Policy and litigation updates from Advancing Justice | AAJC
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A Cornucopia of  Gratitude 
Happy holidays from the Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC team!

As we untangle the holiday lights from the attic, the December season brings an abundance of brightness. One particular source of luminescence emits from thoughtful, intelligent young people who crave to create change. On December 7, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC hosted its first Youth Convening and Listening Session to empower the next generation of thought leaders and changemakers.

We welcomed five stellar speakers into the Youth Convening and Listening Session for a youth-driven, youth-centered convening and intergenerational listening session with emerging Asian American leaders making waves in the communities and campuses across the country.

In the spirit of giving thanks, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations who have generously supported Advancing Justice | AAJC. Thank you for joining in our fight. This work is made possible and inspired by supporters like you. 

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

Did you miss our webinar with PEN America on mis- and disinformation in the Asian American community? Watch a full recording of "Digital Health and Connection: How Media Literacy Can Bridge Divides" 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

President and Executive Director John C. Yang spoke with Wisconsin Public Radio about the introduction of Ji-Young Lee on Sesame Street.

Gisela Perez Kusakawa, our staff attorney for immigration and the Anti-Racial Profiling Project, spoke with MIT Technology Review about the results of their study on the "China Initiative" and how they demonstrate the disproportionate impact racial profiling has on Asian Americans and the immigrant community.

“Essentially, national security issues are being used as a pretext to target our community. This is resulting in a brain drain from & distrust towards the United States, which is counter-productive to national security," she said.
2021 American Courage Awards 
Thank You For Celebrating 30 Years of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC at the 2021 American Courage Awards!

We spent our virtual night commemorating the contributions of individuals, groups, and corporations for their extraordinary courage and commitment to the cause of Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights.

New York City Youth Poet Laureate Serena Yang recited her poem "Rage Woman," which celebrates Asian American women's rage, and Ruby Ibarra performed two songs highlighting the Filipino American experience. Mari Shiratori (a PhD student) and Reina Guartico (an early childhood special educator) joined for an Anti-Asian Hate fireside chat to share how they've taken action to protect themselves and their communities.

We were honored to present the American Courage Award to CBS Senior White House Correspondent to Weijia Jiang, the Changemaker Award to Emily May on behalf of Hollaback!, and the Bridge Builder Award to Thong Nguyen on behalf of Bank of America.

Thank you to our speakers and award presenters Broderick Johnson from Comcast NBCUniversal, Ren Guartico, Mari Shiratori, Maulik Pancholy, Jason Ve, Parkin Lee, Gina Shishima, Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Alex and Maia Shibutani. Special thanks to Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ted Lieu, Rep. Andy Kim, and Rep. Grace Meng for their appearances.

Find our full event here.
 
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 in which our community became the target of racism resulting from stereotypes, misinformation, and hateful rhetoric.

Please read the report highlighting our impact on our communities nationwide through our policy, advocacy, education, and community work. Because of you, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC answered 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
Civil Rights Organizations Applaud Timely Release by Acting Census Director Identifying Jurisdictions that Must Provide Language Assistance under Section 203 of Voting Rights Act

The Census Bureau updated determinations pursuant to the federal Voting Rights Act, designating Section 203 covered jurisdictions where elections officials are required to provide bilingual voting assistance to Asian Americans, Latines, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives. 

The expansion of Section 203 coverage reflects the diversity and rapid growth of the Asian American community, which has for decades been the fastest growing racial group in the U.S. Section 203 now covers 53 jurisdictions in 32 localities in 14 states for 8 different Asian language groups.

Read the full press release here. Review the fact sheet created by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation here.
Advancing Justice | AAJC Submits Comment to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Raising Concerns of Profiling and Criminalization of Asian Americans and Asian Immigrants

In November, Advancing Justice | AAJC submitted a comment to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in response to a call from Director Eric Lander for feedback on the implementation of the National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33). NSPM-33 was issued as a directive on federal agencies, universities, and individuals on how to protect the United States Government-supported Research and Development including basic and applied research from foreign governments while maintaining an open environment.

In the letter, Advancing Justice | AAJC provided implementation guidance recommendations and asked OSTP to take appropriate measures with input from community members. Our comment sought to provide a voice for the Asian American community and raise our concerns about the racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants working in science by federal government agencies, including the profiling and overcriminalization of scientists, researchers, and scholars of Asian descent under the Department of Justice’s “China Initiative” for administrative matters on research integrity.

Read the full press release here.
Advancing Justice | AAJC Applauds Inclusion of Expanded Broadband Access for Underserved Communities in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. which includes $40 billion for broadband deployment and $14.2 billion for broadband affordability measures, will provide critical resources and services to Asian Americans and other underserved communities. The funding is a crucial part of bridging the digital divide by providing much needed improvements to broadband infrastructure, lowering the cost of high quality internet, and providing more opportunities for underserved communities to access digital services and resources. 

Read the full press release here.
House Passage of Build Back Better Act Makes Important Strides for Family Immigration System and Asian American Communities 

U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, which, among other provisions, would recapture more than 500,000 previously unused visas. Due to government delays and backlogs, many Asian American families and immigrants have been separated from their families for years, sometimes decades. Passage of this provision would allow such families to reunify, which in turn will help America prosper.

From here, the legislation will be considered and amended by the Senate and potentially passed via reconciliation.

Read the full press release here.
Digital Health and Connection: How Media Literacy Can Bridge Divides 

On December 2, Advancing Justice | AAJC hosted a virtual media training with PEN America centered around mis/disinformation in the Asian American community, co-sponsored by OCA National and APIA Vote. In the training, we discussed the misinformation landscape and the best practices for keeping AAPI communities healthy and accurately informed.

Watch a full recording here.
Advancing Justice | AAJC Hosts First Youth Convening & Listening Session 

On December 7, over 40 people attended our first-ever youth convening and listening session to hear youth leaders speak about how they are leading change in their communities, campuses, and online. Panelists included Jeannie She (member of the Students Demand Action National Advisory Board), Jasleen Gasal (Sikh Youth Leader & Author), Isabella Guinigundo, Alysa Monteagudo (Co-Founder & Activist), and Shihong Lin (Civic Engagement Organizer).

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!
 
  • "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.
 
  • 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 develop 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: 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!
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, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. Be sure to sign up for our upcoming session in 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 a full-time Director of Immigration Policy. See all our open positions and learn how to apply here.
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