News

12.14.2021

Chicago Immigrant Youth to Walk Out to Demand Senator Durbin Deliver a Pathway to Citizenship in BBB

For Immediate Release

December 15, 2021

A livestream of the walkout and rally will be found on Facebook and Instagram. 

WHAT: A city-wide student walkout followed by a rally where HANA Center’s FYSH youth leadership council members and their peers will speak out to demand Senator Durbin deliver a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants this year. 

 

WHO: HANA Center, FYSH (Fighting Youth Shouting Out for Humanity), Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, NAKASEC Action Fund

 

WHERE: Rally at Horner Memorial in Horner Park (Montrose & California Ave)

 

WHEN: Wednesday, December 15th 2021, rally begins at 11AM (student walkout to happen 10AM-11AM)

 

WHY: On November 19th 2021, the House passed the Build Back Better (BBB) Act with a temporary measure and without a pathway to citizenship. As BBB moves to the Senate, Senator Durbin, as Senate Majority Whip and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has the power and responsibility to take all steps to create the most favorable conditions for a pathway to citizenship in the Budget Reconciliation. Immigrant youth and their families have been working far too long for permanent solutions. Senator Durbin must use his leadership to fight for a pathway to citizenship for our communities so they can live their full lives. 

 

VISUALS/PROGRAMMING: Youth will walk out of their schools during class time and arrive at Horner Park at 11AM. Rally will feature impacted student speakers, pungmul (Korean traditional drumming), and holiday carols with remixed lyrics (including “All We Want from Durbin is Citizenship”). Participants will wear “Citizenship4All” Santa hats and hold signs and artwork created by youth, including cardboard cutouts of Senator Durbin & Senator Schumer dressed as the Grinch. 

 

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and organizing to achieve racial equity. Learn more at advancingjustice-chicago.org

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12.08.2021

Statement on the Tragic Loss of Woom Sing Tse and Rae Sub Park

CHICAGO, IL — We are heartbroken and devastated by the tragic loss of two members of the Asian American community in the last week, Woom Sing Tse in Chinatown and Rae Sub Park in Budlong Woods. Both were victims of gun violence and should be alive today. We send our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones. Advancing Justice | Chicago will continue to work in solidarity with other communities of color toward long-term solutions to end gun violence. 

The family of Rae Sub Park has created a GoFundMe to help with funeral services and ongoing support for his daughter. If you are able to contribute, you can do so here.

UPDATE: The family of Woom Sing Tse has created a GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/c864b50a). If you are able to contribute, you can do so here.

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and organizing to achieve racial equity. Learn more at advancingjustice-chicago.org

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11.29.2021

Asian American Leaders Demand that City Council Draw an Asian American Majority Ward in Greater Chinatown in Final Citywide Map

For Immediate Release

November 29, 2021
Contact:
Grace Pai, Executive Director
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
gpai@advancingjustice-chicago.org

Grace Chan McKibben, Executive Director
Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC)
(773) 405-6770 | gracechan@cbcacchicago.org 

As City Council plans to vote on a final citywide map this week, Asian American leaders urge the Council to draw an Asian American majority ward and protect Asian American communities of interest in Albany Park and West Ridge. 

CHICAGO, IL — Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago and the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) will hold a press conference on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021 at 9:30am at City Hall to demand that City Council members include an Asian American majority ward in Greater Chinatown and preserve Asian American communities of interest in Albany Park and West Ridge. Leaders from across the Chicago Asian American community will be in attendance.

Data from the 2020 Census supports the creation of Chicago’s first Asian American majority ward in Greater Chinatown. The 2020 Census also documented the significance of the Asian American community in the Albany Park and West Ridge neighborhoods. 

In just the last week, the Black Caucus and Latino Caucus have publicly released maps that include an Asian American majority ward. We call on City Council to follow their lead by including an Asian American majority ward in the final citywide map.

WHAT: Press conference

WHOAsian American leaders and community-based organizations

Speakers include:

  • Justin Sia, Democracy, Voting Rights, and Redistricting Counsel at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
  • C.W. Chan, Founder of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community
  • Paul Luu, Chief Executive Officer of the Chinese American Service League
  • Youngwoon Han, Senior Organizing Manager at HANA Center
  • Shobhana Verma, Executive Director of the South Asian American Policy & Research Institute
  • Anne Shaw, Principal, Shaw Legal Services, Ltd. and Member, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community Redistricting Steering Committee

WHEN: Tuesday, November 30th, at 9:30am

WHERE: City Hall, 2nd floor, 121 North LaSalle Street Chicago, Illinois 60602

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and organizing to achieve racial equity. Learn more at advancingjustice-chicago.org

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community empowers the Chinese American communities in Greater Chicago through civic education, issue advocacy, communication with policy makers, and community mobilization. Learn more at https://cbcacchicago.org/.

