Tag: community

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AABANY Co-Sponsors: Community Briefing: The Immigration Reform Debate

On Sunday, May 19, you’re invited to a Community Briefing: The Immigration Reform Debate.  This year, President Obama has made immigration reform a major priority. Congress wants to make major changes to our immigration laws that will have a lasting effect on our community. What are the proposals? How can we have an impact on the debates and the process?  Come find out more. Rsvp required (limited space). If you would like to attend, please contact us at [email protected] or 212-274-1891.

Print English Flyer
Print Chinese Flyer

Chinese translation provided
Refreshments provided

Cohosts:  Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Chinese Progressive Association, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates-NY Chapter

Co-sponsors: Asian American Bar Association of NY, Asian American/Asian Research Institute CUNY, Chinatown Manpower Project, Chinatown Partnership, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Chinatown YMCA, Greater Chinatown Community Association, Hamilton Madison House, Lin Sing Association, Local 23-25 Workers United, MinKwon Center, Museum of Chinese in America, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates-Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter, New York Immigration Coalition.

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SABA-DC 2013 Public Interest Fellowship

The South Asian Bar Association of Washington DC (SABA-DC) is proud to announce our 2013 Public Interest Fellowship. The primary purpose of the fellowship is to help fund one or more law students’ summer internships with a public interest organization for the benefit of the South Asian community and the metropolitan D.C. area. We have previously awarded fellowships ranging from $1000 – $5000.

SABA-DC strives to promote the professional development of South Asian lawyers and law students, educate the South Asian community about relevant legal issues, expand and enhance business and professional opportunities for South Asians, increase the participation of South Asians in civic affairs and government, facilitate the exchange of ideas and information to South Asians, and foster goodwill, fellowship, and unity among the South Asian community.

Please apply by Friday March 29.

Fellowship applications are available at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxsYNsuAMpgzM3U3cVRKWGJJMXc/edit

Please send all application materials to [email protected] SABA-DC prefers to receive all materials electronically.

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On January 31, AABANY’s Judiciary Committee co-organized a community celebration in New York’s Chinatown in honor of the Hon. Randall T. Eng to recognize his historic elevation to Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department, the first Asian American to be appointed to this position. About 250 attendees filled Delight 28 located at 28 Pell Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, next door to the building that Presiding Justice Eng and his family first moved into upon arriving in the United States from Hong Kong.

Many AABANY members were present, including President Jean Lee, Immediate Past President Linda Lin and past presidents James Chou, Vincent Chang, Yang Chen and Glenn Lau-Kee. The Prosecutors’ Committee also turned out in force, having honored Presiding Justice Eng as a trailblazer in 2011. Rosemary Yu, ADA from the New York County DA’s office, was one of the organizers of the event, together with Mark Fang, who came to know Justice Eng through the JAG Corp.

Presiding Justice Eng’s parents, wife, sister and in-laws also came out to celebrate along with many community members and leaders, not just in Chinatown but from Westchester as well.

We thank everyone who attended for making this a truly memorable and special occasion.

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Press Release: AABANY Celebrates the Appointment of the Hon. Justice Randall T. Eng

The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) and the AABANY Judiciary Committee celebrate the historic appointment of the Honorable Justice Randall T. Eng as Presiding Justice of the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Second Department with a celebratory community dinner.

Justice Eng will be the guest of honor at a celebratory dinner to be held Thursday, January 31, 2013.  The dinner will bring together Asian American organizations from all over New York, including Chinatown-based civic groups, Asian Americans in law enforcement, lawyers, judges, law students, and friends.  The dinner will be held at 6:30P.M. at Delight 28 Restaurant, 28 Pell Street New York, New York 10013.

Justice Eng is the first Asian American to serve as a Presiding Justice in New York State’s history.  With this appointment, Justice Eng adds to his long list of notable ‘firsts,’ such as being the first Asian Pacific American Assistant District Attorney in the State of New York, for which the AABANY Prosecutors’ Committee honored him at its third anniversary reception in 2011.

“Justice Eng has demonstrated strong leadership and exceptional jurisprudential skill at every level in our court system and will do so as Presiding Justice.  Moreover, as an Asian American trailblazer, Justice Eng is an inspiration to the Asian American bar and the Asian American community at large,” said Vincent Chang, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Judiciary Committee.

To read the full text of the press release go to: http://aabany.org/associations/6701/files/PR%20-%20AABANY%20-%20Randall%20Eng%20dinner_final.pdf

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Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Spring 2013 Internships

Passing along an announcement about internship opportunities from our friends at AALDEF

For Undergraduate, Graduate, and Law Students

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.

