racism Archives - Page 2 of 3

April 21, 2021April 21, 2021

MNAPABA and NAPABA Statement on the Verdict in the Trial of Derek Chauvin

For Immediate Release: Date: April 20, 2021

Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

Over the past year, in the wake of the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, amongst others, MNAPABA and NAPABA expressed their support of and solidarity with the Black community in Minnesota and across the nation. Today, a jury in Minneapolis has convicted Derek Chauvin on all counts charged in the killing of George Floyd. MNAPABA and NAPABA acknowledge the pain and anguish of the Floyd family and the Black community, and we recognize this is but one chapter in the ongoing endeavor to improve accountability, training, integrity, transparency, and improvement of this country’s criminal justice system as we have called for in NAPABA’s Resolution in Support of the Black Community.

At this critical inflection point in race relations in the United States, and as our own communities face a surge in reported hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents, MNAPABA and NAPABA reiterate their commitment to stand in solidarity with the Black community in Minnesota and across the nation in our shared goal of combating racism, discrimination, hate crimes, and other forms of bigotry. NAPABA recognizes the long history of systemic inequality faced by the Black community in this country and reaffirms its resolution calling for accountability and improving standards of professionalism and conduct in law enforcement. NAPABA has called for building trust between law enforcement and communities of color including by promoting diversity, inclusion, and better training for law enforcement. Community and government leaders must work together to create that trust and fairness in the legal system by combatting bias and safeguarding civil rights, civil liberties, and access to justice for all. While there remains much more work to be done, we hope this outcome helps the country heal and put greater faith in the rule of law.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American 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 color in the legal profession.

December 14, 2020April 16, 2021

Fall Conference 2020: Allyship and Black Lives Matter—Racism, Bias, and Xenophobia in Our Communities

On September 26, 2020, as part of AABANY’s 11th Annual Fall Conference, the AABANY Real Estate Committee and Issues Committee hosted a plenary session on the ongoing racial reckoning following the death of George Floyd and the rise in xenophobia against Asian Americans since the beginning of the pandemic. The panel included:

Margaret T. Ling, Development Director and Real Estate Committee Co-Chair at AABANY and Senior Counsel at Big Apple Abstract Corp. (Moderator)
Letitia James, 67th Attorney General for the State of New York
Rahul Agarwal, Executive Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey
Paula T. Edgar, Attorney, CEO of PGE LLC, and Partner of Inclusion Strategy Solutions LLC
Chris Kwok, Co-Chair of the Issues Committee and Asia Practice Committee at AABANY and a mediator and arbitrator with JAMS
Carmelyn P. Malalis, Chair and Commissioner of the New York City Commission on Human Rights

The esteemed panel discussed their experience addressing the issues of racism, bias, and xenophobia in their different capacities as government officials, bar association leaders, and diversity and inclusion specialists, especially in the context of the ongoing pandemic. As the opening speaker, Paula Edgar provided an informative presentation on systemic racism, the varying responses of Corporate America, and the importance for companies and law firms to invest in resources for diversity training as part of an urgent call to incorporate actionable plans into their missions for equity and inclusion. More importantly, allyship transcends performative activism, or surface-level activism, on social media and demands a sustained and active approach to listen to the experiences of marginalized communities, educate oneself on race-related history and issues, and speak out against any injustice.

In highlighting the importance of using our vote at this historical moment, New York State Attorney General Letitia James suggested that the participation of more people of color in law-enforcement can be one of the ways to sustain the BLM movement and push for substantive, lasting changes. Some of the projects at the Attorney General’s Office include a lawsuit against the US Postal Service for their attempt to delay the vote-by-mail ballots and an effort to advocate for immigrants to ensure that they are counted in the 2020 US Census. Attorney General James emphasized the need to stay hopeful and utilize our vote as citizens to protect our democracy.

Rahul Agarwal focused on the recent rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and stressed the importance of active reporting on the part of community members to help law enforcement personnel investigate these crimes and open cases. Rahul explained that the law enforcement community takes reports on hate crimes very seriously because the perpetrators’ hatred often affects many individuals, and since the targeted population can become fearful, it is crucial for law enforcement to act quickly.

