Support the Reuniting Families Act Now!

More than 1.5 million aspiring immigrants from Asia are waiting to be reunited with their loved ones in the U.S. That’s why Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, as part of the Value Our Families coalition, mobilized impacted community members and faith leaders in support of the Reuniting Families Act.
At a press conference on Capitol Hill, Rep. Judy Chu and our executive director John C. Yang emphasized the importance of reducing visa backlogs at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Read why Tessa Xuan and others are pushing for improvements in the family reunification process to prevent “unconscionable” family separations.
Our Director of Immigration Advocacy, Megan Essaheb, also spoke to the “Immigration Nerds” podcast about our advocacy and legislative work.
You can get involved by signing our petition here, and by telling your member of Congress to vote YES on the Reuniting Families Act.

EYE ON THE NEWS

Our president and executive director John C. Yang spoke to HuffPost after Marc Short, chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence, disputed that President Trump is racist because of Elaine Chao’s role as secretary of transportation.

We joined more than 150 organizations in opposing S. 1494, the Secure and Protect Act of 2019. Read our letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee here.

OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS

Register for our webinar on Organizing, Engagement, and Census Bureau Outreach and Partnerships on August 7 here.

We are launching a new webinar series on telecommunications and technology. Sign up here for the first webinar in partnership with Spectrum on the Future of Work on August 13.

We are hiring a development coordinator. This temporary position starts as soon as possible and ends on November 30, 2019.

Legal Advocacy Updates

Trump Administration is Blocked From Adding Citizenship Question to the 2020 Census

Our 16-month legal fight to keep the citizenship question off the 2020 Census has ended in victory. In July, U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel issued an order permanently blocking the Trump administration from adding the query, bringing an end to our litigation with the MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund). We are glad to move toward ensuring that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities get the representation and resources they deserve. Join us at CountUsIn2020.org. Thank you to all of the individuals and community organizations who joined as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Policy Updates

Facebook and FTC Reach Settlement on Privacy
In July, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved a record $5 billion settlement with Facebook over the company’s privacy policies. The agreement mandates that Facebook create an independent privacy committee on its board of directors and requires that Facebook’s CEO and designated compliance officers submit to quarterly privacy certifications from the FTC. We will continue to work to ensure that the principles of opportunity and fairness are protected online.

Spotlight

2019 American Courage Awards

Every year, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC celebrates leaders who strengthen civil and human rights within the AAPI community at our American Courage Awards. This year, our honorees include former Advancing Justice | AAJC president and executive director Karen Narasaki; Goodwin Proctor LLP counsel Paul Lee; Fred T. Korematsu Institute founder and executive director Karen Korematsu, and Affirmative Action Student Advocates from Harvard. This year’s ceremony will be on October 3 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. See ticketing and sponsorship opportunities.

Count On Your Census Podcast

Advancing Justice | AAJC is launching a podcast called “Count On Your Census” to explain the importance of the 2020 Census, especially for historically undercounted communities. Be ready to tune in to our first three episodes in the next few weeks.

Youth Leadership Summit Project

With funding from Advancing Justice | AAJC’s 2018 Youth Leadership Summit, Serene Singh helped to organize “Sikh Week” at the University of Colorado – Boulder to immerse the greater Colorado community with the Sikh faith, Sikhs, and our Sikh values. The week featured events including Turban Tying Day, Sikh Movie Night, and Kirtan Night, as well as two Sikh speakers.

On the Blog

Dear Young Ai-jen: A Note to My Younger Self
Ai-jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, writes a letter to her younger self on the significance of experiencing joy. This concludes our Note-To-Self series, featuring letters from Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC’ staff and AAPI leaders.

Queering the Census
It is crucial for LGBTQ communities to be educated about the importance of the 2020 Census. Our partners at the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance will provide multilingual census resources catered specifically for the LGBTQ AAPI community.

"Always Be My Maybe": Not Just an Asian American Rom-Com, But a Universal Rom-Com
In the first installment of "Milestones and Missed Cues," a new blog series from Advancing Justice | AAJC that examines movies and television shows featuring AAPI characters, Linh Nguyen delves into the themes within Ali Wong and Randall Park’s hit Netflix rom-com “Always Be My Maybe.”

Lilly Singh's Success Proves the Importance of Digital Media
The success of Indian Canadian blogger and comedian Lilly Singh is a testament to the importance of digital media for communities of color and demonstrates why Congress must act to ensure that digital content remains accessible to all.

Brown is Beautiful
Our communications intern Natasha Mansukhani shared a poignant story on colorism in Indian culture and emphasized the importance of self-love.

Give Today

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