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

AALDEF Fundraising Events, provide administrative support in preparation for AALDEF’s annual gala.  Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs are helpful. **Undergraduate students ONLY.  Workstudy grants accepted.**

Anti-Trafficking Initiative: Legal research and writing, organizing/outreach, and legal advocacy for trafficked clients pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and other related legislation.  Fluency in Indonesian, Hindi, or Bangla highly preferred.  **Law students ONLY. 

Economic Justice for Workers: Provide legal advocacy, direct representation, and community education on behalf of Asian immigrant workers experiencing wage-and-hour, retaliation, and workplace safety violations in the restaurant, beauty/nail salon, and domestic worker industries, among others.  Undergraduate interns will perform research and community outreach.  Fluency in a second language is highly preferred.

Educational Equity and Youth Rights: legal services, policy work, community education, research and litigation concerning educational equity, juvenile justice, language access, student free-speech and police surveillance, and anti-Asian harassment.

Housing & Environmental Justice Project: community outreach/education, research, and litigation on gentrification and other land use issues affecting low-income and Asian immigrant communities.

Immigrant Access to Justice: litigation, legal services, and organizing/outreach with communities impacted by 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 unconstitutional DHS stops, new deferred action policies for youth, and secured communities.

Voting Rights: legal research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection Clause challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, and the redrawing of local, state and federal district lines; produce reports and organize public forums; assist in organizing legal trainings.

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 can be arranged.  Interns work anywhere between 8 to 25 hours per week.   Internships usually commence with the start of classes (end of January) through late April/early May.

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.  Deadline December 3, 2012, applications received after deadline will be considered on a rolling basis.  Send a resume and cover letter (law students should include a writing sample) to:

AALDEF Spring 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].

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ASIAN AMERICAN GROUPS HOSTED A MOVIE NIGHT TO SEE AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY

From Julie Huang, PR professional and President of Kaimen Company (and AABANY member):

On Wednesday , August 1, Asian American organizations [including AABANY] hosted a special Movie Night at the IFC Center to see Alison Klayman critically-acclaimed new documentary film, “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”.  Many attendees took advantage of the IFC promo code at the box office for this particular showing of the film. Others who cared more about convenience than the IFC community ticket promo bought their tickets on www.movietickets.com ahead of time.

One of the Asian American groups, Asian Cinevision, included this message, in its event announcement, “AI WEI WEI NEVER SORRY follows Ai Wei Wei, a political delinquent, who challenges the notion of freedom through his art and conceptual work. In a country that celebrates censorship, he makes us imagine possibilities beyond limitations: what does it mean to use art as a political tool? Ultimately, he puts out a call for transparency, but how will the Chinese government respond?”

Based on our count, 150 people came out. The crowd was multigenerational and multicultural with a wide range of reactions to the film. Attendees we spoke with told us they have no idea about what Ai Weiwei faced in China.  Like what Ai Weiwei said in the film, “If it is not publicized, then it is like it never happened.” So if this film was not made or if the video footage was not taken or if people have not watched this film, then how would they know what happened.  Where’s the proof, baby?  I wrote some more about this film in this blog post, "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry – Do not Wei to see this! Ai Weiwei.“  If you are looking for a more intelligent write-up, read Sue Lain Moy’s ”No Need to Apologize: Alison Klayman’s documentary, AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY, is a work of art and Ryan Wong’s Portrait of an Artist as a Activist | Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry.

On a yummy note, the @NesquikLiveNYC street team were nearby to hand out free bottles of Nesquik chocolate milks! Some of the moviegoers got their chocolate fix on Nesquik.  Thanks Nesquik. 

It was a wonderful night – chocolate milk and all!

Not in NYC and would like to see the film? Visit this page for listings in your area.

      julie       FeliCity

 with support from the

and special thanks to

families with children from china resized 600 asiance resized 600

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Chinatown Community Development After 9/11

Chinatown Community Development After 9/11

Julie Huang shared this event with us.  Here’s an excerpt:

You are invited to join your neighbors on Tuesday, March 27, beginning at 7:00 pm at Mariners’ Temple Baptist Church, to share your personal perspective on Chinatown’s development.  Did the events of 9/11 change the direction of this neighborhood forever?  Have some things improved?  What has been neglected?  Is there a unified vision of Chinatown that we can all set our sights on and work toward?

PROGRAM

– Overview of post-9/11 Chinatown, presented by Wendy Cheung, Beyond Ground Zero Network

– Audience discussion of Chinatown concerns

– Reflection and Perspective offered by:

Bethany Li, Staff Attorney, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Jan Lee, V. P. Exec. Board of Dir. Hamilton Madison House

JoAnn Lum, Executive Director, National Mobilization Against Sweatshops