Tag: Pro Bono Clinics

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the November Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic

While the season changes and the leaves turn colors, one thing remains constant: our volunteers and their incredibly generous support for our Pro Bono Clinics. 

AABANY thanks our co-organizers, Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), Pro Bono & Community Service Committee (PBCS), and all the dedicated volunteers who contributed to the success of our Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn on November 8th, 2025. 

November Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic

We give a special acknowledgement to Vishal Chander, another highly committed volunteer, Co-Chair of the Issues Committee, and a member of the AABANY Board of Directors.

As he was preparing to swear-in as a new Board Director for NAPABA in Denver, CO, Vishal generously stepped up to remotely cover immigration cases for us. We deeply appreciate his dedication and willingness to support our work even while traveling and taking on a new leadership role. Congratulations to Vishal on his new position at NAPABA. We are grateful for his integrity and commitment to the AABANY Pro Bono Clinic.

During this month’s Clinic, our volunteers provided invaluable assistance to 16 clients, addressing a range of legal matters including housing, immigration, family and matrimonial, estate and property, invasion of privacy, and employment. Our volunteer attorneys and interpreters thoughtfully addressed client concerns, offered clarity through their answers, and facilitated connections to appropriate legal resources via AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).

We are committed to offering services in both Mandarin and Cantonese to ensure continued support for individuals facing linguistic or cultural barriers when seeking guidance on substantive and procedural legal matters.

As an interpreter at this Clinic, I had the opportunity to sit in on several deeply moving cases that revealed the human stakes behind legal procedures. One immigration case involved a young woman whose father had abandoned the family years ago. She hoped to apply for a green card based on abandonment and emotional hardship. After discussion, her case appeared to fall under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), which provides a pathway to lawful permanent residency for minors who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by one or both parents, and who cannot safely return to their home country. In that room, I watched not just attorneys offering legal guidance, but human beings holding space for grief, confusion, and hope. It reminded me how the law, while technical in form, carries deeply human consequences for those whose lives depend on it. The attorneys ran back and forth, trying to get them resources and help, making clear what their choices were and how they could get help. 

Another case involved a Spanish-speaking mother and her children who had fallen three years behind on rent after the mother made the difficult but necessary decision to evict a roommate who had sexually assaulted her daughter. Without the financial support, and with her son refusing to contribute while still living in the home, she was unable to recover and pay rent. The attorneys carefully explained possible remedies, guiding her through how to appear in Housing Court, how to request a court-appointed attorney, and how to apply for a One Shot Deal, an emergency rental assistance program for tenants facing eviction due to financial hardship. They also discussed longer-term legal planning and referred her to additional community-based support services. What struck me most was the compassion with which they approached her situation, emphasizing not only what could be done legally, but how she could emotionally and practically navigate the process.

The pro bono work done through AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics is not just about dealing with legal challenges –  it is about the restoration of dignity, clarity amid fear, and giving structure to lives interrupted by crisis. Access to justice is not merely a legal right, but a human one.

We are grateful for all the volunteers at the November 8th Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic for their time, professionalism, and contribution:

Volunteer attorneys:

  • Vishal Chander
  • Victoria Cheng
  • Megan Gao
  • Kwok Kei Ng
  • Arthur Lin
  • Jie Shi
  • Shuyao Wang
  • May Wong
  • Tiffany Wong
  • Gary Yeung
  • Alexander Yuan

Interpreters/Shadowers:

  • Kaila Chen
  • Nikita Kohli
  • Yiyang Shen
  • Wendy Zeng
  • Jessie Zhou

We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming pro bono clinics:

December 3rd [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355 [Immigration Law training provided. Find out more below.]

December 17th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

January 10th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Upcoming Community Education Training Speaker and Topic Announcement

With the collaboration of the Immigration and Issues Committees, Vishal Chander, one of PBCS’s incredible volunteers and Issues Committee Co-Chair, will provide a thirty-minute Basic Immigration Training Part 2 on December 3rd at Queens Pro Bono Clinic from 6 – 6:30pm.  Part 1 was conducted at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on November 19, and if you missed it, the video will be made available soon.

This training series will prepare lawyers and law students the fundamentals of advising pro bono clients who are or have family in removal (deportation) proceedings.

Note: Attorneys seeking CLE credits must attend both sessions to earn 1 CLE credit hour. No partial credit is available.

We look forward to your participation in our future clinics! To learn more about how you can get involved with AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics, visit probono.aabany.org. 

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AABANY and AALFNY Partner with CMP to Empower Entrepreneurs Through Legal Know-How

On October 18th, 2025, the Chinatown Manpower Project (CMP) held its Annual Entrepreneurship Training.  The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) and Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) partnered with CMP to deliver a legal workshop on Business Entity Formation and Partnership Agreements, designed to assist small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Thanks to May Wong, former Co-Chair of the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, and Nandar Win Kerr, Treasurer and Consultant to the PBCS Committee for providing invaluable insights on the crucial topics of business entity formation and partnership agreements, equipping aspiring and current entrepreneurs with the foundational legal knowledge necessary for success.

The engaging training covered essential aspects of choosing the right business structure, including understanding the implications of diverse entity classification and the critical components of strong partnership agreements. Attendees gained a clearer picture of how to protect their businesses, navigate legal complexities, cultivate productive collaborations and promote a sustainable business model.

Many immigrants arrive in the United States seeking better economic prospects and face barriers to traditional employment, such as language barriers and lack of local networks. CMP offers employment support to people from all walks of life, including immigrants and second-generation immigrants. CMP also hosts comprehensive entrepreneurial workshops and seminars, provides one-on-one consulting services to small business clients, and refers clients to partnering resource organizations for government assistance, legal consultation, financial literacy, and micro-lending. 

Wong and Kerr also highlighted the availability of free 30-minute legal consultations through the PBCS Committee’s legal clinics in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. These clinics, co-sponsored by AABANY and AALFNY offer accessible legal guidance to the community. The PBCS Committee encourages pro bono legal service from AABANY members, informs the community of their legal rights, and works with other not-for-profits to bring free or low-cost legal services to the AAPI, immigrant, and other New York communities. AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (“LRIS”) connects members of the New York community with qualified legal counsel, overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers and increasing the accessibility of legal referral services in the Greater New York area for an underserved demographic.

We believe that empowering entrepreneurs with legal education is vital for fostering thriving businesses and communities. As a gesture of our appreciation and support, all attendees were presented with special Pro Bono Clinic items at the conclusion of the training, a small token to remind them of the resources available to them and the importance of legal guidance in their entrepreneurial journey.

AABANY collaborates with CMP to create this legal workshop to help small business owners and tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. AABANY also helps provide legal advice to small business owners and young entrepreneurs at our upcoming legal clinics. We invite you to join AABANY’s upcoming Pro Bono Clinics taking place on: 

November 8th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

November 19th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

December 3rd [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

A big thank you to CMP for their continued dedication to fostering entrepreneurship, and to all the attendees for their enthusiasm and engagement. We look forward to future collaborations that uplift and empower our community.

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Glow Center, Committee of 100, and Foundation Center Inc. Host AAPI Youth Career Workshop

On June 27, 2025, Glow Cultural Center, Committee of 100, and The Foundation Center Inc. hosted the AAPI Youth Career Workshop, a networking reception for students to engage in networking conversations with their peers and experienced professionals from a wide range of industries. The panelists of speakers included: 

Dr. Pauline Lau (Medicine) – Hematology & Oncology, Board of Directors of Coalition of Asian-American Independent Practice Association (CAIPA)

Mark Lee (Business) – Founder of RokStar Chicken

Gary L. Yeung (Law) – Litigation Associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel, Member of Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)

The panel was moderated by Dr. Teresa Hsu (Mental Health) – Founder of Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans & Kin (SPEAK)​​

Attendees heard from the speakers about their backgrounds, the challenges they faced pursuing their careers, their passion in giving back to the AAPI community, and their advice on how to build communication skills, confidence, and connection. This program also provided networking opportunities for high school students to learn from these professionals in the medical, business, and legal field.

