On April 30, 2026, AABANY had the privilege of participating in the second Asian American & Pacific Islander Summit. The event was hosted in the U.S. Capitol by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and brought together AAPI organizations, advocates, and community leaders from across New York for three panels covering immigration enforcement and community response, civic engagement and the Voting Rights Act, as well as grants and resources for small business owners.
AABANY was represented by Rachel Lee, Board Director and Co-Chair of the Issues Committee, and Prof. Elaine Chiu, past Chair and current member of the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. They were joined by a roster of elected officials that included Congresswoman Grace Meng and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Tammy Duckworth, Charles E. Schumer, Andy Kim, and Mazie Hirono.
Rachel Lee served as a panelist on the immigration enforcement panel. Drawing on AABANY’s experience collaborating with community members and organizations, Rachel stated, “Representing AABANY on the immigration panel was a valuable reminder of how critical community-facing work is. When audience members raised practical questions about daily best practices, my on-the-ground training and outreach experiences helped me address their needs. This reinforces the importance of know-your-rights education that is ongoing, audience-specific, and grounded in the realities of our communities, as well as the unique role that bar associations like AABANY have in connecting legal resources to the communities we serve.”
While the Summit’s primary focus this year was not on hate crimes, Senator Gillibrand highlighted her ongoing legislative efforts to combat anti-Asian hate and violence. In 2023, Senator Gillibrand introduced the Hate Crimes Commission Act (S.2030 / H.R.4172). This Act established an independent, 12-member federal commission tasked with examining the recent rise in hate-based incidents and developing comprehensive strategies to combat them. Senator Gillibrand has also co-sponsored the Disarm Hate Act (S.2776 / H.R.6258) which prohibits individuals convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes from purchasing or possessing firearms.
At the Summit, political strategist Trip Yang encouraged AAPI organizations to create their own content (such as polls, fact sheets, community newsletters) to better mobilize and represent AAPI voters, who are increasingly identifying as politically independent.
The AAPI Summit continues to be a valuable opportunity for AABANY to connect with advocates, elected officials, and community members working toward the same goals. Prof. Elaine Chiu noted, “This summit is a valuable opportunity to showcase AABANY and its unique ways of supporting our communities and to hear from other organizations how we can help.” Rachel and Elaine reported back that two other possible action items AABANY can consider are expanding Know Your Rights Workshops to reach a wider range of audiences and playing a bigger role in pro bono options to address the skyrocketing cost of immigration legal services. As the issues facing our community grow more urgent, events like this remind us of the immediate actions that we need to take to tackle the issues at hand.
AABANY thanks Senator Gillibrand for organizing the AAPI Summit and for including AABANY. Thanks also to Prof. Chiu and Rachel for representing AABANY at this important convening of leaders from across New York and the United States.