Noting from a survey the significant increase in people’s perception and experience with racial inequality since 2016, Carmelyn Malalis described the active outreach by the New York City Commission on Human Rights to marginalized communities and its employment of staffers who speak a total of over 30 different languages at the Commission to increase community engagement. Echoing Attorney General James’ comment on the value of allyship, Commissioner Malalis added that allyship also means recognizing that the constructed narratives about marginalized groups are often inconsistent with the lived experiences of people in those communities. She emphasized the need to actively work on dismantling one’s biased preconceptions.

Referring to the Stop AAPI Hate’s recent record of about 2,600 hate crimes and incidents against Asian Americans in the past six months, Chris Kwok suggested that the actual number is most likely a lot higher since there has been insufficient attention directed towards AAPI hate crimes and a general lack of active reporting in the AAPI community. Chris highlighted the importance for Asian Americans to support the BLM movement since we are all fighting to challenge white supremacy and ensure justice in the United States. He concludes by emphasizing the need to say “BLM”— since black lives had been defined as property for decades, we, as allies in the BLM movement, should acknowledge the hashtag’s reflection of that history and recognition of the equal rights that every person deserves.

Thank you to Margaret, Attorney General James, Commissioner Malalis, Rahul, Paula, and Chris, for this insightful panel discussion. Thanks also to the AABANY Real Estate Committee and Issues Committee for organizing this event. To view a recording of the plenary session, click here or on the image above.

November 18, 2020

AABANY Member Profile: Kevin Kim, Campaign Finance Chair of Scott Stringer’s Mayoral Campaign, Encourages Political Engagement Among Asian Americans

Former AABANY Board Member, Kevin D. Kim, is currently volunteering as the Campaign Finance Chair for NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer’s Campaign for Mayor of NYC. Kevin’s experience in serving on nonprofit boards is extensive – today, he serves on the Board of Trustees for the City University of New York (CUNY) and was elected this fall to the national Board of Directors for the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC). His past board service includes the American Red Cross in Queens, Friends of Thirteen (public media provider featuring PBS series), Korean American Community Foundation (KACF), Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY). In recognition for his tireless community service work, the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) awarded Kevin with an Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2015 and in 2020, Columbia Law School’s APALSA presented Kevin with its Hong Yen Chang Award for inspiring civic engagement.

Kevin’s parents and sister moved from Korea to Sunnyside, Queens (and later Bayside, Queens) when he was five years old. Together, along with Kevin’s grandmother, they lived in a one-bedroom apartment for the first seven years in this country. Kevin’s mother was an artificial flower designer and his father, with his law degree from Seoul University, went door-to-door in the garment district to sell those flowers. Like many immigrant children, Kevin recognized early on the tremendous sacrifices his parents made so that their children could seek a better life in the greatest country in the world.

Growing up in Sunnyside and Bayside, there were not many Asian Americans living in those neighborhoods at the time. While an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers welcomed the influx of Asian Americans into their communities, one could not help but observe that others perceived Asian Americans (and other immigrant groups) as perpetual outsiders. At the same time, he relished his experience growing up in New York City—home to diverse communities that share more similarities than differences. Realizing the importance of amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, Kevin believes that through active organizing and mobilizing, underrepresented groups can have their voices heard in a society that champions active civic engagement. “Asian Americans comprise 16 percent of the New York City population and yet we get allocated less than 0.16 percent of the social service dollars. Without taking tangible action to vote in every LOCAL primary and general election, and organizing to contribute to political campaigns on both sides of the aisle, this fact will not change,” Kevin stated.

After graduating from Stanford University and Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review, Kevin began his legal career as a law clerk for then-U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin for the Southern District of New York. He then worked as an Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell where he practiced corporate law.

Realizing the lack of representation of Asian Americans in politics amid their increased presence in New York, Kevin decided to transition into the government sector. For four years, Kevin served as deputy director of community affairs for former Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-NY-05), who Kevin looked up to as a compassionate mentor. Kevin’s time at the Congressman’s office allowed him to appreciate the importance of providing excellent constituent services and motivated him to consider running for office himself.

In 2009, Kevin became the first Korean American to win a New York City primary when he became the Democratic nominee for New York City Council for District 19. While Kevin made remarkable strides in his historic nomination, he still encountered troubling racism. He recounts an episode, while campaigning at the Bayside LIRR train station with Congressman Ackerman, when a self-identifying Italian-American woman confronted Kevin about the “invasion” of Asian Americans into downtown Flushing, Queens. She rationalized that she could not vote for an Asian American candidate because Asian Americans had ruined downtown Flushing. In response, Kevin calmly asked if it would be fair for others to blame her for the behaviors of anyone else in her self-identified ethnic group, a question which prompted her to realize the hypocrisy of her statements (though she still fumed she was not voting for Kevin).

