featured graphic for California State Senator Dave Min representing District 37 during COVID-19

Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) applauds reversal of DMV’s proposed elimination of language access

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Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) released the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom halting the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ proposal to eliminate 25 language options from its written driving test, including Korean:

Yesterday, I released a statement criticizing the DMV’s attempt to eliminate 25 language services, including Korean, the fifth most commonly spoken non-English language in California. Today, the Governor stopped this from happening,” Min said. “DMV’s proposal would have deprived Korean Americans and other New Americans of their ability to legally drive. I applaud the Governor’s swift action to correct this significant issue that would have harmed so many Asian Americans and communities of color, at a time when these same communities feel unwelcome and under attack during a wave of anti-Asian violence.

Previous statement criticizing proposal

“California is home to the largest population of Korean Americans in the country, with nearly a half million residents of Korean descent,” Min said. “The DMV’s proposal to eliminate 25 language options from its written driving tests, including Korean, will deprive Korean Americans and other new Americans of their ability to legally drive, something that is effectively a requirement to get around in many parts of this state, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. I unequivocally condemn this proposal and will be following up with DMV Director Steve Gordon and his staff to understand why, in the midst of a national surge in anti-Asian hate that has terrified and dismayed California’s Asian American population, the DMV has chosen to take actions that will so deeply harm this group.”

About Dave Min

Dave Min represents California State Senate District 37, which is located in Orange County and includes the communities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Foothill Ranch, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park.

Dave was a University of California Irvine law professor and a former economic policy staffer in the United States Senate and for the Center for American Progress. He began his legal career at the Securities and Exchange Commission to protect the retirement security of seniors, turning down high paying jobs to serve the public interest. Dave and his wife Jane live and work in Irvine, where they are raising their three young children.

The article above was released by the office of California State Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine).