Asian Americans Advancing Justice l AAJC

Advancing Justice | AAJC is a leading authority on immigration policy as it affects the Asian American community. We leverage our position as a leader in the Asian American and broader social justice community to promote fair and just immigration policies that protect family unity, provide access to immigration status and a pathway to citizenship, and promote civil rights protections and due process in enforcement.

Family Immigration
The family-based immigration system is the backbone of the Asian American community. Over the past two years, this system has been under attack by both the administration and Congress. In response, Advancing Justice | AAJC engaged in administrative and legislative advocacy to support positive legislation while fighting against these attacks that would decimate the family-based immigration system. We have taken the lead in educating lawmakers and the media about the merit and benefits of family immigration, and dispelling myths surrounding the anti-immigrant so-called “chain migration” narratives.

DACA/Dream
When the administration announced the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in September 2017, Advancing Justice | AAJC mobilized our communities to speak out against the administration’s action, which affects nearly 800,000 young DREAMers. Working with Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrant advocacy, labor, civil rights, community health, service provider, and undocumented youth groups, we pushed for the swift passage of a clean DREAM Act. We continue to urge Congress to enact a permanent legislative solution that would once and for all protect our DREAMers and place them on a pathway to citizenship.

Muslim Ban
Standing together with Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities and remembering the history of Japanese American incarceration and the Chinese Exclusion Act, Advancing Justice | AAJC strongly opposed the administration’s Muslim Ban. Advancing Justice | AAJC analyzed and responded to the administration’s harmful Executive Orders, educated Congressional offices, local and national AAPI organizations, and the public on the administration’s changes to immigration policy. Advancing Justice | AAJC, along with our affiliates, joined amicus briefs filed by the Korematsu Center in the Fourth and Ninth Circuit cases, as well as the appeal to the Supreme Court. We urge Congress to pass legislation that would block any federal funds from being used to implement the Muslim Ban Executive Order.

Defund Hate
As part of the Defund Hate Campaign, we urge Congress to reduce the enforcement and detention budgets for both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and to instead invest resources in education, infrastructure, and services that create safe and healthy communities.

Support for Aspiring New Americans
Through our partnership with the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center and the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC), we assisted hundreds of individuals with completing naturalization applications and provided assistance in applying for fee waivers. We are also analyzing policies regarding naturalization to ensure that no unnecessary barriers exist in the naturalization process.

Advancing Justice | AAJC works to address barriers that have historically resulted in the undercounting and underreporting of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in federal data collection and analysis efforts. An accurate count of our community in the census is essential for government services to be provided to our people, for decisionmakers to understand the community’s importance and for the enforcement of AAPIs’ civil rights. As a member of the Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, and as co-chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Census Task Force, we emphasize the need for a fully funded Census Bureau and for smart, effective and well-tested policy decisions to interested stakeholders, administration officials, and legislators. Through this work, we advocate for inclusive federal data collection efforts to safeguard the Census – our most valuable source of nuanced community demographic data.

The 2020 Census
Advancing Justice | AAJC has worked all decade-long engaging and advising the Census Bureau on their planning for the 2020 Census. From advising on the Census Bureau’s exploration on modernizing their race and ethnicity questions to raising concerns about the Census Bureau’s language support program, Advancing Justice | AAJC has had a seat at the table to advocate on behalf of AAPIs as policy decisions were being designed and contemplated, with a focus on operational and implementation decisions that will help ensure a fair and accurate census. Additionally, as the national hub for the AAPI community, Advancing Justice | AAJC has done extensive message testing to determine how best to reach the AAPI community to ensure that it is fairly and accurately counted in Census 2020. Advancing Justice | AAJC is now turning to the development of materials for use by community-based organizations and trusted messengers. We continue to engage with the Census Bureau through submission of administrative comments, educational meetings with congressional offices, and submission of testimony for census-related hearings. Our congressional engagement has focused primarily on the importance of a fully-funded 2020 Census to a fair and accurate count of AAPIs, as well as providing advice and support to offices on operational and policy issues.

Census Citizenship Question
In March 2018, the Department of Commerce announced its decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, and we have been fighting this decision on several fronts. The introduction of this untested question is likely to create fear among all immigrants and result in an undercount of vulnerable populations. To address this issue, we have partnered with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) to file a lawsuit seeking to remove the citizenship question from the census. Of the multiple lawsuits filed on this issue, ours is the only one that focuses on the Asian, Latino, and Native American communities, with plaintiffs who come from these communities. We were also among the first of a core group of civil rights organizations to update and educate the community about the addition and its implications for our communities through press and community briefings. We also led a public comments campaign with the Leadership Conference and other partners to oppose the proposed citizenship question on the 2020 Census. The joint campaign resulted in a total of 250,000 individuals and organizations commenting in opposition to the citizenship question.

Advancing Justice | AAJC maintains robust government engagement at all levels on issues of telecommunications, technology, and media. We submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Elections Commission, and Federal Trade Commission on critical issues; educate Congressional leaders on policy matters that effect Asian Americans and other underserved communities; and in the courts, we file amicus briefs to highlight the impact of telecommunications and technology policies on our communities.

Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Age
With technology affecting our everyday lives, so many members of our community are left behind with no digital access or limited digital literacy. As access to technology moves from being a benefit to an absolute necessity, understanding the technological and telecommunications needs of our emerging and diverse population becomes even more important. For this reason, we endorsed the Digital Equity Act of 2019 that supports a diverse array of digital equity projects at the local and state level to help close the digital divide.

Leading the AAPI Community in the Technology and Telecommunications Space
We lead the Asian American Technology and Telecommunications Table that brings together Asian American organizations committed to raising the profile of our community’s voices in this space. The Table creates a space to educate members about ongoing technology and telecommunications policy debates, such as net neutrality, privacy, and 5G technology through nonpartisan briefings from various issue experts, corporations, and community partners. The Table translates those conversations into action, such as letters or comments for distribution and submission, blogs focused on our communities, and organized events.

Bringing our Voice to the Digital Privacy Conversation
Becoming such active participants in the online space has made our communities one of interest to companies that exist or rely on a digital medium. In the era of big data collection being used to create personalized technological experiences, Asian Americans are particularly vulnerable to having their personal data divulged through data brokers. Advancing Justice | AAJC is committed to advocating for a digital privacy regime that keeps our communities in mind such as ensuring limited English proficient individuals understand terms of service and breach notifications.

Media Representation: Our Representation Matters
Advancing Justice | AAJC remains committed to ensuring that media reflects the diversity of the world around us. From being a leader in the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) to calling out negative portrayals of Asian Americans on television, we continue to ensure that the images meant to reflect our communities are accurate, thoughtful, and relevant. Through the APAMC, we work with four major television networks on issues of diversity. We also advocate for diverse media ownership that ensures that various constituencies are served.

Through our legal advocacy program, Advancing Justice | AAJC advances the civil rights and social justice goals of Asian American communities. We engage in cases that impact the welfare and interests of Asian American communities through impact litigation in federal courts, amicus briefs—including in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—and generally, engaging with the broader racial and social justice coalition to advance key issues creatively. Our litigation and amicus strategy encompasses the breadth of the issues we address as an organization, including census; immigration; voting rights; tech, telecom, & media; language access; affirmative action; and more. This work expands the voice of Asian Americans by ensuring our participation in critical legal actions affecting our communities. Below are recent examples of our work in legal advocacy.

Litigation – Fighting in Court to Protect our Communities
Census: Advancing Justice | AAJC, along with MALDEF, filed a lawsuit in May 2018 alleging that the administration’s addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 decennial Census was motivated by racial animus and will lead to a severe undercount of Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and other populations, depriving these communities of political representation and federal funding. LUPE, et al. v. Ross, et al. is the first and only among six legal challenges to include a claim that administration officials and others conspired to deprive immigrants of color of their constitutional rights by adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

Amicus Briefs – Expanding the Voice of Asian Americans
Immigration: In City of Philadelphia v. Sessions, Advancing Justice | AAJC submitted an amicus brief before the Third Circuit in support of Philadelphia’s welcoming policies that help build trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement to create a safer city for all. Through this brief, Advancing Justice | AAJC lifted up the stories of immigrants and highlighted the positive impacts of trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.

