Asian American Justice Center

Asian American Advocates Disappointed in Supreme Court's Decision in the Indiana Voter ID Case

noemail@advancingequality.org — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) and its affiliates – Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian Law Caucus and the Asian American Institute – join voting rights and advocacy groups nationwide in their disappointment in the United States Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Indiana voter photo identification law. The decision did, however, leave the door open to future challenges in Indiana and elsewhere by otherwise eligible voters who are denied their right to vote based on onerous and unconstitutional voter ID laws. Studies have shown that there are millions of eligible voters without the necessary IDs, including Asian Americans, said Tuyet Le, executive director of the Asian American Institute. As the dissent notes, Indiana’s law will sadly but predictably have its greatest impact on voters who are poor, elderly, belong to racial minorities or have disabilities. Asian Americans are among those who will be disproportionately...

Asian American Justice Center Disappointed With Closing of AZN Network

noemail@advancingequality.org — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Cites Lack of Investment To Develop Asian American Market Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a national civil rights organization, is disappointed with the Comcast announcement of the closing of the AZN Network as of April 9 for financial reasons. AZN Television specializes in programs targeted toward the Asian American community. AZN Network reached 13.9 million households and broadcast news, movies, dramas and other programming in multiple Asian languages, including Chinese, Tagalog, Japanese, Korean, Hindi and Vietnamese. It is especially unfortunate that AZN Television is going off the air when you consider the growth of the Asian American population, which is one of the fastest growing populations according to the Census Bureau, said Vincent A. Eng, deputy director of AAJC. It is our belief that the reason there is not yet a sufficient advertising demand is because the television entertainment companies have not made a sufficient investment to work...

Asian American Justice Center Applauds Congress for Protecting Worker's Rights in Omnibus Spending Bill

noemail@advancingequality.org — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a national civil rights organization, applauds Congress for omitting a harmful amendment to the 2007 omnibus spending bill. This amendment could have severely restricted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) ability to fully investigate and pursue civil actions against employers which have English-only policies in the workplace and are using these policies in a discriminatory and unconscionable manner.

“We commend Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Harry Reid, and the minority caucuses, especially Congressman Mike Honda and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, for taking a strong stance against any erosion of workplace discrimination enforcement,” said Vincent A. Eng, Deputy Director at AAJC. “An omnibus bill stripped of this amendment shows Congress’ outstanding commitment to preserving the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” he added.

“Congress has sent a commendable message that it will not condone any attacks on the rights of language minorities,” said Tuyet G. Duong, Staff Attorney at AAJC. “AAJC hopes to engage in a more productive conversation with Congress on funding integration strategies and how we as a nation can help Asian American workers and employees learn English,” she added.

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The Asian American Justice Center is a national organization dedicated to defending and advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans. It works closely with three affiliates – the Asian American Institute in Chicago, the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles – and nearly 100 community partners in 49 cities, 23 states and Washington, D.C.

Asian American Organizations Encouraged by Maximum Sentence in the Murder of Cha Vang; National Efforts Will Continue for Strengthening Hate Crime Laws

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND) and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) are encouraged that on the heels of Monday’s community rally around racial justice in Madison, Wis., James Nichols received the maximum sentence allowed under Wisconsin law in the murder of Hmong American Cha Vang. AAJC, HND and SEARAC, organizations that serve the Asian American community nationwide from their base in Washington, D.C., have closely followed the developments in this case and have strongly urged a hate crime enhancer and maximum penalty in the prosecution of Nichols. Nichols was originally charged with first degree intentional homicide but instead was convicted of second degree intentional homicide in October. Nichols was also convicted on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and concealing a corpse. Under the circumstances, we are pleased that the judge delivered the maximum sentence of 69 years...

AAJC AND 25 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ASIAN AMERICAN ADVOCACY GROUPS FILE AMICUS BRIEF IN VOTING RIGHTS CASE

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a national human and civil rights organization, and its affiliates – Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), Asian Law Caucus (ALC) and Asian American Institute (AAI) – along with 22 other national and local Asian American advocacy groups, filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court against Indiana’s restrictive voter ID law in the case of William Crawford et al. v. Marion County Election Board, et al, arguing that the voter ID disproportionately deprives Asian Americans of the right to vote and provides an invitation to discriminate against Asian American voters. In the case, the Supreme Court will decide if Indiana’s statute, which requires government-issued photo identification to be presented in order to vote is discriminatory and unconstitutional. Although supporters of the Indiana voter ID statute claim that restrictive voter ID requirements are necessary to combat fraud, opponents are quick to...

