FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS NINE GRANTS TO EDUCATE EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS ABOUT IMMIGRATION DISCRIMINATION WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nine community-based organizations across the nation will receive nearly one million dollars in grants to educate workers and employers about immigration-related employment discrimination, the Justice Department announced today. Three of the organizations are located in Los Angeles, and the others are located in Dallas, San Diego, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., and New York City. The grants, awarded by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices of the Civil Rights Division (OSC), will educate employers about their responsibilities and workers about their rights under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), also known as the Immigration and Reform Control Act (IRCA). The funds total $900,000 and range from $54,000 to $150,000. "We must not only enforce antidiscrimination laws, but ensure that victims of discrimination know their rights and that employers know their responsibilities," said OSC Special Counsel William Ho- Gonzalez. "This grant program will tap into the expertise and credibility of community-based organizations and employer groups, which are ideally suited for implementing effective public education efforts." The following nine recipients were selected from a national pool of 115 community-based organizations: American Council on International Personnel, New York, New York; Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Los Angeles, California; Catholic Charities, Dallas, Texas; Catholic Charities, San Diego, California; La Raza Centro Legal, Inc., San Francisco, California; Little Havana Development Authority, Inc., Miami, Florida; Mexican American Grocers Association Foundation, Los Angeles, California; National Immigration Law Center, Los Angeles, California; Organization of Chinese Americans, Washington, D.C. The funds will be used to conduct a multi-lingual educational program for workers and employers both at worksites and within outlying neighborhoods. The recipients will use the funds to educate persons through individual counseling, community presentations and seminars which will be open to the public. For additional information about INA's antidiscrimination provision write to: Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice P.O. Box 27728 Washington, D.C. 20038-7728 # # # 94-572