Policy and litigation updates from Advancing Justice | AAJC
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Empowering the Next Generation

As the weather turned in October, so did Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC's focus to equipping and empowering the next generation of thought leaders and changemakers.

We welcomed 11 stellar youth advocates into the 9th Youth Leadership Summit cohort, made possible through the generous support of State Farm and American Eagle. This fall's participants came with a diverse range of experiences from advocating at the intersections of AAPI, LGBTQIA+, and public health issues to amplifying transracial adoptee voices in Asian American spaces.

In the wake of racist violence and hate crimes against the Asian American community, many reached out asking for a resource specifically for children. This month, we were proud to launch "Be a Super Ally with the 5Ds," a new 5Ds-for-kids video series was made in partnership with Hollaback! and Woori Show. The videos were produced for kids ages 3 to 10 with the guidance and insight of experts in language, culture, early childhood education, and child psychology. Each animated video has an engaging story line with clear and actionable messages about how to safely react to bullying and racism.

This month, we celebrate and express our gratitude for Advancing Justice | AAJC's supporters, and invite each of you to join us in honoring the resilience of our community at this year's annual American Courage Awards. Register here to tune into our virtual program live on Thursday, November 18 at 7pm ET.

Keep scrolling to read more about these Advancing Justice | AAJC initiatives and more.
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EVENTS

Did you miss our webinar with Advancing Justice | AAJC's Anti-Racial Profiling Project and OCA National? Watch a full recording of "Movement to Combat Racial Profiling of Asian Americans: Where Are We Now?" here.

Together with Hollaback!, we've trained over 120,000 people through our joint trainings to combat anti-Asian hate! Join the next training:

Bystander Intervention Training Conflict De-Escalation Training (Bystander Intervention 2.0) Workshop for People Experiencing Anti-Asian/American Harassment
ADVANCING JUSTICE | AAJC IN THE NEWS

Our Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Marita Etcubañez, spoke with CIVICUS about the recent wave of anti-Asian racism and violence in the USA and mobilizations by Asian Americans in response.

"We strive for recognition and equity for Asian American communities while taking care to demonstrate solidarity with ally communities, including other communities of color, by supporting and hopefully not undermining their demands," she said.
2021 American Courage Awards 
Join us in celebrating 30 years of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC at the 2021 American Courage Awards

There is still time to register for our annual American Courage Awards on Thursday, November 18 at 7pm ET!

Tune in live to our virtual night commemorating the contributions of individuals, groups, and corporations for their extraordinary courage or commitment to the cause of Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on the recipients of this year's awards and special performances honoring the resilience of our communities.

Learn more and register at americancourageawards.org.
2020 Annual Report
Advancing Justice | AAJC Releases 2020 Annual Report

We are pleased to share with you our 2020 annual report. Your support strengthened our delivery on our mission to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans, especially during a time which our community became the target of racism as a result of hateful rhetoric.

Please peruse the report highlighting our impact on our communities nationwide through our policy and advocacy work. Because of you, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC elevated to the call-of-action to create change, work in solidarity, and strive toward the equity and unity that we all deserve, this country deserves.

Learn more and read the full annual report here.
Advocacy and Policy Updates

Advancing Justice | AAJC and Hollaback! Release "Be a Super Ally with the 5Ds" Video Series to Empower Youth


"Be a Super Ally with the 5Ds" is a new 5Ds-for-kids video series was made in partnership with Advancing Justice | AAJC, Hollaback!, and Woori Show. The videos were produced for kids ages 3 to 10 with the support of experts in language, culture, early childhood education, and child psychology.

Watch the videos and learn more about our partnership here.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Applauds Introduction of John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the Senate

On October 5, the Senate introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act following the U.S. House of Representatives passage of H.R. 4 (John Lewis VRAA) over a month ago. The VRAA will restore and modernize essential voting protections, such as practice-based pre-clearance, that have been missing since the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision that opened the floodgates to discriminatory voting laws. As of November 4, the Senate has failed to bring the bill to a full debate.

The Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation urges Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and protect the right to vote for all.

Find our full joint statement here.
Advancing Justice | AAJC Applauds Nomination of Jessica Rosenworcel for Chair and Gigi Sohn for Commissioner to the Federal Communications Commission

On October 26, President Biden nominated Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to be permanent Chair of the Federal Communications Commission. Rosenworcel would become the first woman to lead the FCC. President Biden also nominated Gigi Sohn to be a Commissioner of the FCC, which would make Sohn the first openly LGBTQ individual in the position.

We call on the Senate to confirm Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn swiftly. The confirmations of Rosenworcel and Sohn will build a FCC that is better equipped to effectively protect consumers and implement more equitable policies for all of our communities.

Read the full statement here.
Advancing Justice | AAJC Welcomes Stellar Student Leaders for Fall 2021 Youth Leadership Summit

From October 18-22, 11 youth advocates joined Advancing Justice | AAJC as the 9th YLS cohort. The October session was the second Youth Leadership Summit hosted this year. Through interactive workshops, hands-on trainings, and discussions with leaders on Capitol Hill, participants built advocacy and communications skills and gained a deeper understanding of how they can impact policy decisions.

Get to know these inspiring students here.
Advancing Justice | AAJC and Hollaback! Continue Providing In-Language Bystander Intervention Trainings

On Wednesday, November 17, Advancing Justice | AAJC and Hollaback! will host our first Bystander Intervention Training to Stop Anti-Asian/American and Xenophobic Harassment in Tagalog.

The free 75-minute interactive training will be facilitated by two trainers and a team of interpreters in English and Tagalog. In addition to simultaneous interpretation, the presentation used slides in both English and Tagalog. The session is followed by bilingual trainings in Thai and Hindi for late November and early December.