Asian American Justice Center Opposed to Legislative Language in Appropriations Bill Which Would Severely Restrict Workplace Discrimination Enforcement

noemail@advancingequality.org — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a national civil rights organization, is disappointed that last Friday the House passed a Motion to Instruct Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill conferees to accept language that could severely restrict the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) ability to fully investigate and pursue civil actions against employers which have English-only policies in the workplace and are using these policies in a discriminatory manner. This is the same provision which the House rejected earlier in this past summer. Senate and House conferees will be meeting tomorrow to finalize the appropriations bill. The Senate bill contains harmful language which would prevent EEOC from using its funds to investigate and bring actions against employers using English-only workplace standards in an unconscionable manner against employees. Over 22.5 percent of Asian Americans who do not speak English not well or not at all,...

The 2007 Asian Pacific American Media Coalition Report Card on Television Diversity

noemail@advancingequality.org — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Los Angeles—The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) is disappointed in the degree of progress that has been made by the four major networks -- ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC -- none of which improved their overall grades from last year. Overall, only 29 Asian Americans were cast in regular roles in prime-time, only two more than last year. And many of the regular roles are not quality roles with significant air time. When compared to other racial groups, APAs are still far less likely to be in starring roles in prime-time programming, although a number of shows are set in cities with high APA populations. Furthermore, APAs are the only ethnic group that does not boast someone as the star of his/her own show. The Coalition is pleased to see that the number of APA writers and producers have rebounded from the severe drop last year. However, there are still too few APA and other minority writers and producers on prime-time shows; and too few in charge of creative decisions. As a...

AAJC Urges Community to Call Out the 44 Senators Who Rejected the Dreams of Immigrant Youth

noemail@advancingequality.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) is extremely disappointed in the 44 Senators who yesterday voted against giving talented immigrant youth a chance to fully contribute to this country. Although a majority of Senators supported the DREAM Act, the 52 votes cast did not overcome the 60-vote threshold for today’s procedural motion. It is sad that so many of our law makers are willing to extinguish the dreams of young people who are willing to earn their right to stay in the country they call home by working hard in college or defending America in the military, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen Narasaki. Even though these immigrant students have done nothing wrong, the Senators who voted against today’s motion want to punish them for being trapped in an immigration system the Senate refused to fix. Last week, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) re-introduced the DREAM Act as a new stand-alone bill, S. 2205....

AT&T, Carol Lam and Peggy Saika to Receive Awards Tonight at AAJC's American Courage Awards Event; Yul Kwon to Emcee Ceremony

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, at 6:30 p.m. at the National Press Club, the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) will honor AT&T, former U.S. Attorney Carol Lam and community activist Peggy Saika at its annual American Courage Awards reception, which honors Americans who exemplify community service to Asian American and other minority communities. Survivor: Cook Islands winner Yul Kwon will emcee the event. This year’s awardees highlight what Americans are doing to protect and advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other minorities, said Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC. Their hard work and success are a testament to what community activism is contributing to our great nation. During the ceremony, AAJC will pay tribute to the Honorable Robert Takeo Matsui for his tireless work in Congress on behalf of all Americans, especially children and seniors. Sadly Congressman Matsui passed away New Year’s Day 2005, leaving behind a 26-year legacy that...

Asian American Justice Center Calls on USCIS to Inform Immigrant Communities About the New Naturalization Test

noemail@advancingequality.org — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a leading national civil and human rights organization, calls upon the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to conduct a comprehensive outreach plan to inform all segments of the Asian American and other immigrant communities of the new naturalization test. Last week, USCIS released the 100 questions and answers that comprise the civics portion of the new exam and will begin administering the test to new citizenship applicants beginning October 2008. AAJC has been involved in the redesign process for the new naturalization test for more than five years and we are disappointed that USCIS rushed to release the new exam without first creating a thorough community outreach and education plan, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. We are also alarmed that USCIS has yet to release detailed information regarding the pilot process for the new exam questions and has not released much information...