We thank Gary Yeung, Co-Chair of the Mentorship Committee and Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, for sharing his personal experiences and community-facing work he has been able to do through AABANY. Gary also gave shout-outs to his fellow Pro Bono Clinic volunteers, some of whom were in the audience.

Yes, you too can give back to the community in different ways: whether speaking in public to inspire future young professionals or volunteering at community organizations, such as AABANY’s Pro Bono Legal Clinics! Please consider joining us at our upcoming clinics:

Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic on July 12, 2025 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30pm – 2:00pm, at CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232.

Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on  July 16, 2025 [Manhattan link here], from 6:30pm – 8:30pm, at AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk St, New York, NY 10002. 

Queens Pro Bono Clinic on August 6, 2025 [Queens link here], from 6:30pm – 8:30pm, at AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355.

For more information, visit probono.aabany.org.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the April 2025 Pro Bono Clinic in Manhattan

Thank you AABANY, AALFNY, PBCS, AAFE, and our volunteers who assisted with the April 16th pro bono legal clinic in Manhattan!

Our volunteers met with 15 clients and discussed a variety of issues involving housing, divorce, immigration and civil litigations. Volunteer attorneys and interpreters patiently addressed client concerns, answered questions and connected them to lawyers or programs through AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).

We offer services in both Mandarin and Cantonese and aim to continue to provide support for those who may struggle to obtain quality legal care due to linguistic or cultural barriers when seeking advice regarding substantive laws and procedural issues.

Thank you to all of our volunteers for dedicating your precious time to our Pro Bono Clinics and events. You all make our community a better place!

Volunteer Attorneys
Anthony Wong
Beatrice Leong
Francis Chin
Gary Yeung
Jenny Dai
John Hui
Justin Lee
Lily Li
Mengxi Xiong
Rachel Yoo (Remote)
Tammy Tran
Vishal Chander
Yen Yi Anderson

Interpreters/Shadowers
Grace Ouyang
Chia-Jung (Colette) Chang
Juliet Romero
Jack HsiaRuo Yang

Behind the Scenes Volunteers

Yang Chen
Kevin Hsi
Kwok Ng
Nandar Win Kerr

Please join our upcoming pro bono clinics on – May 21, Manhattan, from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002 

May 31, Brooklyn, from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

June 4, Queens, from 6:30 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the next clinic! 

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AABANY Member Kin Ng Honored as a Community Leader at Chinese-American Planning Council’s Harvest Moon Benefit

On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, AABANY members attended the Chinese-American Planning Council’s (CPC) Harvest Moon Benefit in Brooklyn to celebrate longtime active AABANY member and co-founding member of AABANY’s Prosecutors Committee, Kin Ng, who was one of the Honorees this year. 

Kin has been a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for over thirty years. In 2021, he was appointed to serve as the Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau II, Blue Zone. From 2017 to 2020, he was promoted to Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau I – Red Zone, and became the first AAPI bureau chief of a major trial bureau in the history of the office. Prior to that, Kin served in various management capacities in different trial bureaus and the Immigration Fraud Unit. He also served as the Chief of Legal Training, conducting office-wide trainings for all Brooklyn ADAs and staff. Kin continues to mentor prosecutors of all offices and experiences through AABANY as well as National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). In addition, he is a founding member and co-chair of the National Asian Pacific Islander Prosecutors Association (NAPIPA) and a member of its National Executive Board and the President of its New York Chapter. Notably, Kin received the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at the 2018 AABANY Fall Conference, in recognition of his leadership in the Asian American legal community.

