Honolulu, Hawaii – President Obama addressed the topic of immigration during his visit to the Betty Ong Chinese Recreation Center in San Francisco, last week.

In June of this year, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) joined with other national native organizations calling for immigration reform.

As the first people of the lands across the United States," said Michelle Kauhane, CNHA President, "we collectively, whether Hawaiian, American Indian or Alaska native, know well what it means to be fully engaged in the American democracy and to get there, we had to fight the injustice of being denied our rightful place at the table. We know the significance of family and extended family. We support and applaud President Obama for being a champion for the millions of men, women and children that are invisible and wait for a solution."

First Americans for New Americans (FANA) is a national initiative of Native leaders, across the country, that support comprehensive immigration reform. CNHA joined in the initiative in June of 2013, when meeting with leaders from the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN).

"We are even more convinced after speaking to tribal leaders during the White House conference on tribal nations", Kauhane said. "So many tribal leaders agree that comprehensive reform creates a path forward to advance the economies in their regions."

CNHA will continue its support of FANA and encourage Native leaders across the nation to encourage comprehensive immigration reform, supporting work toward a more navigable path to citizenship and a goal of improving our nation’s economy.

CNHA is a national network of Native Hawaiian Organizations, providing assistance in accessing capital and technical resources, and is a policy voice on issues important to Native Hawaiian communities. Its mission is to enhance the cultural, economic, political, and community development of Native Hawaiians. For more information about CNHA please contact us at 808.596.8155, toll-free at 1.800.709.2642, by e-mail at info@hawaiiancouncil.org, or at www.hawaiiancouncil.org.

(source: Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement)