APALA Mourns Tragic Loss of Dream Activists Tam Tran and Cinthya Felix

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Malcolm Amado Uno

Phone: (202) 508-3733

Email: muno@apalanet.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. - APALA mourns the tragic loss of Tam Tran and Cinthya Felix, two courageous young women leaders in the movement for immigrant student rights.  On May 15, 2010, Tran and Felix were passengers in a car struck by a truck driven by a driver under the influence.

"We at APALA are devastated by the loss of Tam Tran and Cinthya Felix," said John Delloro, APALA National President.  "They represented the best and brightest of this generation, leaving behind a legacy to advance the rights of undocumented students."

Last year, Tran presented at the APALA Convention and was also a participant at the First National Asian Pacific American Workers' Rights Hearing.  In 2007, Tran testified before Congress advocating for the passage of the DREAM Act, emerging as a national spokesperson on this important legislation.  As an undergraduate student at UCLA, Tran co-founded UCLA IDEAS, an undocumented student group and was one of the featured students in "Underground Undergrads:  UCLA undocumented immigrant students speak out."

Felix was attending Columbia University pursuing a master's degree in public health.  She worked as a graduate student researcher on health care access within immigrant communities and dreamed of becoming a physician.  She was recently profiled in a documentary, produced by Tran, on the plight of undocumented immigrant students.

"Although we mourn the passing of Tam Tran and Cinthya Felix, we celebrate their lives and their spirit with a new commitment to pass the DREAM Act," said Kent Wong, APALA Founding President.

Both families are accepting donations via http://tamandcinthyamemorial.blogspot.com/.  You may also send flowers or cards to: 220 Westwood Boulevard, Community Programs Office 105, Student Activity Center, 106C Los Angeles, CA 90095-1454

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The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO was founded in 1992 as the first and only national organization for Asian Pacific American union members to advance worker, immigrant and civil rights.