Save the Dates! Upcoming Manhattan Family Justice Center Trainings

  • Consumer Credit and Debt Issues for IPV Survivors
          Friday, April 25th 3-5 pm
 
  • How to File Family Offense Petitions Online
          Monday, April 28th 12-1 pm
          Tuesday, April 29th 12-1 pm
 
  • Elder Abuse: What You Need to Know
          Wednesday, April 30th 1-4pm
 
  • Improving the Identification and Support of Sex Trafficking Victims
          Friday, May 2nd 1-4 pm
 
All trainings will be held in the MFJC Training Room at 80 Centre Street 5th Floor, New York, NY 10013. 

Questions? Contact Sarah Flatto.

Sarah Flatto
Director, Programs & Outreach
NYC Family Justice Center, Manhattan
80 Centre St. 5th Floor New York, NY 10013
Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence
(212) 602-2857 | (212) 602-2800
[email protected] | www.nyc.gov/domesticviolence

Chinatown NYC Restaurant Week

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Ten days left to #SpringforChinatown.
 
Manhattan’s Chinatown has the most sensibly-priced restaurants in NYC and the one neighborhood where you can have
Shanghainese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Japanese cuisines and get some ice cream afterwards
from our 2014 sponsor Häagen-Dazs on Mott St.
So how about saving your same-old restaurant for another day and #SpringforChinatown
for one of the deals, meals and steals, which vary at each participating restaurant.

Here’s a sample (hyperlinks to menus + offers can be found below) – some restrictions apply:
All you can eat sushi  + hot pot under $20/pp +  prix fix lunches + just pick-from-the-menu lunches +
prix fixe dinners + just pick-from-the-menu dinners +  prix fix packaged deals on a meal + a Häagen-Dazs Chinatown ice cream cake (see design below) for 20% off + lobster + peking duck specials +
10% off your next visit + 50% off wine selection + 10% off your entire bill
 
Can’t go – no prob: Share this message with others. Follow us Twitter @ChinatownRW and like us on Facebook atChinatownRestaurantWeek.
 
Tweet a pic of your Chinatown Restaurant Week experience and tag it #SpringforChinatown or @ChinatownRW
for a chance to win a diamond replica keychain ring. All entries/twitter handles will be entered into a raffle drawing.
Winners will be announced on Twitter on Sundays: March 23 and 30.
 
Share + post this poster in your office building, company kitchen, apartment building lobby by the mailboxes + retail stores.
 
Chinatown Restaurant Week community groups: feel free to foward this message to your email lists.
 
The 2014 Chinatown Restaurant Week event was funded by our participating restaurants and our 2014 sponsor Häagen-Dazs Chinatown.  NYC Chinatown Restaurant Week® is an independent community-based celebration of diverse cuisines found in the downtown Manhattan Chinatown community. It was created by local resident and public relations veteran Julie Huang who serves as its volunteer producer with the support of over 32 community groups and local elected officials. NYC Chinatown Restaurant Week® is a registered trademark of and licensed from Kaimen Company.

Follow us Twitter @ChinatownRW and like us on Facebook at ChinatownRestaurantWeek.

For a media tour + customized pitch ideas + interviews with restaurants + inform us of your presence, please contact Chinatown Restaurant Week [email protected] and (917) 807-0718.

NACDL Strike Force Represents Vinoo Varghese

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is now representing Vinoo Varghese pro bono in supporting his opposition to the Manhattan DA’s attempt to subpoena him to testify against his client’s interests.

The NACDL has a “Lawyers Assistance Strike Force [which] has a clear mission of representing and counseling criminal defense lawyers who are members of NACDL when they are imperiled with the risks of contempt, disqualification or subpoena for privileged information.”  http://nacdl.org/lasf/

Here is the link to NYLJ article of 11/12/13 and here is a link to NYLJ article of 11/4/13.

AAF: New York State Senate and Assembly Districts Highlight the Growth and Diversity of Asian New Yorkers

AAF Logo 3
 
PRESS RELEASE

Friday, October 25, 2013
For Immediate Release 
Contact: Jo-Ann Yoo
(212) 344-5878, x217
 
New York State Senate and Assembly Districts Highlight
the Growth and Diversity of Asian New Yorkers
 

New York, NY—Today, the Asian American Federation released briefing papers that detail the Asian population, ethnic breakdowns and the major Asian languages spoken in the State Senate and Assembly districts in New York City based on new lines finalized in May 2012.  The briefing papers examine the 65 Assembly districts and 26 Senate districts in New York City. 
 
According to Asian Americans of the Empire State:  Growing Diversity and Common Needs, published by the Asian American Federation earlier this year, New York State is home to the second largest population of Asian Americans.  “While the fastest population growth and the newest communities are in the upstate region, most Asian American New Yorkers live in the New York City metro area,” said Howard Shih, Census Programs Director at the Federation.  “The Asian American community is culturally and economically diverse. 
 