Voting Rights: In Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, Advancing Justice | AAJC led a joint effort with other civil rights organizations to file an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that Ohio’s aggressive practice of purging voter rolls—a list of individuals who have not voted in a two-year period—is harmful to communities of color, especially those with limited English proficiency in the Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Latinx communities. Justice Sonia Sotomayor cited our brief in her Supreme Court dissent in this case.

Tech, Telecom & Media: In Metro PCS v. Picker, Advancing Justice | AAJC submitted an amicus brief in support of improved broadband internet for low-income minority communities impacted by the digital divide. The brief highlighted the importance of affordable broadband internet access for the educational and economic prospects of low-income communities of color.

Following the rise in hateful rhetoric and hate incidents across the country in the lead-up to and following the 2016 election, Advancing Justice | AAJC has been working to document hate crimes and other incidents of hate committed against our Asian American and immigrant communities. We lift up such incidents to media and policymakers in order to shed light on the breadth of incidents targeting our communities and immigrants across the country, and work to connect individuals targeted by hate with resources, including legal assistance.

The Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation launched the Stand Against Hatred website (www.standagainsthatred.org) in January 2017 as a mechanism to track and report on hate incidents, including hate crimes, against AAPIs across the country.  In addition to English, the website is available in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. In the two years since the launch of our website, we have received nearly 250 reports of hate from 35 states and the District of Columbia, covering anti-Asian and anti-immigrant incidents that include hateful slurs, harassment, and violence.

We are a partner in the Communities Against Hate Coalition, which is led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Through this coalition, we, along with Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, have been working with the Lawyers’ Committee to support its Stop Hate project, including its 1-844-9-NO-HATE hotline, to make assistance available in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian languages.

The reports submitted to Advancing Justice were included in the report produced by the Leadership Conference in January 2019, "Hate Magnified: Communities in Crisis." This report analyzes nearly 4,000 stories collected in the Communities Against Hate online reporting database and the Hate Incidence Poll.

Community Partners Network
Established in 1995, the Community Partners Network program has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in coalition-building as well as providing training and technical assistance to local groups on campaign efforts. We work closely with a collaboration of over 160 community-based organizations (CBOs) in 33 states and the District of Columbia. Through this network, we work to increase regional and local capacity to elevate community voices nationwide. In turn, the network provides us insight into the issues facing our diverse community.

We continue to build a diverse and united Community Partners Network that expands resource capacity in parts of the country where AAPI populations are growing significantly. In 2014, Advancing Justice | AAJC launched the Emerging Constituencies Initiative (ECI) which provides support and builds capacity of local organizations and leaders to advocate on behalf of their communities so that Asian Americans may more effectively participate in democratic processes at the local, state and, national levels. In 2015, we convened 12 local AAPI organizations in Houston, TX, for the ECI, creating the first AAPI-focused advocacy collaborative in the city and state. We provided technical assistance, including development training, which resulted in a successful multi-year grant for the Houston ECI collaborative to support AAPI outreach and civic engagement.

Throughout the year, we provide webinars and in-person trainings on policy and advocacy needs, as well as opportunities to engage in litigation and national campaigns to our Community Partners Network.

Youth Leadership Summit
We continue to support AAPI youth leadership development, and provide training, connections, and opportunities for young leaders to grow in their experience and impact. Since 2014, our annual Youth Leadership Summit has brought together a group of student leaders to Washington, DC, for three days of advocacy trainings and leadership development workshops focused on civic engagement. Summit participants represent a diverse array of AAPI backgrounds, advocacy interests, geographic areas across the country, and the colleges and universities they attend, and the Summit provides a unique opportunity for young advocates from across the country to both interact with their peers as well as learn from and network with national leaders.

Through interactive workshops, hands-on activities, and a visit to Capitol Hill, participants build advocacy skills and gain a deeper understanding of how advocacy and activism affect policy decisions. Student leaders also work with experienced policy advocates and have opportunities to interact with the legislative staff of U.S. Senators and Representatives. Following the Summit, select student participants are awarded project stipends to lead campus-based outreach and education efforts on key policy issues. The Summit takes place every September in Washington, DC.