Asian Americans Advancing Justice

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice "is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all." Illegal immigration is a primary issue. They have affiliates in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.[1]

Asian Americans Advancing Justice was formerly known as Asian Pacific American Legal Center.[2]

American Atheists Coalition Letter: 'Letter Opposing Anti-Muslim Hearing on Sharia Law'

American Atheists spearheaded a letter titled "Letter Opposing Anti-Muslim Hearing on Sharia Law" dated March 3, 2026. Asian Americans Advancing Justice signed the letter, which claimed that a Congressional hearing on Sharia Law is discriminatory "anti-Muslim rhetoric".:[3]

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Grantee

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has pledged $500 million over five years to racial justice groups. Asian Americans Advancing Justice was one of the recipients of the grants.[4],[5]

Alleged Violence Against Asian American Communities

Numerous organizations and individuals signed off on a letter by Asian Americans Advancing Justice in response to the March 2021 attack on three massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia, which they claim was "fueled by the United States’ long history of white supremacy, systemic racism, and gender-based violence".[6]

On March 16, eight people were killed at three different spas in North Georgia including six Asian women. We are heartbroken by these murders, which come at a time when Asian American communities are already grappling with the traumatic violence against Asian Americans nationwide, fueled by the United States’ long history of white supremacy, systemic racism, and gender-based violence.
As we collectively grieve and respond to this tragedy, we must lead with the needs of those most directly impacted at the center: the victims and their families. And during this time of broader crisis and trauma in our Asian American communities, we must be guided by a compass of community care that prioritizes assessing and addressing our communities’ immediate needs, including in-language support for mental health, legal, employment, and immigration services.
We must also stand firm in decrying misogyny, systemic violence, and white supremacy. We must invest in long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence and hate in our communities. We reject increased police presence or carceral solutions as the answers.
For centuries, our communities have been frequently scapegoated for issues perpetuated by sexism, xenophobia, capitalism, and colonialism. Asians were brought to the United States to boost the supply of labor and keep wages low, while being silenced by discriminatory laws and policies. From the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, to the forced migration of refugees from U.S.-led military conflict in Southeast Asia, to post-9/11 surveillance targeting Muslim and South Asian communities, to ICE raids on Southeast Asian communities and Asian-owned businesses, Asian American communities have been under attack by white supremacy.
Working class communities of color are disproportionately suffering from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump administration’s relentless scapegoating of Asians for the pandemic has only exacerbated the impact on Asian business owners and frontline workers and inflamed existing racism. The hypersexualization of Asian American women and the broad normalization of violence against women of color, immigrant women, and poor women make Asian American women particularly vulnerable. Hate incidents against Asian Americans rose by nearly 150% in 2020, with Asian American women twice as likely to be targeted.
We are calling on our allies to stand with us in grief and solidarity against systemic racism and gender-based violence. Violence against Asian American communities is part of a larger system of violence and racism against all communities of color, including Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.
In this time of crisis, let’s come together and build just communities, where we are all safe, where all workers are treated with dignity and respect, and where all our loved ones thrive.

Georgia Organizations

National/ Out of the State Organizations

Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism

A fact sheet[7] published by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism in March 2021 claimed that Anti‐Asian Hate Crimes Surge 149% with 122 alleged hate crimes against Asian Americans in the country in 2020 versus 49 alleged hate crimes against Asian Americans in the country in 2019. The source data for these claims is not included with the report, which was heavily cited in the media. The report itself directed readers to Stop AAPI Hate and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

Fighting 'Public Charge' Regulation

NAKASEC Twitter Video Oct 21 2018

Becky Belcore of NAKASEC was featured in a video posted on Twitter[8] by Asian Americans Advancing Justice requesting viewers to fight against proposed rule by the Trump Administration that would not give citizenship to individuals on welfare. "Public Charge" is defined as "an individual who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence."[9]

Fighting for Illegal Immigration Rally January 16 2018

Pramila Jayapal with DACA activists

On January 17 2018, Pramila Jayapal protested with DACA activists from NAKASEC (Dae Joong Yoon Co-Director, Sam Yu Communications Coordinator), Tony Choi, Rob Bonta, Kevin de Leon, UndocuBlack Network, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), African Communities Together leader and Local 23 President Bert Bayou and others.[10]

From the Facebook Live Video:

"Community members from the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), the UndocuBlack Network (UBN), Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), African Communities Together and UNITE HERE Local 23 will host a timely press conference denouncing President Trump’s racist statements in his meeting with U.S. Senators last week and call for a DREAM Act that leaves family sponsorship and diversity visa programs intact by January 19th, the deadline for the upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR). In addition to impacted community members and community leaders, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Immigration Subcommittee Chair Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, California State Senate President pro tempore Kevin de Leon and California Assemblymember and Chair of the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Rob Bonta will participate."

SPEAKERS

NAKASEC Facebook Live Video January 16 2018

The speakers in the order in which they appeared:

2017 recipients annual 'American Courage Awards'

2017 recipients annual 'American Courage Awards'

The Asian Americans Advancing Justice's American Courage Award in 2017[13] was presented to Neal Katyal, Partner, Hogan Lovells and Saunders Professor, Georgetown University

Other awards were given:

Ted Lieu tweets about presenting award to Linda Sarsour

2018 recipients annual 'American Courage Awards'

The Asian Americans Advancing Justice's American Courage Award in 2018[15] was presented to Ai-jen Poo, "Activist, Director of The National Domestic Workers Alliance and Co-Director of Caring Across Generations." The "Master of Ceremonies" was Cary Chow.

Other awards were given:

  • The Bridge Builder Award to Verizon
  • The Changemaker Award to Hari Kondabolu, Comedian Writer and Podcaster

Board Members

References

  1. ↑ Who We Are, (accessed Oct 21 2018)
  2. ↑ Who We Are, accessed Oct 21 2018
  3. ↑ Letter Opposing Anti-Muslim Hearing on Sharia Law (accessed May 18, 2026)
  4. ↑ Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Announces First Round of Racial Equity Grants (accessed November 11, 2021)
  5. ↑ CZI Supports Racial Diversity in Education to Improve Outcomes for All Students (accessed November 11, 2021)
  6. ↑ Collective Statement - A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities (accessed March 18 2021)
  7. ↑ [https://web.archive.org/web/20210318090752/https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET-%20Anti-Asian%20Hate%202020%203.2.21.pdf FACT SHEET: Anti‐Asian Prejudice March 2020 – Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism (accessed March 18 2021)]
  8. ↑ Tweet accessed Oct 21 2018
  9. ↑ Public Charge accessed Oct 21 2018
  10. ↑ Facebook Live Video, accessed January 19 2018
  11. ↑ When You’re Queer And Undocumented, The DACA Stakes Are Higher, accessed January 19 2018
  12. ↑ Black, Asian, And Latinx Activists Protest Trump’s ‘Shithole’ Comments, accessed Oct 20 2018
  13. ↑ American Courage Awards, accessed January 19 2018
  14. ↑ accessed Oct 20 2018
  15. ↑ accessed Oct 20 2018
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