Volunteers Needed for AALDEF’s Election Protection Program

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The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is in need of volunteers to survey Asian American voters and protect their vote. In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote. For example, poll workers were hostile and made racist remarks, poll sites had too few interpreters to assist Asian American voters, translated voting materials were missing or hidden from voters, and ballots were mistranslated listing Democratic candidates as Republicans, and vice versa. When the news media reported on election results and the vote by specific groups, Asian Americans were often overlooked. 

Since 1988, AALDEF has conducted exit polls of Asian American voters and monitored polls in every major election. Help us continue to resolve these issues at the polls by taking part in AALDEF’s 2018 Asian American Election Protection Program. On Election Day, November 6th, volunteers will document voter problems and the availability of language assistance. They will also conduct a nonpartisan multilingual exit poll to get a snapshot of Asian American candidate preferences, party enrollment, and issues of significance to Asian American voters.  

To read AALDEF’s report on the Asian American Vote, click here. Click here to sign up to volunteer. Attendance at one training session is required for all volunteers. All volunteers must be non-partisan and work a 3-hour shift. CLE trainings are 90 minutes, and attorneys can receive 1.5 CLE credits including 0.5 ethics credit. AABANY is the CLE provider for the New York training sessions. If you have volunteered in the past, you do not have to attend another training, but you must register to volunteer again. 

For more information, contact AALDEF Democracy Program Director Jerry Vattamala or Voting Rights Organizer Judy Lei at 800-966-5946 or [email protected].

Sept. 25 is National Voter Registration Day!

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While Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing minority group in the US, AAPIs lag behind other communities when it comes to voter registration rates. As a result, AAPIs are increasingly left out of the discussions when elected officials make policy decisions on issues important to us and our communities.

  1. Make Sure You, Your Family, and Friends Are Registered to Vote

    Did you move or change your name? Do you need to register to vote? Have you checked if your registration is up-to-date for this election? Do you know someone who will be 18 on Election Day or became a citizen and is not registered?

    Visit APIAVote to register to vote and get more information today:  http://www.apiavote.org/register

  2. Promote Voter Registration in Your Community

    Get in-language materials and resources from our partners at the NAPABA Voter Protection Program website.

  3. Sign-up to Protect the Right to Vote

    Sign-up as a poll monitor and exit poll assistor with AALDEF as they protect the rights of APA and limited English proficient voters at polling locations across the country. You can get CLE credit for your pro bono work: http://aaldef.net/

    Volunteer with the National AAPI Voter Protection Hotline national voter protection hotline led by APIAVote here.

This program is part of the NAPABA Voter Protection Program.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO DEFEND ASIAN AMERICAN VOTING RIGHTS

DC • CA • FL • GA • LA • MA • MD • MI • NJ • NM • NV • NY • PA • TX • VA

2018 Asian American Exit Poll and Poll Monitoring

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote, including segregated “Asian” voting lines.  When the news media reported on election results, Asian Americans were overlooked.  In response, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) has conducted a non-partisan survey of Asian American voters to document Asian American voting patterns and document instances of anti-Asian voter disenfranchisement. AALDEF has monitored the elections for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, which mandates bilingual ballots and forbids anti-Asian voter discrimination.

We need your help.  In 2016, our volunteers surveyed 13,846 Asian American and Arab voters in 11 Asian languages at 55 cities about their voting encounters. Volunteers work in three hour shifts. There will be a one-hour training session for all volunteers in October (90 minutes for CLE credits).  All volunteers must be non-partisan during the time that they help.  Complete the form at Volunteer Sign-Up Form.  Thank you!

For more information, contact: AALDEF Democracy Program Director Jerry Vattamala or Voting Rights Organizer Fiona Zhao at 800-966-5946 or [email protected].

AALDEF.org

AALDEF.org

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund 2016 Summer Undergraduate Internship Opportunities

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education.  For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups.  The summer program is ten (10) weeks, beginning approximately June 6 through August 12, 2016.  The position is unpaid.  However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding and work-study funds may also be available.  Academic credit can be arranged.

  • Community Health Care Initiative Intern:  community education and outreach in the areas of immigration, government benefits, language rights, and health care access.
  • Educational Equity Intern: Responsibilities include community outreach and presentations with Asian American youth groups, public education policy research, assistance with client intakes and general support for projects on educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action, student free-speech and police surveillance, and anti-Asian harassment.
  • Housing & Environmental Justice Project Intern: Responsibilities include community outreach and research on land use, community planning, and anti-displacement issues. 
  • Office Assistant: Responsibilities include data entry, organizing press clippings, answering phones, doing mailings, assisting with fundraising and other events, and performing general clerical duties.  Other responsibilities include providing support for community education and outreach projects and acting as an interpreter/translator.  Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs is helpful.   
  • Voting Rights Intern: research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection Clause challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, produce reports and organize public forums; assist in organizing legal trainings; conduct voter registration drives.

Requirements:   Candidates must be detail-oriented and possess strong writing skills.  Spoken and written knowledge of Korean, Bangla, Chinese, or another Asian language is a plus. Qualified applicants should indicate which internship they are applying for and send a resume and cover letter by Monday, February 8, 2016 to:

Summer Undergraduate Intern Search
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor, New York, New York 10013
fax: 212.966.4303 or email: [email protected]  

For more information, contact Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932, ext. 212 or [email protected].

AALDEF Fall Internship Opportunities

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Fall 2015 Internships

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education.  For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Fall internships are available for the following program areas (open to all unless otherwise noted):

Anti-Trafficking Initiative – legal research and writing on the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as outreach, community education, and advocacy on the rights of exploited and abused workers. **Law students ONLY**

Immigrant Access to Justice – litigation, legal services, and organizing/outreach with communities impacted by post 9/11 immigration and law enforcement policies. An additional emphasis on Asian communities’ access to representation and education about immigration policies and practices that may impact them, including deferred action policies and administrative relief for youth and other immigrants, unconstitutional DHS stops, and collaboration between state/local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. **Law students ONLY**

Administrative Assistant – provide administrative support in preparation for AALDEF’s annual gala, including: researching for prospective dinner sponsors and silent auction donors.  Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs are helpful. **Undergraduate students ONLY.  Work study grants accepted.**

Description of Internships:

Interns are supervised by attorneys and/or AALDEF staff in specific program areas.  These internships are not paid positions, but academic credit may be arranged.  Interns work anywhere between 8 to 25 hours per week.  The internship usually commences with the start of classes and ends in early December.

To Apply:

Any bilingual ability should be stated in the resume.  Bilingual ability is helpful but not required.  Applications should also state the number of hours the intern is able to work per week and which program area(s) you are interested in. Email applications are accepted.  Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Send a resume and cover letter (law students should include a writing sample) to:

AALDEF Fall Intern Search

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor, New York, New York 10013-2815
Fax: 212-966-4303 or Email: [email protected]

For more information, contact Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932, ext. 212 or [email protected].