Month: May 2014

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Descendants of Chinese workers who built transcontinental railroad to correct historical wrong

Descendants of Chinese workers who built transcontinental railroad to correct historical wrong

Saturday, May 10th will mark the 145th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.  The historic linking of east with west  was completed with the ceremonial golden spike…

Countless Chinese workers who contributed their labor and expertise perished to make construction of the Transcontinental Railroad possible, yet the original 1869 photograph marking its completion excluded all persons of Chinese descent. Filed under “Things that are Right in the World” this week, this Saturday, May 10, on the 145th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, the descendants of these Chinese Americans will meet at Promontory Point, Utah to recreate the historic photograph and correcting the historical wrong. New York’s very own Corky Lee has the honor of taking the photograph. Click on the link to read interviews with participants and learn more about the historical contribution of Chinese Americans to the Transcontinental Railroad. (AABANY members may know Corky from the many AABANY Annual Dinners and events he has photographed over the years.)

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New Modern Chinese Women and Gender Politics: The Centennial of the End of the Qing Dynasty, by Ya-chen Chan, on Friday, May 9, 2014

Please join the Asian American / Asian Research Institute for a talk on, New Modern Chinese Women and Gender Politics: The Centennial of the End of the Qing Dynasty, by Ya-chen Chan, on Friday, May 9, 2014, from 6PM to 8PM, at 25 West 43rd Street, 10th Floor, Room 1000, between 5th & 6th Avenues, Manhattan. This talk is free and open to the general public.

Dr. Ya-chen Chen will discuss her new book, New Modern Chinese Women and Gender Politics: The Centennial of the End of the Qing Dynasty. The past century witnessed dramatic changes in the lives of modern Chinese women and gender politics. The book traces the radical changes in gender politics in China, and the way in which the lives, roles and status of Chinese women have been transformed over the last one hundred years. In doing so, it highlights three distinctive areas of development for modern Chinese women and gender politics: first, women’s equal rights, freedom, careers, and images about their modernized femininity; second, Chinese women’s overseas experiences and accomplishments; and third, advances in Chinese gender politics of non-heterosexuality and same-sex concerns.

Ya-chen Chen is an Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages and Literature and Director of Chinese Language Program at Clark University. Dr. Chen is currently a visiting scholar at Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute. While at Columbia University, Dr. Chen is conducting research on “Queering Chinese Women: LBT Research, Literature, and Cinema in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China.” Dr. Chen was formally a faculty member and Director of Asian Studies at City College of New York – City University of New York. Her academic books include Women and Gender in Contemporary Chinese Societies: Beyond Han Patriarchy; Women in Chinese Martial Arts Films of the New Millennium; Higher Education in East Asia: Neoliberalism and the Professoriate; Women in Taiwan: Sociocultural Perspectives; and Farewell My Concubine: Same-Sex Readings and Cross-Cultural Dialogues.

To RSVP for this talk, please visit http://aaari.info/14-05-09Chen.htm. Please be prepared to present proper identification when entering the building lobby.

For those unable to attend, watch the live webcast of the talk on our website homepage, beginning at 6:15PM EST, or catch the post-live video and audio podcast online the following week. For updates and to view videos from past events, please visit www.aaari.info.

See you on Friday!

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Pro Bono Opportunity: Assist Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence?

Pro Bono Opportunity: Assist Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence?

Immigrant victims of domestic violence face several obstacles to safety. In addition to cultural and language barriers, abusers may use immigration status or threat of deportation to assert power and control. Immigrant victims are also less likely to call the police out of fear of deportation. The Government Service & Public Interest Committee and Pro Bono & Community Service Committee of AABANY are launching a pilot pro bono project with Legal Services NYC. 

Dear members,

Please take our survey! We’re trying to do some good for victims of domestic violence undergoing the immigration complications. You can help. The survey is available by following the link in the title. It should take only a moment of your time. Thank you!

