Super Lawyers – New York Metro 2018 Supplement

Super Lawyers – New York Metro 2018 Supplement

NAPABA, APABA-SF, and GOAABA Celebrate the Repeal of the Alien Land Law from Florida’s Constitution

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida (APABA-SF), and the Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association (GOAABA) celebrate the repeal of the anti-immigrant “Alien Land Law” from Florida’s Constitution. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Florida voters passed an amendment to repeal the Alien Land Law from their state Constitution. Florida added the provision to its Constitution in the 1920s, as part of an anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment that legally prohibited aliens from holding real estate and real property in Florida.

“Thanks to the efforts of APABA-South Florida, GOAABA, and NAPABA, the discriminatory language of the Alien Land Law will be removed from Florida’s Constitution,” said NAPABA President Daniel Sakaguchi. “This amendment was long overdue. The Alien Land Law enshrined the second-class treatment of immigrants and Asian Pacific Americans under the law. We applaud Florida voters for repealing this vestige of discrimination and anti-immigrant sentiment from their state Constitution.”

“APABA of South Florida is proud that Florida’s voters took to the polls to repeal the Alien Land Law from the state Constitution,” said APABA-SF President Benjamin W. Dowers. “APABA of South Florida thanks NAPABA and GOAABA for working arm-in-arm in collaborating with the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission, educating voters through events and information, and reminding people that voting matters. We look forward to working with NAPABA and GOAABA to further social equality in Florida and all other states.”

NAPABA Announces 2018-19 Vice President for Finance and Development, Newly-Appointed At-Large Board Members, and Regional Governors

NAPABA congratulates Bruce L. Ishimatsu on his election as Vice President for Finance and Development for the 2018-19 bar year. NAPABA also congratulates the newly-appointed at-large members and regional governors of the NAPABA Board of Governors for the 2018-19 bar year.

The following individuals were appointed by the NAPABA Board of Governors to serve for two-year terms as at-large board members:

  • Kristy Gonowon
  • Kristin Haugen

The following individuals were selected by their respective regions to serve two-year terms as regional governors:

  • Hogene Choi | Northern California Region
  • Thy Bui | Southern California Region
  • Craig I. Nakanishi | Northwest Region
  • Brendan Wong | Northeast Region
  • Gregory Schwartz | Central Region

All incoming board members and newly-elected regional governors will serve with continuing elected officers, regional governors and at-large board members for the 2018-19 bar year. They will be sworn into office during the 2018 NAPABA Convention in Chicago, IL.

NAPABA Announces 2018 President’s Awards Recipients

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is proud to present the 2018 NAPABA President’s Award to Karen Korematsu (Founder & Executive Director, The Fred T. Korematsu Institute) and Dale Minami and Don Tamaki (Partners, Minami Tamaki LLP; members of the Korematsu Coram Nobis legal team) for their work on StopRepeatingHistory.Org, a campaign to educate the public about Japanese American incarceration during WWII and the present-day dangers of similar policies targeting individuals based on race, national origin, or religion. The NAPABA President’s Award is given to NAPABA members who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to NAPABA, the legal community, and the broader Asian Pacific American community.

Karen Korematsu, founder of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute and daughter of the late Fred T. Korematsu, is a leading voice in advocating for civil liberties for all communities, and in 2015, she became NAPABA’s first non-lawyer member. Dale Minami and Dom Tamaki have been involved in significant litigation involving the civil rights of Asian Pacific Americans and other underrepresented groups and served on the pro bono team that reopened the landmark Korematsu v. United States Supreme Court Case, overturning Fred Korematsu’s conviction.

“This year, it is my honor to present the NAPABA President’s Award to Karen Korematsu, Dale Minami, and Don Tamaki for their tireless commitment to the StopRepeatingHistory.Org campaign,” said NAPABA President Pankit J. Doshi. “I applaud their efforts to relate the experiences of Japanese American internment during World War II to the infringement on civil rights and civil liberties that many religious and ethnic minorities face today. Their voices have been critical to ensuring that we as a nation never repeat that dark chapter of our history, including as a result of the travel ban impacting Muslim and immigrant communities,  which NAPABA vehemently opposed. While their work in civil rights for decades has already blazed a trail, their continued efforts to advocate for our community without rest is particularly inspirational in today’s world.”

The 2018 NAPABA President’s Award will be presented at the 2018 NAPABA Convention in Chicago, IL, on Nov. 10, 2018. NAPABA congratulates Karen Korematsu, Dale Minami, and Don Tamaki as the 2018 NAPABA President’s Award recipients.