The Dream Riders, a group of cyclists biking from Seattle to San Diego in support of undocumented immigrants’ rights, stopped in Fresno where they shared a meal with the congregation at University Presbyterian Church on Aug. 26.
The Citizenship for All: Journey to Justice tour is an initiative created and led by young members of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium as a means of garnering attention for the rights of the 11 million undocumented immigrants across the country.
The trek began on Aug. 1 and is scheduled to conclude on Sept. 5, the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) policy.
The group consists of 11 core riders with additional volunteers joining along the way on their 1708-mile journey over 37 days, riding sometimes up to 90 miles a day, meeting and speaking with various communities as they go and camping when they can’t find lodging.
Jung Woo Kim, a Dream Rider and Los Angeles resident who came to America when he was 15 and did not receive DACA benefits until he was 28, said these are not just Asian or Latinx issues and wants the effort to be inclusive to immigrants of all nationalities.
“We can really bring awareness and solidarity to other communities as well,” Kim said. “If we can bring hope and build unity, I think the future will be much brighter.”
The riders are made up of individuals from across the country, including Texas, Chicago, Seattle and California. Some of the riders are DACA recipients, some are intercountry adoptees and some are just volunteers.
Alice, a UCLA student and rider who declined to provide her last name for her own protection, said the campaign means more than just citizenship but is also about equality and basic human rights for all people. She has also founded a clothing company, Soju Speakwear, to deliver her message of fair treatment and immigration reform.
“I want people to think about what that piece of paper really means, because that piece of paper affects a lot of different aspects of our community members,” Alice said. “This is about achieving equality for everyone that is seeking a better life and better opportunities in this country.”
