NAPABA Members Lobby Congress During Asian Pacific Heritage Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2014
Contact: Azizah Ahmad
NAPABA MEMBERS LOBBY CONGRESS DURING
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
WASHINGTON — Today, Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys from around the country are gathered on Capitol Hill for the second day of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Annual Lobby Day.
The NAPABA Annual Lobby Day kicked off yesterday with the APA Heritage Month Congressional Reception. The reception featured speaker and honorary Lobby Day Chair and former NAPABA regional governor, Senator Mazie Hirono. Other members of Congress, including chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Congressman Mark Takano also addressed NAPABA members and leaders from the APA community during the reception.
“This month we celebrate the obstacles Asian Pacific Americans have overcome, the contributions they have made, and the opportunities America has given,” said William Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “So we are excited to once again meet with legislators in Washington to discuss issues affecting APA, and all Americans.”
Lobby Day continues today with Hill visits where NAPABA members will lobby in support of the 14 policy resolutions that the NAPABA Board of Governors adopted earlier this year. These policy resolutions include issues regarding commonsense immigration reform, affirmative action, and voting rights. A complete list of the resolutions can be found at http://bit.ly/NAPABA_Resolutions. More information about Lobby Day can be found at http://bit.ly/2014NAPABALobbyDay.
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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 68 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.
Upcoming Manhattan Family Justice Center Core Trainings
Save the Dates and Register Now!
Upcoming Manhattan Family Justice Center Core Trainings
The NYC Family Justice Center in Manhattan is happy to announce our next round of core trainings. Our core training program provides professional development on the most relevant topics for service providers working with victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, sex trafficking, and elder abuse.
Ø Criminal Justice
Monday, June 23rd 9 am – 12 pm
Facilitated by Manhattan District Attorney’s Office & NYPD
Ø Immigration Law: Options and Remedies
Monday, June 23rd 1-4 pm
Facilitated by Her Justice
Ø Risk Assessment & Safety Planning
Tuesday, June 24th 9 am – 12 pm
Facilitated by MFJC Staff
Ø Shelter & Housing
Tuesday, June 24th 1-4 pm
Facilitated by New Destiny Housing & MFJC Staff
Ø Family & Matrimonial Law
Wednesday, June 25th 1-4 pm
Facilitated by NY Legal Assistance Group
Ø Domestic Violence Dialogue
Thursday, June 26nd 11 am – 1 pm
Facilitated by Urban Justice Project
Ø Self-Sufficiency & Economic Empowerment
Friday, June 27th 10 am – 1 pm
Facilitated by MFJC Staff
Ø Culture Conversations: LGBTQ Communities
Tuesday, July 29th 1-4 pm
Facilitated by NYC Anti-Violence Project and NY Legal Assistance Group
All trainings will be held in the MFJC Training Room at 80 Centre Street (cross street Worth St.), 5th Floor, New York, NY 10013. More training details will follow soon.
First Asian Pacific American attorney in New York
(photo credit: Wikipedia)
AABANY last week awarded posthumous membership to Hong Yen Chang (张康仁 ; also known as Hong Yeng Chang, Henry Chang, and Zhang Kangren). UC Davis law students are campaigning to posthumously admit Chang to the California Bar. He had applied in 1890, but was rejected because his U.S. citizenship was not recognized. He had previously resided in Brooklyn, and after studying at Columbia, Chang applied for admission to the New York Bar. While having “passed a very credible examination”, he was first denied admission because of his lack of U.S. citizenship due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. A special act of the New York Legislature (N.Y. L.1887 c. 249) allowed his admission despite this bar, and Chang was finally admitted in 1888.
This Saturday, May 17, will mark the 126th anniversary of his admission. As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we honor the first Asian Pacific American member of the bar in New York, and reportedly anywhere in the United States. We hope that the historical injustice Chang received in California will be corrected.
Source articles:
“Naturalizing a Chinaman: Hong Yen Chang’s Struggles to be Admitted to the Bar”, New York Times (Nov. 19, 1887)
“A Chinese Lawyer”, New York Times (May 18, 1888)
Session Law published in the Laws of New York 1887, Chapter 249:
