Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director for Policy
WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the United States Senate’s reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill that would restore critical protections of the Voting Rights Act. Especially in a critical election year, Congress must ensure that everyone can fully participate in our democracy. This month, we commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when, on March 7, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, State Troopers attacked hundreds of unarmed protestors, including the civil rights leader John Lewis, who opposed the systematic oppression of Black voters. It led to the ultimate passage of the Voting Rights Act. As those activists knew then, and as we are reminded today, the right to vote is foundational, and as an organization advancing the interests of the AANHPI community, NAPABA realizes the critical importance for our community to have equal access to the ballot.
“The endeavor to secure equal voting rights requires constant vigilance,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “The life and legacy of John Lewis are a powerful reminder of it. NAPABA is grateful to Senators Durbin, Warnock, Schumer, and the sponsors for reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. As the Asian American community is the fastest-growing community in the nation, coupled with recent court decisions that have limited the reach of the Voting Rights Act, this bill will go a long way to ensure that our community – and all communities of color – have a fair opportunity to make their voice heard at the ballot box.”
On top of our advocacy, if you wish to learn about ways that you can get involved in your community, connect with our partner APIAVote: https://apiavote.org/get-involved/volunteer/
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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of all backgrounds in the legal profession.
Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director for Policy
WASHINGTON – Since 1965, our Nation relied on the promise of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It prohibits state and local governments from advancing any election or voting standard that discriminates on the basis of race or color. For decades, private parties brought numerous enforcement actions under Section 2, which became a critical tool to realize Section 2’s fundamental guarantee of equal voting rights for all Americans. Even the Supreme Court of the United States, as it invalidated a separate part of the Act in Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013), recognized the ability of private parties to enforce Section 2 through litigation, observing not only that “individuals have sued to enforce [Section] 2,” but also that “Section 2 is permanent [and] applies nationwide.” And just this past term, in Allen v. Milligan, 599 U.S. _ (2023), the Supreme Court decided a Section 2 claim in favor of private litigants challenging Alabama’s congressional districting plan.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, however, seeks to chart a different course. On November 20, 2023, in a 2-1 decision that disregards decades of precedent, the court held in Arkansas State Conference NAACP v. Arkansas Board of Apportionment that private parties may not bring enforcement actions under Section 2. In its view, only the Attorney General of the United States may do so.
We disagree. Nothing in the plain text of Section 2 compels this result. Considering the long history of Section 2, coupled with Congress’s explicit countenance, the private enforcement mechanism is a central feature of Section 2’s protection of equal voting rights. The Eighth Circuit’s decision, which comes less than a year before the 2024 presidential election, risks upending widespread reliance on a core protection of the Act. If left intact, it leaves any vindication of Section 2 rights to the sole discretion of one government official rather than with the voters themselves.
While this litigation continues, NAPABA continues to call on Congress to strengthen the Voting Rights Act by restoring the Act’s coverage in the aftermath of Shelby County, maximizing the full protections for all eligible Americans to vote, and prohibiting voter suppression efforts that impact the Asian American community along with other communities of color.
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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of all backgrounds in the legal profession.
NAPABA invites you to join us on May 22-23 in Washington, DC for NAPABA’s 12th annual Lobby Day, taking place in-person for the first time in three years!
The NAPABA Annual Lobby Day is an opportunity for NAPABA members from across the country to educate members of Congress and Congressional staffers on issues of importance to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Lobby Day also gives members an active role in promoting NAPABA’s mission of advocating for justice, equity, and opportunity for AAPIs.
Lobby Day activities and events include:
3-Part Training Event
Hill Visits
Happy Hour Debrief
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Congressional Reception (Open to the public. Pre-registration is required.)
On August 5, 2022, AABANY’S Intellectual Property Committee led a group to the 45th Asian American International Film Festival. The group saw the U.S. premier of Chosen, a documentary about five Korean Americans of vastly diverse backgrounds running for U.S. Congress in 2020.
A mix of AABANY members, including those who were new to the IP Committee attended. As always, new members are welcome at the IP Committee events. We hope to see you at the next one. Also, if you have any event ideas, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Make your voice heard on issues that are important to AAPI communities
This year’s NAPABA Lobby Day will be held on May 18 and 19 in observance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! This is our second virtual Lobby Day and 11th annual event.
Lobby Day is an opportunity for NAPABA members from across the country to educate members of Congress and Congressional staffers on issues of importance to the AAPI community. This year, our agenda includes addressing anti-Asian hate with a focus on what Congress and the federal government can do to stop bias from taking root and how to support victims.
Register today to ensure that your voices and advocacy for justice, equity, and opportunity for all AAPIs are heard from your home districts to the halls of Congress!
The deadline is register is April 30. Learn more about Lobby Day and bookmark the page for the latest information. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
On April 27, 2020, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) along with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and many other bar associations signed onto a statement of support for Congressional resolutions opposing anti-Asian sentiment related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian American and Pacific Islander community has been the target of increasing acts of bias, racism, and xenophobia in connection with the coronavirus. AABANY firmly stands against racism and discrimination and is proud to support efforts to address the experiences our community may face with these issues.