Asian American Justice Center Applauds Senate Passage of Hate Crimes Bill

noemail@advancingequality.org — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) applauds the Senate for voting to pass a bill that expands federal hate crimes coverage to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability, bringing it a step closer to becoming law. The vote came after a successful vote (60-39) to stop debate and add the amendment to the Department of Defense bill. The amendment, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (or The Matthew Shepard Act), will expand coverage to include gender, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and individuals with disabilities. It also provides grants to state and local communities to combat violent crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers, or to assist in state and local investigations and prosecutions of bias-motivated crimes. Comprehensive and meaningful federal hate crimes legislation is something that we have supported for a number of years now, said Aimee J. Baldillo, director of programs at AAJC....

ASIAN AMERICAN JUSTICE CENTER CITES SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT PROPOSED XM/SIRIUS MERGER

noemail@advancingequality.org — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center, a premier national civil rights organization filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission stating the proposed XM/Sirius satellite radio merger will create a monopoly to the detriment of the non-English language minority radio market. AAJC also cites the anticipated high costs of subscribing to satellite radio as a result of the monopoly status of the proposed merger that would have an adverse impact felt more significantly by minority communities. Full text of the submission by AAJC to the FCC is below: ASIAN AMERICAN JUSTICE CENTER COMMENTS TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGARDING APPLICATIONS FOR MERGER BY SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO INC. AND XM SATELLITE RADIO HOLDINGS, INC. The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC; formerly NAPALC, the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium) is dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the human and civil rights of the Asian American community...

Asian American Justice Center Applauds Senators who Upheld Family Values

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) commends the Senators who stood up for this nation’s commitment to due process and to our tradition of family-based immigration during the last two months’ Senate immigration debate. We applaud Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) for leading the fight for immigration reform that protects America’s family values and due process rights, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. We are outraged that Senate immigration restrictionists, led by Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), successfully blocked votes on several family amendments to the proposed Senate bill. We appreciate the efforts of Senators Menendez, Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Hilary Clinton (D-NY), Barack Obama (D-IL), Harry Reid (D-NV), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) to make improvements to the family provisions in the legislation that the Asian American community sought. AAJC supported five amendments to the family immigration section of the Senate...

Asian American Justice Center Condemns Senate Vote Against Moving Immigration Debate Forward

noemail@advancingequality.org — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate again allowed a minority of immigration restrictionists to maintain the broken status quo of our immigration system. Senators voted 46-53 against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) effort to move the comprehensive immigration reform legislation forward for a final vote. Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki applauded Senator Reid for his commitment to immigration reform, and condemned the restrictionists’ efforts this week to delay the legislative process and block efforts to pass legislation this year. Narasaki said, The House Immigration Subcommittee, under the leadership of Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), has held extensive hearings as part of a very thoughtful process that contrasts starkly with the severely flawed Senate and White House effort that was conducted behind closed doors. We hope her committee will continue its work in educating legislators and the American public...

Asian American Advocates Disappointed in Ruling in Supreme Court Case

noemail@advancingequality.org — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) and its affiliates – Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian Law Caucus and the Asian American Institute – join educational and advocacy groups nationwide in their disappointment and optimism in the United States Supreme Court’s split decision to overturn voluntary integration in the cases of Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education, et al., and Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1. AAJC filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the school districts in this case. This is a split decision with both positive and negative implications for our nation and Constitution, said Karen K. Narasaki, AAJC’s president and executive director. We do not support the Court’s ruling against the Seattle and Louisville voluntary integration programs as we believe them to be careful and effective. However, we are very pleased that a majority of the Court recognizes educational diversity and...

Asian American Justice Center Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Vincent Chin's Murder; Supports Passage of Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act

noemail@advancingequality.org — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) commemorates the 25th anniversary of the bias-motivated murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American who was killed in 1982 by two white men, Ronald Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz. Chin’s murder is considered to have been a turning point in the Asian American movement for civil rights. The Vincent Chin case is still important and relevant today, said Vincent A. Eng, deputy director of AAJC. Hate crimes continue to occur in society without justice being served. Legislation such as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the U.S. Congress is a step that can be taken today to ensure that perpetrators of hate crimes are properly prosecuted. Blaming Japanese carmakers for the decline in the local industry in Detroit, Ebens and Nitz, displaced auto workers, incorrectly assumed that Chin was Japanese and violently struck him with a baseball bat several times. Chin died in a coma four days later. Despite...

