Tag: press conference

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AABANY Releases Second Report on Anti-Asian Hate and Violence in New York

On May 31, 2022, AABANY released its second report on anti-Asian hate and violence in New York City, entitled Endless Tide: The Continuing Struggle to Overcome Anti-Asian Hate in New York. The report examines the increased incidents of violence against Asian Americans in 2021 and proposes solutions to combat the lack of justice. Endless Tide is dedicated to the memory of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American autoworker murdered 40 years ago in an act of racial violence outside of Detroit. 

AABANY held a press conference on the morning of May 31 at the offices of Paul, Weiss in midtown Manhattan. Remarks were delivered by Eva Zhao, the widow of Zhiwen Yan, the delivery worker who was murdered in Forest Hills. 

“I want justice.” said Eva Zhao. “I really don’t want to see another family go through the same kind of pain.” 

(On June 1, Glenn Hirsch was arrested on charges of murdering Zhiwen Yan.)

AABANY was also joined by numerous elected officials and community leaders including Council Member Sandra Ung, State Senator John Liu, Assembly Member Ron Kim, Partner at Paul, Weiss and former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and Regional Director New York/New Jersey for the ADL Scott Richman.

“We can make people safe, We can make people feel welcomed in their communities. We can give them peace and security.” Loretta Lynch noted. “We can eliminate this hate that is based on nothing more than a distinction without a difference.” 

Endless Tide has received widespread coverage in the media since its release. The report has been cited by more than a dozen different publications to date, including CNN, CBS News, NBC News, and the New York Law Journal: 

AABANY thanks everyone who made this project possible. Special thanks to NAPABA for selecting AABANY as a recipient of its 2022 Affiliate Grant Program. The NAPABA Affiliate Grant Program supports affiliates and national associates in carrying out activities to further their missions and goals. To read the full report, please click on the image above. To view the press conference, please click here. 

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In the News: AABANY and Paul, Weiss’ Report on Anti-Asian Violence Receives Widespread Press Attention

On February 11, AABANY held a press conference to discuss the release of its report co-authored with Paul, Weiss, A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19: Impact, Causes, Solutions. Since the report’s release, news media across the country and around the world have summarized and cited its findings. 

Here are some news stories that discuss the report:

“Study Shows Rise of Hate Crimes, Violence Against Asian Americans During the Pandemic” By Zijia Eleanor Song and Jennifer Vázquez, February 11, 2021, NBC New York, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/study-shows-rise-of-hate-crimes-violence-against-asian-americans-in-nyc-during-covid/2883215/

“지난해 뉴욕 아시안 대상 혐오·폭력 사건 급증” By Shim Jongmin, February 12, 2021, The Korea Daily, http://www.koreadaily.com/news/read.asp?art_id=9086440 

“Greater Asian-American representation in leadership ranks needed to stem hate crimes in the US, says report” By Mark Magnier and Owen Churchill, February 12, 2021, South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3121518/greater-asian-american-representation-leadership-ranks-needed-stem-hate

“歧視亞裔 紐約市全美第2多 亞裔律師協會籲政府採取行動” By 顏潔恩, February 13, 2021, World Journal, https://www.worldjournal.com/wj/story/121381/5249694

“【武漢肺炎】紐約巿針對亞裔仇恨罪案大增7倍　分析指受害人不願報案問題被低估” February 13, 2021, Apple Daily, https://tw.appledaily.com/international/20210213/SRL5UCFZUZBJXAEQOKN42SY6I4/

“Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Anti-Asian Violence Spikes Across the U.S.” February 15, 2021, NPR The Takeaway, https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/amid-covid-19-pandemic-anti-asian-violence-spikes-across-us 

“NY Bar Group Tackles Pandemic-Fueled Anti-Asian Crimes” By Marco Poggio, February 16, 2021, Law360, https://www.law360.com/pulse/articles/1354591 (subscription required)

Here are some news stories about recent incidents of anti-Asian violence, where they mention AABANY’s report:

“Anti-Asian Hate Crime Surge Fuels Demands for Systemic and Sensitive Responses” By Christine Chung, February 11, 2021, The City, https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/2/11/22279407/anti-asian-hate-crime-surge-fuels-demands-for-systemic-and-sensitive-responses 