In his six months of campaigning, Kevin, the first Asian American candidate in District 19, had several such eye-opening incidents. More importantly, he stresses that those confrontations should not deter others from running for office. Reflecting on his own campaign experience and time serving as Senior Advisor to former presidential candidate Andrew Yang (who Kevin first met as a 1L at Columbia Law School), Kevin encourages every Asian American at some point in their lives to run for public office. Kevin said that during the course of a campaign, “You will encounter some of the most difficult people you have ever met, but I guarantee that you will also meet some of the most selfless, compassionate, and hopeful people too. The latter give you real hope that the world is still made up of decent people, even those who may not share the same political views as you.”

Besides his work in community mobilization and the legal field, Kevin also devoted his expertise to serving the people of New York in various capacities. From 2014-2016, Kevin was the Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority, becoming the first Asian American appointed to this position. In June of 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Kevin as a Trustee of the City University of New York (CUNY), making him only the third Asian American and the first Korean American to serve on the CUNY Board of Trustees. In that position, he chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Subcommittee on Investments.

Today, Kevin is helping to elect Scott Stringer for NYC Mayor in the upcoming 2021 June primary election. “I decided to accept this important role because Scott has a proven track record of being an exceptional leader as an assemblymember representing the Upper West Side, Manhattan Borough President, and New York City Comptroller,” said Kevin. “As we work together as a city to recover from the COVID-19 imposed fiscal crisis, there is no one in this city who understands the finances of the City better than Scott.” Kevin also touted Scott’s second-to-none record on hiring minority and women leaders in his administration. For example, as NYC Comptroller, Stringer hired the first-ever Chief Diversity Officer for New York City. Moreover, Scott’s First Deputy Comptroller and Chief of Staff are also both women. Kevin particularly appreciates Stringer’s commitment that his senior administration will reflect the diversity of the City, including Asian Americans.

As the Campaign Finance Chair, Kevin serves alongside the Campaign Finance Director and the Deputy Campaign Finance Director to oversee the campaign’s fundraising strategy, which is strongly influenced by New York City’s unparalleled campaign finance matching program. Because New York City matches 8-to-1 for any contribution up to $250 from a resident, many of the campaigns have shifted their focus from the high-dollar donors to grassroots donors. Effectively, the matching program allows the average New Yorker to amplify their voice in upcoming municipal races. For any campaign to successfully reach the $7.6M spending cap, for example, it needs to persuade thousands of supporters to give to that campaign. Kevin shares Scott Stringer’s conviction that elected officials need to take an active role in going into the communities, meeting people where they are, and listening to their concerns.

Throughout his career, Kevin has been slowly breaking the bamboo ceiling one step at a time, blazing the trail for others in the Asian American community. He understands the importance of ensuring that Asian Americans have a “seat at the HEAD table.” Kevin especially encourages young people to seek out mentors. “Just delivering outstanding performance at work is not enough,” Kevin advises. “You need to nurture genuine personal relationships early on not just with those senior to you, but also with peers and those junior to you.” He has seen many instances where classmates and others have benefited greatly professionally from personal relationships they had developed with their respective junior colleagues.

Going forward, Kevin hopes that more Asian Americans get involved and understand the importance of voting in every local primary and general election. Historically, only about 11-13% of registered Democrats vote in the NYC Mayoral primary, which in many cases (due to the 8-1 Democrat to Republican voter registration advantage), ends up deciding who ultimately gets elected to run the greatest city in the world. He encourages every AABANY member to get involved, and stay involved, in political campaigns on ALL sides. Without increased political participation levels from Asian Americans, we may in our own way be contributing to the “perpetual outsider” perception shared by some of our fellow New Yorkers.

For more information on Scott Stringer’s campaign, including how you can get involved, visit https://stringerformayor.com/.

This member profile has been published for informational purposes only and does not constitute and should not be construed as a campaign endorsement.

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020

Model Minority vs Covid-19: Education through Crisis, For Asians in America

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2020 | Time: 4PM to 5PM

This event will be broadcasted via Facebook Live on the Queens Memory Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/queensmemory.

Covid-19 has sparked an increase in racism against East Asians in America, whether immigrant or native born. However, racism against all groups of Asian descent has been around for much longer, with racist stereotypes and the model minority myth. Join Queens Memory and partners for an online discussion about the current higher educational experience for Asians in America, who are facing the continuously evolving challenge of racism. Also to be discussed is how Asians in America can provide ally-ship and solidarity to other groups that are experiencing racial oppression.

Moderator

Frank Wu, President-Designate, Queens College/CUNY

Panel

Joyce Moy, Executive Director, AAARI-CUNY
Vivian Louie, Director, Asian American Studies Program & Center, Hunter College/CUNY
John Chin, Professor, Urban Policy and Planning, Hunter College/CUNY
Madhulika Khandelwal, Director, Asian/American Center, Queens College/CUNY
Student Representative from the Student Council, Asian/American Center, Queens College/CUNY

Program sponsored by the Queens Memory COVID-19 Project of Queens College and Queens Public Library, Queens College Asian American Center, and Asian American / Asian Research Institute – City University of New York

June 3, 2020

MNAPABA and NAPABA Stand in Solidarity with the Black Community

The Minnesota National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) released the following statement on June 2, 2020:

“The events of the past few weeks—the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, as well as numerous incidents of explicit bigotry, bias, and brutality—are nothing less than disturbing and heartbreaking. The Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) stand in solidarity with our Black neighbors in the Twin Cities and beyond.

We demand change. When there is an imbalance of power, our position as members of the Bar and our understanding of the rule of law makes it even more critical that we stand strong against any form of injustice. We recognize the generational failures of our government and criminal justice systems in protecting the Constitutional and human rights afforded to Blacks.

We must address deeply rooted racism in our society. We must work to create trust and fairness in our legal system by addressing systemic bias in the law to safeguard civil rights, civil liberties, and justice for all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious background, or immigration status.

MNAPABA and NAPABA stand in solidarity with the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers (MABL) and the National Bar Association (NBA) as they seek justice and reform at a local and national level. We stand in unity with our affiliated Asian Pacific American bars and sister bar associations in speaking out against racism in all its forms.”

May 18, 2020May 19, 2020

NYCCHR Chair and Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis’ Response to a Rise in Anti-Asian Harassment and Hate Crimes

The recent spike in Anti-Asian harassment and hate crimes have prompted a strong response by NYCCHR Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis. Encouraging New Yorkers to stand together against discrimination, she describes the history of scapegoating in times of crisis and the dangers of fearmongering. She encourages individuals to combat Asian-American stereotypes and misconceptions that underplay anti-Asian racism. With Malalis at the helm, the NYCCHR has formed a COVID-19 response team to handle reports of discrimination and harassment. She strongly encourages victims and bystanders to record and report such incidents to the NYC Commission on Human Rights.

Reports of anti-Asian harassment and hate crimes have spiked amid COVID-19 — here’s how the leader of @NYCCHR @CarmelynMalalis is fighting back pic.twitter.com/RlCzwZ7qge
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) May 10, 2020

May 4, 2020

AABANY Signs onto Statement of Support for Resolutions Opposing Anti-Asian Sentiment

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.

Please visit here for the full statement.

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

National Bar Associations Denounce Rising Anti-Asian Hate Related to the Coronavirus

Seven national bar associations today released a joint statement denouncing the rising number of incidents involving anti-Asian discrimination and racist remarks related to the coronavirus and COVID-19.

Calling for unity in these challenging times are the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the American Bar Association (ABA), the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), the National LGBT Bar (LGBT Bar), the National Native American Bar Association (NNABA), and the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA North America).

“Unfortunately, the emergence of the coronavirus has led to an increase in acts of hate and discrimination targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. The legal community stands united against hate. The current situation calls for unity and support—not acts of division and words that sow fear,” said NAPABA President Bonnie Lee Wolf.

The FBI has warned about a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes related to the coronavirus. Numerous community organizations have documented that acts of discrimination and bias are increasing, including incidents involving stereotypes and xenophobic language.

President Wolf continued, “Thank you to our sister bars who issued their own messages of support for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community when they saw these acts of hate and discrimination on the rise. A special thank-you to ABA President Judy Perry Martinez, HNBA President Irene Oria, NAWL Executive Director Karen Richardson, LGBT Bar President Wesley Bizzell, NNABA President Robert Saunooke, and SABA North America President Aneesh Mehta for joining me in the video statement to launch this campaign. We encourage other bar associations, law firms, and organizations to join us in denouncing discrimination. We stand together. We stand against hate.”

March 30, 2020

Congresswoman Grace Meng Introduces Resolution to Denounce Anti-Asian Sentiment Caused by Coronavirus

On March 25, 2020, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that denounces the anti-Asian sentiment caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus.

“The increased use of anti-Asian rhetoric, particularly from our nation’s leaders such as the President, and their use of terms like ‘Chinese virus,’ ‘Wuhan virus,’ and ‘Kung-flu,’ is not only irresponsible, reckless, and downright disgusting, it threatens the safety of the Asian American community; such language demeans, disparages, and scapegoats Asian Americans,” said Meng. “Asian Americans, like millions of others across the nation, are worried about the coronavirus; however, so many Asian Americans are also living in fear following the dramatic increase of threats and attacks against those of Asian descent. During this time of heightened anxiety and fear surrounding COVID-19, we cannot lose sight of protecting the health and safety of every single person – no matter their race, ethnicity, or background. The House must take a strong stand against the sickening intolerance, bigotry, and violence that is leaving a terrible stain on our nation’s history, especially during this moment of an unprecedented public health crisis. I am grateful to my colleagues who introduced this resolution with me today, and for joining me in saying loud and clear: xenophobia and discrimination is absolutely unacceptable. I strongly urge all of my House of Representatives colleagues, to support this measure, and its passage.”

The resolution has 124 cosponsors. They include: Reps. Chu, Pressley, Castro, Pascrell, Malinowski, Speier, Watson Coleman, Brown, Takano, Cisneros, Schakowsky, Velázquez, Pingree, Lieu, Napolitano, Correa, Haaland, Huffman, Torres, Blumenauer, Fudge, Cárdenas, Omar, Schrader, Moulton, Suozzi, Lynch, Dingell, Connolly, Case, A. Green, Bonamici, Trone, C. Maloney, Khanna, McGovern, Thompson (CA), Larson, Foster, E. Johnson, Jayapal, Kilmer, Jackson Lee, Lofgren, Porter, Raskin, Lowenthal, DelBene, Castor, Jeffries, Trahan, Smith (WA), Rose, Beyer, Rouda, Costa, Serrano, DeFazio, Krishnamoorthi, Ocasio-Cortez, Cicilline, Kim, Sanchez, Soto, Bustos, McCollum, Pocan, Welch, Sablan, Schiff, Larsen, Higgins, Yarmuth, McEachin, DeLauro, Quigley, Clark, Grijalva, DeGette, Engel, Butterfield, Rush, Deutch, Allred, Eshoo, S. Maloney, Kennedy, D. Davis, Bass, Boyle, Nadler, Lee (CA), Norton, Lewis, Mucarsel-Powell, Bishop, Evans, “Chuy” García, Schneider, Horsford, Carson, Wild, Tlaib, Casten, Craig, Frankel, Meeks, Brownley, Spanberger, Wexton, Vargas, S. Garcia, Hastings, Escobar, Cohen, Vargas, Sherman, Waters, McNerney, Cox, McNerney, Lawrence, Tlaib, and Gallego.

To learn more and to read the text of the resolution, click here.

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020

NAPABA Denounces Use of Racist Language to Describe Coronavirus

Please read below a statement released by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association on March 18, 2020:

Using the terms ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘Wuhan virus’ to describe the coronavirus and COVID-19 is inaccurate and unacceptable. This disease does not discriminate. We cannot allow racism to rise as we come together to take on this challenge. NAPABA calls on the President and other leaders to stop using this harmful and xenophobic language.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recognized using such terms creates harmful stigma against ethnic and minority groups, further endangering public health. Discriminatory language distracts from the problem before us, and only perpetuates unfounded misinformation.

The stereotypes associated with this language have led to a rise in anti-Asian bias and racist attacks related to the coronavirus. NAPABA spoke out against this bias and joined a coalition of over 260 organizations, including our member bar associations, calling for leaders to focus on unity and denouncing anti-Asian attacks, xenophobia, and racist language.

We ask you to do your part to combat racism and promote unity in response to this challenge. Know the facts and encourages others to do the same by referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.