ASIAN AMERICAN JUSTICE CENTER ALARMED BY INCREASED IMMIGRATION FEES

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 30 May 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) strongly condemns the massive fee increases announced Tuesday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Under the new fee schedule, set to start on July 30, 2007, citizenship fees will rise from $400 to $675, an increase of 69 percent. Immigrants applying for lawful permanent resident status will now need to pay more than $1,000. Earlier this year, AAJC joined hundreds of national and local Asian American organizations and community members in opposing these hikes because of our concern over the detrimental impact the fee increase will have on immigrant communities, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. We are disappointed that the Bush Administration is moving forward with a fee increase of such magnitude even after the USCIS received thousands of public comments opposing the hike. This new fee schedule (available on www.uscis.gov) will affect a significant segment of the 13.9...

Asian American Advocates Deeply Concerned About Provisions in Senate Proposal to Cut Family Immigration Categories

noemail@advancingequality.org — Thu, 17 May 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) expressed concern about a compromise proposal offered by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that does not fully address the need for workable comprehensive immigration reform. Under this plan, there is a legalization program with a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. However, the adult children and sibling categories of the family-based immigration system would be effectively eliminated and replaced with an untested merit-based system, there is no path to permanency for temporary workers and non-citizens will receive inadequate due process protections. The close door negotiations produced a flawed bill that will end America’s historic commitment to the full reunification of families, said Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC. The proposed system is inconsistent with deeply held American values and these elements of the agreement must be addressed in order to win the...

Asian American Justice Center Applauds House Passage of Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act

noemail@advancingequality.org — Fri, 04 May 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Asian American Justice Center Applauds House Passage of
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a national civil rights organization, applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, with a bipartisan vote of 237-180. The Act enables the Department of Justice to assist federal, state and local law enforcement efforts in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes based on race, ethnic background and religion, and expands the definition of hate crimes to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

“Comprehensive and meaningful federal hate crime legislation is something that we have supported for years,” said Aimee Baldillo, director of programs at AAJC. “The passage of the bill in the House is an important step towards creating communities free of bigotry and the hate crimes it breeds. We hope Congress continues to work together across party lines in supporting such positive legislation.”

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The Asian American Justice Center, formerly known as NAPALC, is a national organization dedicated to defending and advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans. It works closely with three affiliates – the Asian American Institute in Chicago, the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles – and nearly 100 community partners in 49 cities, 23 states and Washington, D.C.

Asian American Justice Center Joins Advocacy Groups to Condemn Insensitive On-Air Remarks on CBS Radio, Call for Firings

noemail@advancingequality.org — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a leading national civil and human rights organization, and its affiliates – Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian Law Caucus and the Asian American Institute – join advocacy groups nationwide in strongly condemning CBS Radio, demanding a more racially sensitive programming ethos, and calling for the firing of two hosts at WFNY, its New York affiliate, following an inexcusably crude and offensive tirade against Chinese restaurant workers on The Dog House with JV and Elvis. In the six-minute segment, which aired on April 5 – and re-aired on April 19 – shock jocks Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay made a call to a Chinese restaurant in which they ordered shrimp flied lice, sexually propositioned a female waitress, and referred to another employee’s body part as a tiny egg roll. While we welcome the prompt apology from the station and suspension of the two employees, we believe this is far from enough, given the very...

Asian American Civil Rights Groups Offer Condolences to Victims and Families Affected by Virginia Tech Shooting Tragedy

noemail@advancingequality.org — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a leading national civil and human rights organization, and its affiliates – Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), Asian Law Caucus and the Asian American Institute – join Asian American advocacy groups nationwide in offering deepest condolences to the victims and families devastated by Monday’s killing spree at Virginia Tech University.

“Our hearts go out to everyone struck by this monumental tragedy,” said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. “It is difficult to imagine the degree of sorrow and loss faculty, staff and students are feeling right now.”

Stewart Kwoh, executive director of APALC, added, "We join in expressing sorrow to the families of the victims and we will monitor the aftermath of the tragedy and express our strong hope that there will be no backlash against Asian Americans or Korean Americans in particular."

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The Asian American Justice Center, formerly known as NAPALC, is a national organization dedicated to defending and advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans. It works closely with three affiliates – the Asian American Institute of Chicago, the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles – and nearly 100 community partners in 49 cities, 23 states and Washington, D.C.