In his acceptance speech, Kin mentioned and thanked Homecrest and CPC for providing many programs to the community, such as senior services, multi-social services and a wide range of youth and workforce activities. These programs, especially summer and after-school educational activities, provide working families with child care services and a safe environment for their children to learn and grow. 

On behalf of the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, we also want to thank CPC for hosting our Pro Bono Clinics at their Brooklyn location and our community partners for supporting our efforts in providing free legal consultations to low- to middle- income individuals and families. 

The next Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn is on November 9, 2024, from 12:30pm to 3:00pm, at CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Pre-registration can be made by phone (tel: (718) 492-0409). Walk-ins are welcome!

If you would like to volunteer, please sign up – https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1858131. 

Last but not least, thank you AABANY, AALFNY, the Prosecutors Committee, and Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, and our pro bono clinic volunteers for supporting AAPI not-for-profit organizations and their great causes!!!


For more information about the Prosecutors Committee, go here. For more information about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee go here. Join the Prosecutors Committee for their 16th Anniversary Reception on Nov. 13. More details here.

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AABANY Participates in Health and Community Fair in Sunset Park

On August 24, 2024, AABANY participated in a health and community fair called “Health Empowerment Celebration” organized by RaisingHealth in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It was their third fair, and it included more than 40 community partners. They provided programs and services, such as free health screenings and resources, food, arts activities, and cultural performances. Kwok Ng (Co-Chair of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee), May Wong (Co-Chair of Professional Development Committee), and Nandar Winn Kerr (Co-chair of Professional Development Committee) volunteered to provide immigration rights brochures, flyers about the new changes to medical coverage for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic flyers, and legal referral sheets.

Starting August 1, 2024, DACA recipients are now eligible for subsidized coverage through the Essential Plan. After November 1, 2024, they will be eligible for Qualified Health Plans. For more information, please visit – https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/

On the same day, AABANY also participated in the Immigrant Rights Fair co-organized by Committee of 100 in downtown Flushing. Read that blog post here.

We are honored to have participated at these events, to raise awareness about immigrant rights and health benefits, and to offer resources to those who need valuable and free legal advice and assistance. Thank you to volunteers and our community partners! 

Please join us at these upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:

September 18, 2024 [Manhattan], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

October 2, 2024 [Queens], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

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AABANY Partners with Committee of 100 at Immigrant Rights Fair at Glow Cultural Center in Downtown Flushing

On Saturday, August 24th, the Committee of 100, Documented, and Glow Cultural Center hosted an Immigrant Rights Fair at the Glow Cultural Center in Flushing, Queens. AABANY joined the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the NYC Commission on Human Rights, Community Legal Aid Center Inc., the Asian American Attorneys Association, and the Chinese-American Planning Council in providing valuable resources to attendees. Representing AABANY were Lina Lee, Pro Bono & Community Service Committee Co-Chair, Jessie Liu, Co-Chair of the Immigration Law Committee, Daphne Mei, Program Manager, Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, and Yang Chen, Executive Director.

AABANY offered free legal resources, including information about pro bono legal services, the “Getting Help for Anti-Asian Attacks and Incidents through HEART” brochure, information about our Pro Bono Clinics, including the one held bimonthly in Queens at Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) offices in Flushing, and details about our Legal Referral and Information Services (LRIS).

The event featured a “Report for Support” session, introducing the AAPI Hate Tracker to help attendees report incidents and connect with support organizations. It concluded with an “Immigrant Rights Tea & Talk” discussion on the “public charge” policy and its impact on immigration status when applying for government benefits.

We thank Cindy Tsai, Interim President of the Committee of 100, and Faye Qiu, Community Outreach Coordinator, for organizing this impactful event, which provided vital resources to the primarily elderly Chinese community in Queens. We also extend our gratitude to Councilwoman Sandra Ung for her participation and insightful speech, further advocating for immigrant rights.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the June Pro Bono Clinics!

Thank you AABANY, PBCS, AAFE, and our volunteers who helped out at the June 5th (Queens) and June 19th (Manhattan) pro bono legal clinics!

At the Queens clinic, our volunteers met with 20 clients and discussed issues involving housing, immigration, criminal, and consumer debt matters.  At the Manhattan clinic, our volunteers met with 10 clients and discussed issues involving housing, immigration, and personal injury claims. Volunteer attorneys and interpreters patiently addressed client concerns, answered questions and connected them to lawyers through AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS). 

Thank you to all our volunteers for dedicating your valuable time to our pro bono clinics, especially during the Juneteenth holiday.  Your compassion and dedication are deeply valued and truly make a positive impact on the community we serve.  By offering services in both Mandarin and Cantonese, we aim to continue to provide support for those who may face linguistic or cultural barriers when seeking access to legal services. 

Please join us in our upcoming clinics:

July 13, 2024 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:00 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

July 17, 2024 [Manhattan link here], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

August 7, 2024 [Queens link here], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

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Thank You to Our 7/23 Queens and 7/30 Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

Just in the month of July, we met with 50 clients!!! There were so many positive and a few negative feedbacks from the clients.

Based on the feedback, many clients were grateful for our services and noted that “this is a much needed service in the Asian community.” Many clients cannot afford to speak with an attorney, do not understand the legal system, and are limited English proficient. A few clients complained that the time was too short or that the attorney couldn’t answer their questions.

Many clients asked questions about immigration, housing, contracts and fraud, wills, trusts, and estates. We also met with pro se litigants who have questions about liens, wage garnishment, judgment proof, and the New York State Exempt Income Protection Act.

Thank you AABANY, our volunteers, the Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York (CCCNY). In fact, we were amazed to have dedicated law students joining us on July 30 even though they just finished their NYS Bar exam that week. 

So…if anyone’s interested in the next round of mini-bar exams, please come join us at our next Pro Bono Clinics! To volunteer or to learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Services Committee, please visit probono.aabany.org.

From Flushing, Queens (7/23): Thank you, volunteers, for helping us meet with 19 clients. These cases covered various areas including immigration, housing, contract, and fraud. Of the 19 clients, 5 spoke Spanish, 11 spoke mandarin, 2 spoke Cantonese, and 1 spoke English.

Volunteer AttorneysInterpreters & Observers
Beatrice LeongAlexandra Lao^
Eugene KimJoy Fan^
Evelyn Gong*Nicole Morikawa^
Hooney HeohReni Axelrod^
Jackson Chin*Sharmie Azurel^
Johnny ThachYvette Adiguzel^ (licensed out-of-state)
Kyoung JungWeiqiao Lin^
Shirley Luong 
Duane Morikawa 
Yaoyu Liu 
Yvette Wang 
Zhaohua (Josh) Huang 
John Hwang (licensed out-of-state) 
May Wong 
Theresa Yuan 
^ = non-attorney volunteers
* = remote

From Chinatown, Manhattan (7/30): Thank you, volunteers, for helping us meet with 31 clients. Majority of these cases were related to housing, contracts and fraud, and wills, trusts, and estates. Of the 31 clients, 16 spoke mandarin, 7 spoke Cantonese, 7 spoke English, and 1 n/a.

Volunteer AttorneysInterpreters & Observers
Ailsa ChauAlex Hwang^
Beatrice LeongAlexandra Lao^
Chao-Yung (Kloe) ChiuJoy Fan^
Eugene KimKirin Moy^
Eun Hye (Grace) LeeMeng Zhang^
Francis ChinNandar Win Kerr^
Jackson ChinReni Axelrod^
Kwok Kei NgTeresa Wai Yee Yeung^
Lindsay HaoYvette Adiguzel^ (licensed out-of-state)
Lulu Jing 
May Wong 
Meghan Liu 
Min Jung Esther Choi 
Theresa Yuan 