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Watch this episode of CUNY TV’s Asian American Life, featuring Helen Wan talking about The Partner Track with comments on breaking the bamboo ceiling by AABANY President Clara Ohr, AABANY Executive Director Yang Chen, and Ona Wang, Partner, Baker Hostetler. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
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American Democracy & the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters – New York Law Journal feat. AABANY President Clara Ohr & AABANY Member Presiding Justice Randall T. Eng

The New York Law Journal’s May 1st issue, titled “American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters,” featured AABANY members Clara Ohr (Assistant General Counsel-Trading at Hess Corporation) and  Randall Eng (Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department).

AABANY President Clara Ohr’s article is entitled, “Helping Every Vote Get Cast,” on the importance of voter participation and how we as lawyers can safeguard the rights of all eligible voters. Randall Eng’s “Courts Play a Vital Role in Assuring Fairness” offers his perspective on the judiciary’s roles in New York. We thank Clara Ohr and Randall Eng for offering their well-informed opinions to shed light on different sides of voters’ rights issues.

To read all Law Day articles online, click here. To read a high-resolution PDF of this excerpt from the New York Law Journal as well as for more AABANY members “In the News,” please visit our website.

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Reprinted with permission from the May 1st edition of the New York Law Journal © 2014 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. For information, contact 877-257-3382 or [email protected] or visit www.almeprints.com.

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Get Involved, Stay Connected: New York City Bar Association Committee Applications Still Being Accepted

It’s not too late to become a Committee member at the New York City Bar Association, which means that it’s not too late to become involved in over 150 areas of law within a membership body of over 24,000 students and legal professionals! NYCBA is still accepting applications for Committee member positions, and though some deadlines have passed, others are ready and willing for someone to take strong hold of the leadership opportunities.

NYCBA has reached out and noted that AABANY members are strongly encouraged to apply. The sooner, the better. Let’s get the ball rolling.

If you are interested contact [email protected]. Thank you!

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New York City Bar Association Discounted Membership

The New York City Bar Association, founded in 1870 in response to public concern over the New York City justice system, is a voluntary association of students and legal professionals that has grown to a membership of over 24,000. Benefits of membership include over 150 committees working to improve and reform the practice and administration of law, a members-only library that happens to be the largest member-funded in the country, and not to mention the unparalleled professional opportunities. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read more about membership benefits here.

The New York City Bar Association has prepared a special discount for AABANY members, waiving the one-time admission fee and giving members 20% off their semi-annual membership dues payment. 

PROMO CODE: AABANY14 

Go to https://www.nycbar.org/cgi-bin/special_offer_aaba.pl

Get it while it’s hot, folks.

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AALDEF Position Announcement – Voting Rights Organizer

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Voting Rights Organizer

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) is a New York-based national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, advocacy and community education.  AALDEF has a 17-person staff and is supported by foundations, corporations, individual contributions, and special events. For more information about AALDEF and its voting rights activities, visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

DESCRIPTION:

AALDEF’s Asian American Democracy Program seeks to promote fairness in the electoral process and invigorate the civic participation of Asian Americans, especially new citizens and persons not yet fluent in English.  By expanding access to the electoral process for Asian Americans, AALDEF improves the quality of democracy for all Americans.

The Voting Rights Organizer is a one-year position and may be extended, subject to available funding. The Organizer will be responsible for mobilizing Asian American community groups for a non-partisan exit poll of Asian American voters and overseeing volunteers for Election Day poll monitoring in several states for the 2014 midterm elections.

The job includes recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers; working with community leaders; supervising the development, translation, and printing of materials; and giving educational presentations.  The Organizer will also oversee post-election follow-up and assist in writing a report about Asian American voter participation in the 2014 elections.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Highly organized, detail oriented, and able to supervise volunteers and work with a wide variety of community leaders and organizations.
Strong knowledge of MS Access and other database systems.
Bilingual ability in an Asian language is desirable.
Strong communication skills.
Experience in community organizing is desirable.
Ability to travel and work on occasional weekends.

TO APPLY:
Send a cover letter, resume, and three references to:

Voting Rights Organizer Search
AALDEF
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York, NY 10013-2815
fax: 212-966-4303
Email: [email protected] (put “voting rights organizer search” in the subject line)

DEADLINE:  Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until filled. 

–AALDEF is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer–