Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
Congratulations to AABANY Past President Sylvia Chin, who has recently accepted an appointment to the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity within the Profession!
Throughout her career, Sylvia has demonstrated a deep commitment to the promotion of racial and ethnic equality. As chair of the ABA Business Law Section’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and her work with other Bar Associations, she works to share best practices and to ensure that issues facing minorities are addressed, whether they be education, pipeline, recruitment, promotion or leadership. Her term begins in August 2015 and will run for one year. For more information on the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity within the Profession, click on the link in the title.
Congratulations to former Board Member Vinoo Varghese, Esq. on his recent EDNY victory!
We’d like to congratulate our former Board Member, Vinoo Varghese, on his recent victory in the Second Circuit. Last year, Vinoo successfully petitioned for a new trial in the Eastern District of New York for his client in a criminal tax trial. The government, represented by the DOJ Criminal Tax Division, appealed to the Second Circuit. Last month, the Circuit denied the government’s appeal, in what Law360 termed a “rare move.”
Congratulations to Vinoo and his client!
More information can be found at: http://www.law360.com/whitecollar/articles/653666
Asian/Immigrant Mental Wellness Workshop, June 10, Doors Open at 9am!
Last Chance to Register! Free Admission – Pre-Registration Required – Free Refreshments.
Register HERE.
Or go to: https://samaritansnyc.ejoinme.org/QueensJune10
Asian/Immigrant
Mental Wellness Workshop
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Queens Library at Flushing
41-17 Main Street, Flushing Queens, NY 11355
Lower Level Auditorium
9:00 am: Doors open. Entry is not permitted before this time.
9:00 – 9:30 am: Registration & Free Continental Breakfast
9:30 am – 12:30 pm: Program Presentation/Panel Discussion
12:30 – 1:00 pm Free Refreshments/Networking
Hamilton Madison House, Samaritans Suicide Prevention Center and the Problem Gambling Prevention Coalition invite you to attend a free Asian/Immigrant Mental Wellness Workshop at the Queens Flushing Library, Wednesday, June 10, 2015.
Join us for this open discussion with mental health professionals as we address the unspoken problem of suicide and mental wellness in the Asian and Immigrant community.
Please share this opportunity with your colleagues.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Social workers, guidance counselors, psychologists, substance abuse and addiction counselors, home health workers and other family and community health providers working within the Asian/Immigrant community as well as others those who provide care, support and/or treatment to members of that community.
OUR UNSPOKEN PROBLEM:
Our Unspoken Problem touches the lives of many members of the Asian and Immigrant community. Cultural stigmatization of mental health problems and insufficient access to culturally competent services result in the needless suffering of friends and family.
- The Asian/Immigrant Community has among the highest suicide rates in the country.
- Asians are consistently identified as having the highest risk for problem gambling.
- The NYC High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (CDC) showed an increase in male and female Asian students who “seriously considered suicide” in the past 12 months.
- Asian American Women (ages 65-84) consistently have the highest suicide rate relative to other racial demographics.
- Untreated mental health problems like depression and addiction can lead to death, domestic violence, financial ruin, family disintegration, long-term hospitalization and incarceration-impacting both the individuals, families and their community.
WORKSHOP GOALS:
- Join us at the Asian/Immigrant Mental Wellness Workshop and take part in an open discussion with mental health professionals as we address this Unspoken Problem and the mental wellness of our community.
- Confront the critical problems impacting our community: addiction, problem gambling, parenting/grandparenting challenges, and mental health treatment for the Korean Community.
Learn about where and how to access mental wellness support for friends, family, and yourself! Engage in conversation about how to recognize signs of mental health problems in your colleagues, friends, and family.
WORKSHOP PRESENTERS:
- Alan Ross, Addressing the Unspoken Problem
- Peter Yee, Problem Gambling in the Asian community
- Erica Vien, Parenting Challenges for Asian immigrants
- Inok Kim, Wellness Challenges for Korean Americans
- Ginette Wong, Addictive Behaviors in the Asian community
This free workshop is a community collaboration of the Samaritans of New York, Hamilton Madison House and the Problem Gambling Prevention Coalition with funding provided by New York City Council Members Elizabeth Crowley, Peter Koo, Paul Vallone, Mark Weprin, Ruben Wills, and the Neuberger Berman Foundation, in association with the Queens Library at Flushing.
Japanese Artist and Academic to be in the 2015 KulturfestNYC
Japanese Artist and Academic in KulturfestNYC: A First of Its Kind Festival of Jewish Performing Arts, New York City, June 14 – 21, 2015
- June 14, 2015 at 7:30 PM
Grand opening concert starring The Klezmatics, Neil Sedaka and global stars appearing in KulturfestNYC
The Winter Garden at Brookfield Place
200 Vesey St, New York, NY
- June 15, 2015 at 9:00 PM
Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater
425 Lafayette St, New York, NY
- June 16, 2015 at 1:15 PM
Symposium in Yiddish Performing Arts, Media, Language and Literature
At The Museum of Jewish Heritage
36 Battery Pl, New York, NY
**Hosted by the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU
Haruyuki Kuroda, professor of Germanic Languages at Matsuyama University, Japan will offer a presentation about the Japanese affinity for Yiddish language, culture and klezmer music. His talk will be illustrated by a mini-concert by the Japanese klezmer group Jinta-la-Mvta which is scheduled to perform in the festival on the evening of June 15th at Joe’s Pub.
Zalmen Mlotek, Artistic Director of The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene met Professor Kuroda after his mother, Chana Mlotek, the fabled music archivist of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research helped the Professor research the origins of Yiddish songs which became popular in Japan. Professor Kuroda hosted Mr. Mlotek on tour of 5 Japanese Universities in 2014. The tour included a visit to the synagogue in Kobe where his father sought refuge during World War II as he made his escape from Poland via Kobe to Shanghai. While Mr. Mlotek was presenting a performance lecture about songs of spiritual resistance during the Holocaust, he was approached by a young Japanese clarinetist and they began an impromptu Klezmer duet. The young man was Wataru Okuma from the Japanese klezmer group Jinta-la-Mvta.
Jinta-la-Mvta is a musical group founded in 2004 by Ohkuma Wataru, clarinetist and bandleader of the groundbreaking Japanese experimental folk band Cicala Mvta and his partner and drummer Kogure Miwazo.
Ohkuma’s interest in Klezmer music began in the late 80s. He was one of the first Japanese artists who listened to and played the genre. He has a repertoire of dozens of Klezmer tunes through his distinct perspective, setting him apart among non-Jewish klezmer musicians. Considered as one of the few Klezmer experts in Japan, he has also penned various pieces on Klezmer and Japanese liner notes of Klezmatics and Frank London.
Haruyuki Kuroda is Professor of German Language at Matsuyama University (Japan), and teaches courses in German language and culture. He is the author of “A Cultural History of Klezmer Music” (2011) and co-translator of Hans Henny Jahnn’s trilogy “River without Banks” (2014), Sven Hanuschek’s “Elias Canetti, a Biography” (2013) and Leo Rosten’s “The New Joys of Yiddish” (2013). Klezmer lecture-concerts he organized in Japan featured Zalmen Mlotek (2013) and Elizabeth Schwartz and Yale Strom (2010).
For more information please visit www.KulturfestNYC.org
Press Release: Asian Americans Advancing Justice Demands Racial Bias Investigation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT
Mariam Hosseini, Advancing Justice – ALC
[email protected]
415-896-7728
In response to the recent case of Sherry Chen, a federal employee who was arrested on suspicion of espionage for China before all charges were suddenly dismissed, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) issues the following statement:
As a leading national civil rights voice rooted in Asian American communities, we demand an investigation into whether race and national origin played a role in the shameful indictment of Sherry Chen, a dedicated scientist with the National Weather Service. Because Ms. Chen’s case is not unique or isolated, we further call upon the Administration to examine systemic racial bias against Asian Americans in all federal agencies, particularly those with jobs requiring security clearances.
Ms. Chen is only the most recent victim of over-zealous federal investigators and prosecutors who view with suspicion any ties with family and friends in other countries, particularly China. Clearly, the system has perverse incentives, rewarding law enforcement officials for high-profile prosecutions that fit the narrative of the foreign threat as opposed to rewarding them for a fair and careful consideration of the facts.
Ironically, Asians immigrate to the U.S. because our country claims to offer freedom, a fair process and protections for all, regardless of race and class. We know that this promise has not held true for communities of color, for example, for African Americans in the criminal justice system. Neither is the system working for well-educated Chinese Americans who may have assumed that their privileged economic status would protect them against racial bias.
As Sherry Chen’s case, as well as past cases such as the unjust prosecution of fellow federal scientist Wen Ho Lee indicate, the national security system is set up to feed biases and suspicion of “foreigners”. In the recent past, we have been contacted by other Asian Americans who have faced questions because of visits to their countries of origin, participation in ethnic organizations, or contacts with Chinese friends and family. This racial profiling is unacceptable.
Our community cannot wait for the government to act. We must also protect our rights. Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus has created this Know Your Rights guide for scientists and other individuals who are contacted by law enforcement agents. Our national affiliation will continue to champion the rights of our communities and all Americans whenever civil rights and civil liberties are violated on the pretext of national security.