Official blog of the Asian American Bar Association of New York
LEAD – a Professional development program for young women immigrants – INFORMATION SESSION
8 free workshops
Learn about the job search process, resume writing, US workplace culture, job interviews, networking, public speaking, teamwork, and much more! For more details, click on the link above.
For additional questions, please contact
Vilma Álvarez-Steenwerth,
Senior Librarian, at The New York Public Library at
Congratulations to Kin Ng, AABANY member and co-founder of the AABANY Prosecutors’ Committee, for his work at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office prosecuting scammers who had run off with the life savings of an elderly Chinese immigrant, mentioned in the New Yorker article above!
Fraud that exploits the religious and spiritual beliefs of immigrant communities continues to be a pervasive problem in Chinatowns around New York and the world. Please join AABANY in thanking Kin Ng for helping to protect those in the Chinese-American community who are vulnerable.
For Immediate Release
Aug. 4, 2017
For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555
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.
To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org
From the Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) at the City University of New York (CUNY):
Please join us for a talk on, We Too Sing America – Deepa
Iyer in Conversation with Zohra Saed, on Friday, March 18, 2016, from 6pm to
8pm, at 25 West 43rd Street, 10th Floor, Room 1000, between 5th & 6th
Avenues, Manhattan. This talk is free and open to the general public.Author and nationally renowned activist Deepa Iyer, in
conversation with Brooklyn based Afghan American poet Zohra Saed, will discuss
her book We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants
Shape Our Multiracial Future.Many of us can recall the targeting of South Asian, Arab,
Muslim, and Sikh people in the wake of 9/11. We may be less aware, however, of
the ongoing racism directed against these groups in the past decade and a half.
In We Too Sing America, Deepa Iyer catalogs recent racial flash points, from
the 2012 massacre at the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, to the violent
opposition to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and to the Park 51
Community Center in Lower Manhattan.Iyer asks whether hate crimes should be considered domestic
terrorism and explores the role of the state in perpetuating racism through
detentions, national registration programs, police profiling, and constant
surveillance. She looks at topics including Islamophobia in the Bible Belt; the
“Bermuda Triangle” of anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim hysteria; and the
energy of new reform movements, including those of “undocumented and
unafraid” youth and Black Lives Matter.Deepa Iyer is an activist, writer, and lawyer with a strong
commitment to intersectional, community-based, racial justice issues in the
United States. The former Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading
Together (SAALT), Deepa is currently the Senior Fellow at the Center for Social
Inclusion where she provides analysis, commentary and scholarship on how to
build equity and solidarity in America’s changing racial landscape.Zohra Saed is a Brooklyn based Afghan American poet. Her
poetry and essays have been published in numerous anthologies and journals.
Zohra is a doctoral candidate at The City University of New York Graduate
Center. As a Lecturer, she initiated the following courses at Hunter College:
Arab American Literature; West Asian American Literature and Film; and Central
Asian Film and Literature.To RSVP for this talk, please visit
www.aaari.info/16-03-18Iyer.htm. Please be prepared to present proper
identification when entering the building lobby.If you are unable to attend the talk, it will be live
webcasted on our website, www.aaari.info,
beginning 6:15PM EST, and also available the following week as streaming
video and audio podcast. See you on Friday!
(New York, NY) On a telephonic press conference this afternoon, members of “New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform” (NYRIR), a campaign coordinated by the New York Immigration Coalition denounced President Obama’s delay of executive action on immigration, and discussed plans to respond on behalf of immigrant families and communities in New York. On September 6th, White House officials informed lawmakers and advocates that President Obama will delay executive action on immigration – that may provide bold and broad administrative relief to millions of hardworking immigrants – until after November elections, a decision causing outrage and disappointment among immigrant communities. Saturday’s announcement breaks the pledge made by the President in his June remarks to take action on immigration on his own by the end of the summer “without further delay”.
“Immigrant communities are tired of empty speeches and broken promises from the White House,” said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. “But despite this disappointing delay, we are ready to work harder than ever to protect our communities, starting with a national week of action on September 22nd to show the White House, Democrats and Republicans that we will hold their feet to the fire until action is taken. This November, President Obama will have one last chance to live up to the promises he made, by providing big and broad executive action to halt deportations. He must consider how he wants to define his presidential legacy – will he be the “Deporter-in-Chief,” or the President who takes the historic step to fix our broken immigration system? Our communities will make clear our views to the President, and to the Democrats and the Republicans, as we mobilize immigrant voters up to and through the November elections.”
Affected immigrants and leaders from faith, labor, and immigrant advocacy communities throughout New York State expressed their anger at the delay and commitment to continue fighting.
“When I left Ecuador 20 years ago to come to the US to provide for my family, I left behind an 11 month old son. My son is now 20 years old. I want to see him more than anything in the world but I need to be here working to support them,” said Marta Gualotuna, member of Make the Road NY. “The President should take action to protect people like me who have been here for so long and contributed so much, so we can see our families. This delay angers me and my community, and we will fight to hold the President to his promise.”
“We are deeply disappointed by the Administration’s decision to delay executive action, which means that the lives of hard-working immigrant families continue to hang in the balance. In many communities where our members live and work, the Administration’s decision to delay executive action forces families to continue to live in the shadows, said Hector Figueroa, president of 32 BJ SEIU. "We know that we got to this point because earlier this year the Republicans refused to vote on comprehensive reform. Immigrant voters will be mobilizing in force this November, and we will continue to fight until real immigration reform becomes a reality.”
“Faith in New York works with over 60 congregations throughout New York City representing over 60,000 people of faith, many who are undocumented. As people of Faith we know that it is a moral failure to play political games with our families,” said Onleilove Alston, interim executive director of Faith in New York, member of the PICO National Network. “The President and the Senate democrats have decided that it’s okay to see several thousand more deportations for a few political gains. This was never about politics for us. It has always been about our families. We hope the nation’s leaders will one day view this issue through the same lens. Our families have been ignored, neglected, and demonized by elected officials for too long. Our sacred text commands that we welcome the stranger yet each day that passes, over 1000 families are separated.“
Gail Golden, co-chair of Rockland Immigration Coalition said, “Rockland County is home to large and growing immigrant communities. Our Spanish speaking community alone has grown 67% since 2000. Immigrants contribute enormously to our economy as workers, business owners and consumers. Many undocumented persons have been the target of cruel and immediate deportations for incidents such as broken taillights, visiting a relative in jail, or having an out of state license. One young mother was deported after being stopped at a traffic light in an old car. Her young children were in school and she was not even given a chance to contact them. Families are being torn apart; children are being left without parents. We need administrative relief as soon as possible. Every day that goes by without it damages families and communities.”
# # #
The New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform campaign is a statewide campaign coordinated by the New York Immigration Coalition and endorsed by 170 labor, business, faith, grassroots and immigrant organizations from across the state. The coalition is calling for an overhaul of the immigration system to meet the needs of the economy and keep families together.
The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.
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):
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, e.g., “Secure Communities” program. **Law students ONLY**
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 state and local election reform; produce reports and organize public forums; work with volunteer attorneys and assist in organizing legal trainings. Voting Rights Interns work on the following:
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. Workstudy 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].
