Broken

Thursday, November 20th, 2014

Infographic: President Obama Is Taking Steps to Fix Our Broken Immigration System

Here's how President Obama is using his executive authority to increase accountability and fix our broken immigration system. Learn more at WhiteHouse.gov/Immigration-Action.

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Immigration Administrative Action Matters to Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities and All Communities

Immigration Administrative Action Matters to Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities and All Communities

WASHINGTON— President Obama will address the nation Thursday night to announce administrative action on immigration to keep families together. It’s good news and it’s the right step for our nation as the fight forward continues for a lasting immigration solution. It is a win for millions of families, mothers and fathers, children, hard-working people and students who will be able to walk a new path into the light of our democracy and economy.

SEIU Local 521 Chief Elected Officer Luisa Blue is available for interviews about the president’s decision in the context of Asian American and Pacific Islander families and all working families. To arrange an interview with Long, call or email Beau Boughamer (202/765-9143, beau.boughamer@seiu.org).

Prior to becoming the CEO of SEIU 521, Blue was the first President of SEIU Local 121 RN in Southern California. Blue was also the Organizing Director for SEIU Local 790, a large public sector union in Northern California.  At SEIU Local 790, Blue organized over 10,000 workers in five years.  She was responsible for the successful organizing campaign of airport screeners – predominantly Asian immigrants – at the San Francisco airport.

She began her trade union work in 1977 when she was a member of SEIU Local 400 in San Francisco.  She was a registered nurse at San Francisco General Hospital and started her union activity as a shop steward for the Registered Nurse Chapter.

In August 2001, Blue became the first woman and the first Filipina to be elected National President for the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. She was re-elected in 2003.

波士頓成立台美商業俱樂部

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處昨（十九）日在劍橋市艾美酒店（Le Meridien Hotel）成立「台、美商業俱樂部」，預定每季辦一次活動，以加強紐英崙地區美商，台商，以及雙邊政府的交流，了解。

            經文處處長賴銘琪，麻州住宅及經濟發展廳廳長畢樂基（Gregory Bialecki）分別為這成立盛舉致詞。麻州眾議員陳德基也應邀與盛。

            賴銘琪拿英文的Free，既有免費，也有自由兩重意思做文章，笑說台灣、美國都是自由國家，加入俱樂部當會員免費。

            賴銘琪也引述數據，指台灣和麻州，美國的雙邊經濟關係密切。在2013年時，台灣是美國的第十二大貿易夥伴，雙邊貿易額達到636億美元，美國在台灣迄今仍是外國直接投資（FDI)的最大國。從1952年到2014年的一月，總投資額超過233億美元。台灣投資進美國的總金額也高達136億美元左右。他相信借由成立「台、美商業俱樂部」，可為雙邊創造更多貿易，經濟合作機會。

            轄管十四個州政府機構的畢樂基表示，麻州州長派區克（Deval Patrick）一向支持國際化，率領貿易團出訪，不只是做生意，更推動了經濟發展，國際參與。麻州機場的直飛城市，從以前的28個增加到現在的41個，不只是到歐洲，更包括了亞洲，中東，拉丁美洲，讓大波士頓真正的國際化了。

            經文處經濟組組長石大玲在開幕致詞中指出，麻州早年有過類似組織，但因故已沈寂多年。經文處認為美商，台商之間，需要這麼一個平台，才容易促進彼此了解，增加商機，因此籌備推出這一俱樂部。昨日只是第一次聚會，先讓有心接觸者見面，將來再研究運作架構與方式。

波士頓「台、美商業俱樂部 (US-Taiwan Business Club, Boston Chapter) 」的成立大會，昨日安排了三家企業介紹各自的業務內容，以及他們和台灣的關係。

都在台灣設有分公司的Nordson EFD的全球行銷主任Gaurav Sunny Verma，以及波士頓電力公司（Boston-Power）的技術長Rick Chamberlain博士，和來自台灣，在麻州經營的E Ink的財務長聶禮和等人應邀做講談。

Nordson EFD和波士頓電力公司都指台灣在生產技術，人才，地理位置等方面的優勢，是他們選擇與台灣合作的原因之一。

             聶禮和則透露，大波士頓是美國的科技重鎮之一，哈佛，麻省理工學院等人才鼎盛，對該公司來說當然非常具有吸引力，但是美國在稅務，人才晉用上的繁瑣規定，卻也大出他們意料之外。他相信「台、美商業俱樂部」這樣的平台，的確可幫助有心者提早，或許也更深入的瞭解到另一方的經商環境與條件。

        昨日有不下八，九十人出席活動。T.D.T貿易公司總經理張耀熙，資訊樹（Info Tree）公司董事長楊義煌，新英格蘭台灣商會理事蔡明機，王本仁，波克萊台灣商會副會長蘇鴻昌，華美銀行資深副總裁李康美，副總裁林志超，紐英崙玉山科技協會前會長康麗雪等都對「台、美商業俱樂部」的未來，有很多期許。

圖片說明：

            駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪（左二），經濟組組長石大玲（右起）會中邀嘉賓，E Ink財務長聶禮，麻州眾議員陳德基，麻州港務局 Michael Vanderberk等人合影。（菊子攝）

            經文處處長賴銘琪，麻州住宅及經濟發展廳廳長畢樂基（Gregory Bialecki）（前左一，二）是「台、美商業俱樂部」成立大會的致詞人。（菊子攝）

            經文處經濟組長石大玲（立者）為大會做說明。（菊子攝）

波士頓電力公司（Boston-Power）的技術長Rick Chamberlain博士說明該公司在台灣經營的概況。（菊子攝）