The United States Constitution requires that the nation’s population be accurately counted every ten years via the census. The data collected from the census ensures equal access to important governmental and private resources for all Americans, including how federal funding is allocated to states and localities.
Census results also impact the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government. The data collected by the census affects how district lines are drawn for the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislatures, and local boards.
Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing groups in the United States. For Asian American communities to be properly represented in government decision-making and to receive a proper allocation of funding, we must complete the census.
You can complete the census online by clicking on the link below. It is easy and only takes about 10 minutes to complete. Your submission will help direct billions of dollars in federal aid to local communities for various public services.
WASHINGTON — Yesterday, on the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in the landmark case, Korematsu v. United States (1944), Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif.) introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2017. The legislation would make it clear that the discriminatory detentions endorsed in Korematsu are prohibited.
“The specter of the Korematsu decision haunts us to this day,” said National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) President Pankit J. Doshi. “With this bill, Congress has the chance to repudiate the Supreme Court’s ruling and prevent the country from repeating a dark chapter of our nation’s history. We thank Senators Duckworth and Hirono, and Representative Takano, for their leadership in trying to overturn this widely condemned decision. As leaders in the legal profession and in recognition of our history as Asian Pacific Americans, NAPABA fully supports the introduction and passage of this legislation.”
“We, as a nation, must never forget or repeat the horrors thousands of Japanese Americans experienced as prisoners within our own borders. We must also continue to do everything we can to ensure such a national travesty never happens again. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senator Hirono in remembrance of my dear friend and former colleague Mark Takai to reinstate our commitment to protecting civil liberties and strengthen our resolve to ensure we never again repeat such shameful acts,”said Senator Duckworth.
“The internment of Japanese Americans was deeply wrong and set a precedent — that it should never happen again. However, the President and his administration continue to advance divisive policies and rhetoric that demonize the Muslim community and other minority communities. By repudiating this legal precedent that could allow a travesty like the internment to happen again, we are standing up for the civil rights of all communities, a worthy cause that I’m sure our friend Mark Takai would have joined us on,”said Senator Hirono.
“This legislation is an important acknowledgement of the injustice suffered by my grandparents, parents, and more than 115,000 others who were relocated and imprisoned based on nothing more than their heritage,” said Representative Mark Takano. “This stain on our history must serve as a warning of what happens when we allow fear and hate to overwhelm our basic respect for one another. I am proud to introduce this legislation in the House, and I could not think of a more appropriate way to honor the memory of Congressman Mark Takai, who was a good friend, a great public servant, and an even better person.”
The bill, named in honor of Fred Korematsu and Rep. Mark Takai, would amend the Non-Detention Act of 1971 to bar detentions or imprisonment based on protected characteristics, including race or religion. The Non-Detention Act sought to repeal the Emergency Detention Act of 1950, a law that continued the legacy of Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of 120,000 individuals on the basis of their Japanese ancestry under the guise of “military necessity” and national security. The Supreme Court found the orders constitutional following challenges by Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Minoru Yasui.
NAPABA worked with the offices of Sens. Duckworth, Hirono, and Rep. Takano, the Korematsu family and coram nobis legal teams, and civil rights groups to draft the bill that honors the legacy of Fred Korematsu, recognizes the history of Japanese American incarceration, and seeks to overturn the impact of the Supreme Court’s holding in Korematsu v. United States.
NAPABA is proud to join leading groups in the Asian Pacific American community — the Korematsu Institute, Stop Repeating History, the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, the Japanese American Citizens League, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC — as original endorsers of the bill.
For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, 202-775-9555, [email protected].
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of almost 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.
NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) opposes the RAISE Act (S. 1720), introduced by Senators Cotton (Ark.) and Purdue (Ga.). The bill would cut all legal immigration into the United States by half, impacting businesses and preventing the reunification of families. Notably, the RAISE Act, (1) curtails family-based visa programs, (2) makes a reduction in refugee admissions permanent, (3) slashes the number of green cards available, and (4) replaces employment visa categories with a point-based merit system that gives priority to individuals based on criteria including age, English proficiency, education, and economic factors.
“Commonsense immigration reform is necessary, but the RAISE Act keeps families apart, and undermines American businesses and their workforce needs,” said NAPABA President Cyndie M. Chang. “This bill reduces legal immigration, turns our backs on refugees, and rejects our core value of keeping families together. Nearly two-thirds of the Asian Pacific American community immigrated to the United States and we have long been targets of discriminatory immigration legislation. We stand against this bill.”
Nearly two-thirds of the Asian Pacific American community is foreign-born and 92 percent of Asian Pacific Americans are immigrants or have immigrant parents. Asian Pacific American families are diverse, having come to the U.S. to join their families to seek opportunity, or as refugees following humanitarian crises. The majority of these families came to the U.S. under employment-based visas and family-based visa programs that would be cut under this legislation. Further, these reductions would increase delays in the already long visa-backlog that continues to keep families apart.
The RAISE Act fails to address the real problems that plague the immigration system. NAPABA recognizes the invaluable contribution of immigrants to our country and urges Congress to reject this bill.
For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of almost 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.
NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.