Asian American Justice Center Applauds CBS Radio's Decision to Cancel Don Imus' Radio Show

noemail@advancingequality.org — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a leading national civil and human rights organization, joins minority advocacy groups nationwide in applauding CBS Radio’s Thursday decision to cancel Imus in the Morning following crude, bigoted language by veteran talk show host Don Imus targeting African American players of the Rutgers University women’s basketball team broadcast last week. MSNBC canceled its simulcast on Wednesday, while many advertisers retracted their sponsorship. We are grateful to see CBS Radio and MSNBC acting responsibly – along with the corporate sponsors who have pulled their business from the show, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. This is hardly the first time Don Imus has crossed the line with his malignant racial epithets and we are pleased with the result. On April 4, Imus referred to members of the Rutgers team as nappy-headed hos. Over the years, Imus has made many offensive remarks about minorities,...

Asian American Leaders Announce Overwhelming Opposition to Anti-Family Immigration Proposal

noemail@advancingequality.org — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Asian American leaders joined the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) has in announcing strong opposition by the Asian American community to the set of principles created by a group of Republican Senators including Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and supported by the Bush Administration. This set of principles is a nonstarter – they don’t work, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. They don’t address the underlying problems leading to undocumented immigration – and, in fact, the policies would actually exacerbate the problems. They offer only false promises to the undocumented already here. And they are very anti-family. The White House has been working privately for several weeks with Republican congressional representatives most opposed to comprehensive immigration form. Their plan was to generate a set of principles for immigration reform to gain support for President Bush’s plan to enact laws that would address the some 12 million undocumented...

Organizations Call for Historic National APA Mobilization for Just and Humane Immigration Reform

noemail@advancingequality.org — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Grassroots and advocacy organizations across the country are calling for a nationwide mobilization of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) to Washington, D.C. next month. Features of this two-day event, which begins on Monday, April 30 and ends on Tuesday, May 1, will include community dialogues, legislative visits, and a rally in the Capital. Eun Sook Lee, Executive Director of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) explains. Hundreds of participants from more than 20 states will come together to educate the public and lawmakers about how today’s broken immigration system is hurting all our communities, she said. This event comes at a strategic moment with the recent introduction of the first serious legislative proposal in the new Congress by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ). As the debate begins to unfold, APAs must come together to project our unified voice and vision for just and humane...

Asian American Justice Center Encouraged by New Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, the STRIVE Act of 2007

noemail@advancingequality.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a leading national civil and human rights organization, is encouraged by today’s bipartisan introduction of the STRIVE (Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy) Act of 2007 by Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ). This comprehensive immigration reform bill contains provisions that provide regularized legal channels for new immigrants to help strengthen the American economy, reforms the employment and family-based immigration system, and adjusts the status of eligible undocumented immigrants. We applaud Congressmen Gutierrez and Flake for working together to create a truly comprehensive piece of legislation. While we will be working to address some of our concerns about certain provisions in the bill, it is a strong start toward the passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation in 2007, said Karen Narasaki, President and Executive Director of the AAJC. It is...

AAJC Endorses Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) applauds the introduction of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, critical legislation providing local police departments with federal resources to combat hate violence into the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday. AAJC joins more than 210 law enforcement, civil rights, civic and religious organizations supporting its passage. The bipartisan Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) was introduced by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with more than 100 other members of Congress. The Senate is expected to introduce a companion bill next month. We are pleased that the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act has been introduced in this Congress. All too often, Asian Americans find themselves victimized by hate crimes, said Aimee J. Baldillo, director of programs at AAJC. It is important that the federal government be able to address cases that state and...

Asian American Justice Center Applauds Today's Introductionof the Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C., – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a leading national civil and human rights organization, applauds today’s introduction of the Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007 by Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) as well as Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Mike Honda (D-CA), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Hila Solis (D- CA), Ed Pastor (D-AZ) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ). If enacted, this legislation will provide much-needed resources to improve our nation’s immigration system, while helping immigrants and their families navigate the complex immigration and naturalization processes. This bill will affect a significant segment of the 13.9 million Asian Americans in the United States today – more than 60 percent of whom were born overseas. In 2005 alone, more than 200,000 Asian immigrants (representing 39 percent of all naturalizations that year) became U.S. Citizens. In addition, 36...

Asian American Justice Center Releases Groundbreaking Report on Adult Literacy Education in Immigrant Communities

noemail@advancingequality.org — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – With interest in the pressing need to improve programs for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOLs) at an all-time high, the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) today released a comprehensive report detailing strategic investments and approaches that can transform this critical educational arena. A number of demographic, economic and social factors have converged to dramatically underscore the need for both the private and public sector to increase research and support for the full range of effective ESOL programs, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. The inability to speak English fluently is a powerful barrier to attaining jobs that pay a living wage, economic advancement, citizenship and the opportunity to vote. It is imperative that we invest in improving the quality and quantity of delivery of such programs. The report, Adult Literacy Education in Immigrant Communities: Identifying Policy and Program Priorities for Helping...