Some of the key highlights from the briefing papers are:
  1. For the first time, one State Senate district is majority Asian.
  2. Three Assembly Districts are now majority Asian, up from only one in 2002.
  3. Chinese is the most spoken language other than English in 5 Assembly Districts and 3 Senate Districts.  Korean is the most spoken language other than English in one Assembly District (District 26).
  4. The second most commonly spoken Asian language group consists of the languages of the fast-growing South Asian population.
“Asian American communities throughout our city are growing and thriving, adding to the rich cultural diversity that makes New York such a wonderful place,” said State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, whose district includes Manhattan’s Chinatown.  Speaker Silver’s district, historically one of the oldest Asian enclaves in the City, is home to almost 60,000 Asian Americans.  “These profiles are valuable tools that allow elected officials to keep track of the demographics of the constituencies we represent,” added Speaker Silver. 
 
According to the Assembly district briefing paper, District 40 in Flushing has the largest Asian population, followed by District 25 in Northeast Queens.  In District 40, 64% of the population is Asian.  “This briefing paper is a tool for elected leaders because it is so important to know what ethnic groups we are serving in our different Assembly districts, and base our services and communications on the needs of different groups.  As the only Asian American elected to a state office and the prime sponsor of Data Disaggregation bill, data breakdowns like this enable the state leaders to provide better access to the services that our constituents deserve.  I will personally be promoting this tool and sharing it with my colleagues in the New York State Assembly so that we can continue to have stronger connections with our state’s growing Asian American community,” said Assemblymember Ron Kim (D. 40). 
 
“By providing information on the diverse and growing communities across the city and in individual districts, we move one step closer to making state government accessible to everyone it serves. I look forward to working with all the great groups serving the Asian American community to ensure even greater language access to public information,” said Assemblymember Nily Rozic, who represents District 25 which has over 67,000 Asians, or 54% of total population.
 
On the State Senate side, the district with the largest Asian population is District 16 in Flushing Queens, represented by Senator Toby Ann Stavisky.  District 16 has over 176,000 Asians, making the district 55% Asian.  “This paper by the Federation highlights one of the most fascinating parts of my district—our incredible culture of diversity and inclusion.  I am glad that New Yorkers of all backgrounds, from the Chinese population in Flushing to the South Asian population in Jackson Heights and the Korean population in Murray Hill have decided to call Queens home.  I remain committed to ensuring that my constituents have in-language assistance to services, civic participation access, and other opportunities to have a stronger voice in their community.  This insightful research helps me better understand and better serve all of the people of the 16th district,” said Senator Stavisky.
 
District 11 had the second largest Asian population, with over 1 in 3 residents who are Asian.  The third largest Asian population is District 26, which encompasses Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown.  24% of the population in District 26 is Asian.  Upon review of the briefing paper, Senator Daniel Squadron remarked, “As New York’s Asian American population continues to grow, it’s critical that the community has real partners and a real voice in government.  This report only underscores how important that partnership is, on everything from language access in education and government to protecting small businesses.” 
 
“In a few months, the 2014 election cycle for state offices will begin.  We hope these briefing papers are tools for elected leaders to reach out and engage the Asian Americans living in their districts.  Oftentimes, outreach to our community is overlooked, but having tools like these that show the breakdowns of the top languages in New York City’s state assembly and senate districts, as well as the disaggregation by the top 19 Asian languages spoken in each district, will better equip our leaders to engage residents.  In turn, these papers will facilitate community leaders and advocates to show that our civic voice is growing and that we need to better connect with our elected officials to offer our expertise, ask for help and support,” said Cao K. O, executive director of the Federation. 

 

 http://www.aafederation.org/cic/briefs/NYCAssembly2012.pdf

 
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Join AABANY at the Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival on May 18

The 34th Annual AAPI Heritage Festival will take place in Manhattan this year on May 18 at Confucius Plaza from 11 am to 6 pm. From the organizers:

Organized by the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans since 1979, this annual festival is the longest running and largest event celebrating pan-Asian heritage nationwide. It celebrates not only the value of families, but also our heritage which make us proud to be Asian American and Pacific Islander.

The festival is free and open to the public thanks to generous contributions over the years from sponsors such as Nielsen, Verizon and Macy’s as well as from supporting companies: McDonalds, Con Edison, Toyota, Pepperidge Farm, Campbell Soup, Different Roads to Learning, and many Asian communities and organizations.

AABANY will be among the exhibitors at the event. Stop by, bring your friend and families, enjoy performances, sample delicious Asian food and check out exhibits from other community groups and vendors. The video above is from last year’s festival, and as you can see, it’s a lively and fun event.

Hope to see you in Manhattan Chinatown on Saturday!

AABANY Testifies at City Council Districting Commission

On August 16, AABANY, through its Executive Director Yang Chen, gave testimony at a public hearing convened by the City Council Districting Commission.  AABANY testified as a member of ACCORD, the Asian American Community Coalition on Redistricting and Democracy, and urged the Commission to draw lines that kept communities of interest together in Manhattan.  Citing the Voting Rights Act and applicable Supreme Court precedent, AABANY indicated that the current district lines in Chinatown and the Lower East Side may not comport with legal requirements.  As part of its testimony, AABANY submitted a copy of its March 2003 letter to the Department of Justice, which dealt with the same issue.  To read the testimony and the letter, go to bit.ly/blog_Testimny_CityCnclDstrctngComm