WE Blog @ AABANY

July 23, 2018

2018 Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF)

AABANY will be co-sponsoring six film screenings with Asian CineVision for the 2018 Asian American International Film Festival this summer. These six film screenings include:

Each screening will be followed by a Q&A with its respective filmmakers. All screenings will be held at Village East Cinema.

Please click the links to learn more about the films. AABANY members will receive a discount code once they register for the event on the AABANY website.

For the AAIFF schedule, click here.

July 23, 2018December 4, 2018

July 23, 2018

ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK PARTNERS WITH VISITING NURSE SERVICE OF NEW YORK AND MANHATTAN LEGAL SERVICES ON AUGUST 1, 2018 KNOW-YOUR-RIGHTS CLINIC ON RENT OVERCHARGES

NEW YORK – July 17, 2018 – the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is proud to partner with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) and Manhattan Legal Services (MLS) to host a Know-Your-Rights Presentation and Clinic on rent overcharge on August 1, 2018 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at VNSNY Chinatown Community Service Center, 7 Mott Street. The event is free and open to any community member.

The Know-Your-Rights presentation will address whether units are entitled to rent protections, rent overcharges and the legal remedies that are available. After the presentation, attendees can meet one-on-one with an attorney to discuss their rent issues and review their rent histories. Therefore, attendees should obtain and bring their rent histories from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) by calling (718) 739-6400 or going to 25 Beaver Street (or another DHCR office). Mandarin and Cantonese interpretation will be available. Due to the limited availability of individual appointments, those who are interested should call (646) 442-3119 immediately to schedule an appointment.

Through the Know-Your-Rights clinic, AABANY hopes to make important legal information more readily available to the public by partnering with VNSNY and MLS, two organizations that are committed to addressing the dire need for social and legal services for underprivileged communities in New York City. VNSNY has long served the area as the United States’ largest nonprofit home- and community-based health care organization, providing high quality health care programs. MLS, as a branch of the Legal Services NYC, has worked to protect the rights of low-income residents by providing legal services and engaging in social justice advocacy for over 50 years.

“AABANY is pleased to be able to work with VNSNY and MLS on this Know-Your-Rights clinic in Chinatown,” stated James Cho, AABANY President. “Our theme this year is ‘Serving Our Community, Advancing Our Professions,’ and we look forward to meeting this goal by engaging our members as volunteers to serve the community as pro bono attorneys while at the same time advancing the legal profession through community service.”

“Unscrupulous landlords are attempting to charge tenants too much for rent and not give tenants the protections from rent increases and evictions that the law provides,” asserted Amy Luo, Senior Staff Attorney at Manhattan Legal Services. “Through this clinic and partnership, we can make sure that Chinatown tenants know and enforce their rights and protect our community.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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July 23, 2018

PRESS RELEASE | NAPABA Statement on the Nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

WASHINGTON — Last night, President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the United States Supreme Court. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Judge Kavanaugh on his nomination.

To read the rest of the press release, please click the link above.

July 16, 2018

Bereavement notice: Justin Shigemi

Announcement from CAPABA:

With deep sadness, we regretfully share the news of Justin Shigemi’s passing.

Justin was a great friend and champion of CAPABA and its members. His contributions include co-chairing the Fairfield Regional Committee and participating on the Keeping Up with Crypto panel at the NE Regional Conference. He was encouraging and welcoming of others and always willing to lend his services and the services of Finn Dixon & Herling (FDH), where he was a partner. Justin was an all-around thoughtful and humorous person. Our community mourns his loss.

Please take a moment to visit his memorial page on FDH’s website by clicking here.

CAPABA will join FDH in remembering Justin Shigemi on Sat., July 21, 5PM-7PM, at Sign of the Whale (rooftop), 6 Harbor Point Road, Stamford. Please RSVP by July 17 to: [email protected].

We also ask that you forward photographs of Justin to be included in a slideshow to: [email protected].

There will also be a memorial book prepared as a meaningful gift for Justin’s family and loved ones. Please forward any photos of Justin and/or thoughts about Justin (a favorite memory, your thoughts or feelings about him, etc.) by July 20 to: [email protected]. If you prefer to hand write your thoughts, please bring them to the July 21st memorial for inclusion in the book.

July 16, 2018December 4, 2018

July 13, 2018December 4, 2018

July 13, 2018December 4, 2018

July 9, 2018

Survey: Mapping Statelessness in the United States

Mapping Statelessness in the United States

The Project

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) are conducting a research study about statelessness in the United States. The purpose of this study is to estimate the number of stateless people in the US, develop profiles of different stateless populations, and understand their experiences and legal situations. Researchers at Syracuse University are assisting with the collection and analysis of research data.

What is Statelessness?

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees defines a stateless person as anyone “not recognized as a national by any state under the operation of its law.” Because they do not hold the citizenship of any country, stateless people are often marginalized and prevented from accessing identification documents, education, and the ability to legally work.

How Can You Help?

We are reaching out to immigration service providers, advocates, and community-based organizations to help identify the number and situation of stateless people in the United States.

How will this information be used?

The results of our research study will be published in a report for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Using the results of this survey, along with other research including interviews and statistical analyses, this report will estimate the number of stateless people in the United States, provide geographic and demographic profiles of the U.S. stateless population, and recommend policy solutions to address statelessness in the United States.

If you are interested in participating, follow the link in the title.

Questions? Contact Daniela Alulema, Center for Migration Studies, [email protected]

July 9, 2018

In the Wake of Zero Tolerance–Best Practices for Representing Separated Parents and Children Webinar

This Friday, July 13th, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice will be holding a webinar for attorneys who would like to learn more and help separated parents and children.

The ABA Commission on Immigration, ProBAR, CRSJ and Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA) present this webinar for attorneys who wish to learn more about representing families separated by the Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy. Our experts will discuss how separated families have been processed at the border, forcibly separated, prosecuted and detained, causing grave suffering to parents and children and obstacles to their legal claims. Our experts will discuss each step in the process and explain the complicated legal proceedings that apply to parents caught at the border and children who have been rendered “unaccompanied” by government action. Lawyers across the country have expressed interest in helping these families. Many of these families remain divided today despite the President’s Executive Order that allegedly ended the practice but failed to include a procedure for reuniting families unless they agree to waive all claims and accept removal. This is not due process. Join us to learn more about how to effectively represent these families and permit those who fear persecution to apply for asylum as required by law.

Thank you to Sylvia Chin for sharing it with us.

For any questions, please email Civil Rights and Social Justice Section Associate Director Paula Shapiro at [email protected]