Asian American Leaders Criticize AsianWeek For Printing Kenneth Eng's Column Why I Hate Blacks

noemail@advancingequality.org — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 22:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. –Asian American leaders joined together to criticize AsianWeek for printing Kenneth Eng’s column Why I Hate Blacks in its February 23rd edition. The leaders condemn the piece as irresponsible journalism, blatantly racist, replete with stereotypes, and deeply hurtful to African Americans. They called on AsianWeek to take immediate action and issue an unequivocal apology, terminate their relationship with Kenneth Eng, print an editorial refuting the column, review their editorial policy and process, and hold those responsible accountable. The original column can be found in the print and on the AsianWeek website at: http://tinyurl.com/2kbtdt The leaders call on all individuals to contact AsianWeek on this matter: Tel: (415) 397-0220 Email: asianweek@asianweek.com An online petition is available at: http://www.capaweb.org/awpetition Eng’s article is unacceptable and offensive not only to African Americans, but to all Americans, said Karen K. Narasaki, President and...

National Asian American Organizations Concerned With Omission of Hate Crimes Charge in the Murder of Cha Vang

noemail@advancingequality.org — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND) and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) are disappointed that law enforcement authorities did not charge James Nichols with a hate crime for the murder of Cha Vang in his preliminary hearing in Marinette County today. Nichols has already been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, being a felon in possession of a firearm and concealing a corpse, and he will be formally arraigned on March 19. An autopsy revealed that Vang, who was murdered while hunting in Peshtigo, Wisconsin last month, had been shot once and stabbed six times in the neck, severing his jugular vein. According to the criminal complaint, a wooden stick was found protruding from his mouth, and his body was found hidden beneath a log and small debris of leaves and sticks. Nichols was arrested for the murder. Because of the viciousness of the murder and inflammatory statements about the Hmong made by...

AAJC CONCERNED BY SKYROCKETING COSTS OF CITIZENSHIP

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), a leading national civil and human rights organization, is deeply troubled by the massive fee increases proposed today by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Under the proposal, citizenship fees would rise from $400 to $675, an increase of 69 percent. Other immigration filing fees would increase by an average of 66 percent. A fee increase of such magnitude will have a disproportionate and detrimental impact on the Asian American community, said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki. More than 60 percent of the Asian American community was born outside the U.S. In 2005 alone, more than 200,000 immigrants from Asia became U.S. citizens. Another two million Asian immigrants are eligible to naturalize, but have not yet applied for citizenship. Narasaki continued, Furthermore, many native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens in our community are in the process of reuniting with their...

STATEMENT BY AAJC PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON PRESIDENT BUSHS STATE OF THE UNION

noemail@advancingequality.org — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Asian American Justice Center President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki issued the following statement in response to President Bushs State of the Union address: The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) appreciates President Bush’s call to enact comprehensive immigration reform. He has long recognized that our broken immigration system must be fixed, and that it cannot be fixed piecemeal or by enforcement measures alone. We were pleased to see members of Congress on both sides of the aisle respond enthusiastically to the president’s call for a long-needed overhaul of our nation’s immigration system. As the legislative process moves forward, AAJC will pay careful attention to the elements and details of comprehensive immigration reform. These will include a workable path to legal status and eventual citizenship for undocumented immigrants and for future immigrant workers; reduction of the unconscionable backlogs in the family immigration system; meaningful...

National Asian American Organizations Urge Thorough Investigation into the Murder of Cha Vang in Wisconsin

noemail@advancingequality.org — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – The tragic killing of Cha Vang in Peshtigo, Wisconsin last weekend drew alarm from Asian American communities across the country. The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND) and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), are leading the call for a full investigation into the causes behind Mr. Vang’s death. We call on law enforcement officials to investigate this case as a possible hate crime, said Vincent A. Eng, deputy director of AAJC, an organization that promotes human and civil rights for Asian Americans nationwide. If this incident was motivated by racial hatred, we urge authorities to fully prosecute this killing under all applicable Wisconsin hate crime statutes. Sky Savail-Hotrich, interim chief executive officer of HND, which represents Hmong Americans nationally, offered condolences to the victim’s family, while pledging to work with local community members to ensure that further tragedies such as these...