Please feel free to join us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics in August –

Manhattan – August 20 – Cutoff time to register by 12pm, 8/17 to recruit volunteers

Location – 33 Bowery, Community Room at Confucius Plaza, New York, NY 10002

Please sign up here – https://airtable.com/shr1fbjStq7JLSaWY

Brooklyn – August 27 – Cutoff time to register by 12pm, 08/24, to recruit volunteers

Location – United Chinese Association of Brooklyn (UCA), 1787 Stillwell Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11223

Please sign up here – https://airtable.com/shreNdk1DNGzCiHp2

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AABANY Members: Donate Spanish Books to RAICES

Tina Song, member of PBCS and Immigration Committees at AABANY, writes the following urging AABANY members to donate books to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES):

Raising Awareness, Raising Hope 

“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.” –Roald Dahl, Matilda

At the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), I represent young children who crossed the United States borders illegally and currently residing in shelters at Corpus Christi, Texas. The population that RAICES serve are children ranging from ages two to seventeen years old. Many of these children have fled their countries to the United States to escape poverty and violence. Violence and abject poverty are oftentimes the moving force that drives these children coming to the United States in search of a chance for a better future.  

At my job, I met a young African girl who was raised under an abusive household where her father forced his daughters to follow the customs of a secret society in which the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is sacred and the norm. FGM is often motivated by beliefs about what is considered acceptable sexual behavior and is often considered a necessary part of raising a girl and preparing her for adulthood and marriage. FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15.

As a result from this torturous practice, both of her two sisters died from FGM. To escape his guilt and crimes, the father sent her to the United States illegally. During her treacherous travels to United States, her chaperone was murdered and she was raped. 

After spending time with my client, I found that her simple wish is to have more English or Spanish books at the shelter so that she can learn English and Spanish to communicate with her friends there. 

I implore you, my friends and colleagues at AABANY to consider making a donation to RAICES so that we can provide books for these young minds. You can mail any used books in Spanish that are in great conditions. Please send me an email at tina.song@raicestexas.org and I will provide you the address to mail the books to. If you do not have time to purchase books, you can also send me your abandoned gift cards from Barnes & Nobles, gift cards from bookstores redeemed from your credit card points, or any gift certificates from small independent bookstores or Amazon, and I will help make the purchases. 

Your used Spanish books or Spanish books donated/purchased will be dropped off by my staff at RAICES or myself to the shelters. I will send you follow-up emails of your donation and purchases. 

If you don’t feel comfortable supporting my cause, then please consider donating books to: 

One Book One World: https://onebookoneworld.org/2021-aapi-book-drive. One Book One World is co-founded by Zhixian Jessie Liu, one of the co-chairs at the Immigration Committee. Her organization helps raise awareness of ethnical Asian novels and authors by sending such books to New York City’s day cares, schools, and learning centers. One Book One World will has been providing their book lists to us for our cause. 

Even if you can’t contribute, feel free to send us book lists and we will use the funds to make the purchases. Please do not send any monetary donations. At this time, we are only looking for books or giftcards to support bookstores, retail or independent, not money. Unfortunately, your kind act will not result in taxable deduction. 

But if you are buying books or giftcards from Amazon, please choose the Asian American Law Fund of New York, Inc. as your Amazon smile!!! This way, you can help fund the pro bono clinics run by the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee at the same time. The PBCS’s monthly pro bono clinics, which I have volunteered both in-person and remote, promote legal access to the Asian Pacific Islander community. For more information, visit https://probono.aabany.org/donate.    

Your generous donation will bring lots of smiles from these young children and support to the PBCS’s pro bono clinics. 

Have a wonderful upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and thank you in advance for your generous support!

Tina Song, Staff Immigration Attorney at RAICES, Member of PBCS and Immigration Committee at AABANY, Volunteer and Immigration Consultant in PBCS’s pro bono clinics. 

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