“Remember, Racism Isn’t Just Black And White. Anti Asian Racism Is On the Rise in the Pandemic Era” By Eric Hinton, February 11, 2021, NBC 5 Dallas Fort-Worth, https://www.nbcdfw.com/lx/remember-racism-isnt-just-black-and-white-anti-asian-racism-is-on-the-rise-in-the-pandemic-era/2549631/ 

“VP Harris responds to surge in violent attacks against Asian Americans” By Hannah Miao, February 12, 2021, CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/12/vp-harris-responds-to-surge-in-violent-attacks-against-asian-americans.html 

“38 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities” By The Editors, February 12, 2021, New York Magazine (The Strategist), https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html 

“大门涂粪诅咒！华人幼儿园遭种族仇恨攻击！暴力升级，全美亚裔吁政府采取行动！” By 新西兰中文先驱网, February 15, 2021, Chinese Herald, https://www.chineseherald.co.nz/news/education/racial-hate/ 

“Hundreds of volunteers are escorting elderly Asian Americans to keep them safe” By Austa Somvichian-Clausen, February 16, 2021, The Hill Changing America, https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/539083-attacks-on-elderly-asian-americans-cause-advocates-to-stand

The report has also made the news on WNYC-FM and MSNBC. If you have come across a news report or article about our report that is not listed above, please let us know at [email protected].

More public awareness about our report and the rise in anti-Asian violence is needed. Please share our report widely. If you have ideas or thoughts about how we can combat anti-Asian violence, please share them with us at [email protected].

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In the News: TKC Reports on AABANY’s Upcoming Queens Pro Bono Clinic

The Korean Channel (TKC) News, New York and New Jersey’s Korean news channel, recently covered a press conference leading up to AABANY’s upcoming Pro Bono Clinic in Queens conducted in coordination with Sandra Ung, New York State Committeewoman. 

TKC News elaborated on how AABANY plans to provide free legal assistance to Asian-American community members who face significant language barriers and financial obstacles. The Queens Pro Bono Clinic will be held in Ms. Ung’s Flushing Office and will continue on a monthly basis until June. The upcoming March 17th Pro Bono Clinic will focus primarily on Housing Law, the April 15th Clinic on Immigration Law, the May 20th Clinic on Elder Law and Public Benefits, and the June 17th Clinic on Family/Matrimonial/Education Law. 

TKC News interviewed Ms. Ung who expressed her appreciation working with AABANY to provide free legal services through her office. Additionally, the channel expanded on the criminal defense experiences of Eugene Love Kim, a regular volunteer at AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics, and touched on how his early life has spurred him to stand for his community. 

In an interview with TKC, Mr. Kim stressed that in times of increasing racial tensions because of the Coronavirus outbreak it is important for the members of the Asian-American community to stand in solidarity with one another. As someone who has had the privilege of becoming a lawyer, Mr. Kim believes that he and others like him have a responsibility to help all Asian Americans in need of legal services to provide a brighter future for later generations. The news coverage ends with a request for all viewers in need of services to call to make an appointment. 

Read more about the Queens Pro Bono Clinic in the press release.

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NAPABA APPLAUDS APPOINTMENT OF SCOTT H. YUN TO THE U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WASHINGTON — On June 23, Scott H. Yun was sworn into office to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Judge Yun will be the 5th Asian Pacific American to ever be appointed as a bankruptcy judge in U.S. history.

“We congratulate Judge Scott H. Yun on his appointment to U.S. Bankruptcy Court,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Judge Yun is highly qualified, and was selected from a very competitive field. As just the fourth sitting Asian Pacific American bankruptcy judge, his appointment is significant for Asian Pacific American bankruptcy practitioners and the Asian Pacific American legal community as a whole.”

Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit appointed Judge Yun to the court on June 20, 2014. Judge Yun will take the place of Judge Deborah J. Saltzman in the bankruptcy court’s Riverside division.

Prior to his appointment, Judge Yun was a shareholder at the law firm of Stutman, Treister & Glatt. Judge Yun also clerked for bankruptcy Judge Ernst M. Robles of the Central District of California. Judge Yun holds a B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles and a J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.