Learn more and sign up for an upcoming in-language trainings here.

On-going Resources

  • With the release of new Census data that will significantly impact the way our communities are represented, the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation created a redistricting factsheet to help Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities to get involved with redistricting. More translated resources on redistricting in a number of Asian languages to come!
 
  • The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program provides qualifying families in need for up to $50 ($75 on Tribal lands) of a monthly discount toward internet bills. EBB will help ensure that low-income families have affordable broadband access during a time when being connected to the Internet is more critical than ever.
    • Visit our EBB Resource Page for an FAQ sheet, an eligibility verification chart, as well as translated factsheets and social media graphics in English, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Burmese, Hmong, Thai, Tagalog, and Korean.
 
  • The Anti-Racial Profiling Project offers resources and legal referrals for those impacted by the U.S. government’s increased efforts to target and profile Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists and researchers, particularly of Chinese descent. If you believe you are being racially targeted by the government and you are looking for attorney referrals, please contact 202-935-6014 using the Signal app and a staff member will reach out to you directly with support available in English and Mandarin/普通话.
 
  • Our community engagement team has been working with community partners to pull together state-specific and national anti-hate resources for the AAPI community. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to access, share, and add to the crowd-sourced document at any point.
Blog Highlights
Filipino American History Month Content List for Learning and Uplifting

For continued learning, uplifting, and expanding of what we know about Filipino Americans who made history back then — and those who are making history to this day. Join us in remembering and memorializing FAHM beyond October!
Filipino American History Month: Reflecting on our past, present, and future

Staff from Advancing Justice | AAJC reflect on the historic significance of FAHM, connect it with their personal stories, what makes them proud to be Filipino American, who in the community inspires them, and their hopes for the future.
What “Shang-Chi” and its success mean for the Asian American community

Director of Community Engagement, Tiffany W. Chang, writes about how the first major Asian American superhero film represents how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
Commemorating the Anti-Racial Profiling Project One Year Anniversary

President and Executive Director John C. Yang reflects on one year after launching the Anti-Racial Profiling Project and why there is continued urgency to put an end the racial profiling of Asian immigrants and Asian Americans.
Read more of our blogs!
Intern Spotlights

Ryan Lee (she/hers) | Anti-Racial Profiling Project Intern

Ryan is a third-year student at the University of Virginia, studying Foreign Affairs and Music with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. At UVA, she plays viola in the Charlottesville Symphony and in a string quintet, while also serving as a cinema committee member in the University Programs Council. As an intern with ARPP, Ryan conducts research relating to immigrant surveillance practices and work in Hill advocacy efforts to combat the “China Initiative.” In her free time, she loves to cook, try out different stationery, and pet her dog, Felix. Ryan is interning with Advancing Justice | AAJC because she wants to channel her passion for advocacy and social justice into concrete and meaningful work while also serving and giving back to her community.
Yoko Zhu (she/hers) | Communications Intern

Yoko is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in Journalism with a minor in Environmental Analysis & Policy. Her hobbies include writing, reading novels and poems, and petting stray cats. Advancing Justice | AAJC’s mission of promoting and working towards racial justice aligns with Yoko's personal beliefs, especially their work to improve language accessibility to benefit the immigrant community.
Take Action With Us

Advancing Justice | AAJC and Hollaback! Workshops

We continue to host trainings with Hollaback! and have now trained over 120,000 people to safely intervene as a bystander to stop non-violent incidents of anti-Asian hate since the beginning of our partnership in April 2020.

We are now also providing in-language Bystander Intervention Trainings and have had simultaneous translations in Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean, and Vietnamese. Be sure to sign up for an upcoming session in Tagalog, Thai, and Hindi or spread the word!
 

Bystander Intervention Training
  • Learn about the basics of intervention and the spectrum of disrespect experienced by Asians/Asian Americans. Then, put what you’ve learned into practice. Register Here
Conflict De-Escalation Training (Bystander Intervention 2.0)
  • Take your intervention skills a step further by using patience, empathy, and a willingness to listen to directly de-escalate conflict with a harasser. Register Here
Workshop for People Experiencing Anti-Asian/American Harassment
  • This training is for Asians and Asian Americans to learn how to trust their instincts, reclaim their space, and practice resilience following an act of hate. Register Here
Stand Against Hatred was created by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in January 2017 to capture information about the increase in hate we observed in the months before and following the 2016 election. Since COVID-19 began, however, we have received many new testimonials of anti-Asian/Asian American incidents of hate and harassment.

By sharing what you experienced or witnessed, you can educate the public, empower others, show service providers where help is needed, and strengthen advocacy efforts for hate crimes response and prevention. We know that sharing these experiences can be painful, which is why we're so grateful for the brave individuals who continue to trust us with their testimonials.

If you or someone you know would like to share your experience, please visit StandAgainstHatred.org today.

Asian American Education Project Teacher Workshops


Asian American and Pacific Islander history is American history, but is often left out of curriculums in K-12 schools. The Asian American Education Project, fiscally sponsored by Advancing Justice | AAJC, launched a series of free workshops for K-12 teachers designed to promote the inclusion of historically and culturally competent curriculum about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) nationwide.

In this series of virtual K-12 Asian American Curriculum Teacher Training Workshops, The Asian American Education Project showcases curriculum on the AAPI experience. It is divided into themes to make it easier for educators to adapt the whole or part of the curriculum into their own practice.

Learn more and sign up for an upcoming workshop here.
Join Our Team
We are looking to immediately hire full-time staff members for these positions:
See all our open positions and learn how to apply here.
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