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11.21.2021

Asian American Racial Justice Organization Denounces Decision to Increase Policing and Surveillance in Wake of Tragic Death of a Chinese Univ. of Chicago Alumnus

The Chicago Police Department and University Chicago Police Department recently announced plans to increase police patrols, traffic stops, and surveillance cameras in response to a recent off-campus fatal shooting. 

For Immediate Release

November 21, 2021
Contact:
Grace Pai, Executive Director
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
gpai@advancingjustice-chicago.org

CHICAGO, IL — Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago will be holding a press conference on Monday, November 22nd, 2021 at 10:00am on the University of Chicago campus to denounce increased policing and surveillance in Hyde Park and surrounding communities in the wake of two local incidents of gun violence.

On November 9th, a recent graduate of the University of Chicago, Shaoxiong ‘Dennis’ Zheng, was shot and killed during a robbery in Hyde Park. That same day, there was also an unrelated shooting spree on 53rd Street that did not result in any injuries or deaths. In response to the fatal robbery, various students, primarily Chinese international students, organized a “We want safety” rally on Tuesday, November 16th. Afterwards, the University of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) announced a joint plan to increase the presence of CPD and the private University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) patrols in surrounding areas and to install additional surveillance cameras.

In the aftermath of the death of Shaoxiong ‘Dennis’ Zheng, we have seen an increase in racist, anti-Black sentiment, especially from Asian international students and community members (statement from the Organization of Black Students). While we fully empathize with the fears and concerns following the deaths of three UChicago students or recent graduates in the past year, two of whom were international Chinese students, we also recognize that gun violence is a complex issue that our communities have been reckoning with for decades. Hyde Park is one of the most policed neighborhoods in Chicago. Increasing policing and surveillance will not deter future gun violence because policing and surveillance do not address the root causes of violence, such as decades of disinvestment, structural racism, poverty, trauma, and lack of opportunity. Furthermore, ramping up policing and surveillance will contribute to the harassment, racial profiling, and police brutality that Black students and residents already experience.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago is holding a press conference on Monday to show Asian and Asian American solidarity with the Black community and support for public safety for all communities in response to recent gun violence. Residents of the Hyde Park community, Asian American and international students at the University of Chicago, and allied organizations will be in attendance.

  • WHAT: Press conference
  • WHOHyde Park residents, current University of Chicago students, including members of the international student community, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
  • Speakers include:

Grace Pai, Hyde Park resident, University of Chicago alumna, and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
A speaker will share a written statement on behalf of a Chinese international student who attended the ‘We Want Safety’ rally on 11/16/21
TBD – Violence prevention organization
TBD – Hyde Park resident

  • WHEN: Monday, November 22nd, at 10:00am
  • WHERE: 5801 S Ellis, in front of Edward H. Levi Hall, the administration building at the University of Chicago

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Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and organizing to achieve racial equity. Learn more at advancingjustice-chicago.org.

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11.09.2021

Chicago’s Asian Americans demand a voice and a choice in our democracy

Drawing an Asian American-majority ward in Chicago and keeping together Asian American communities during redistricting will bolster Asian American influence for generations to come.

Op-Ed in Crain’s Chicago penned by Justin Ian Sia, Democracy, Voting Rights, and Redistricting Counsel at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago and Grace Chan McKibben, Executive Director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community

Around 150 years ago, the first Chinese immigrants settled in Chicago. Today, Asian Americans constitute 7% of Chicago’s population and are the fastest-growing racial demographic in our city, state, and country. 

However, Asian Americans lack representation on Chicago’s City Council ─ there are currently no Asian American alderpersons nor an Asian American majority ward in Chicago.

That could change when the City Council votes on a new ward map later this month. 

During this redistricting cycle, City Council has the opportunity to create Chicago’s first Asian American majority ward in Greater Chinatown. This would finally allow the growing Asian American community in the near Southwest Side to consolidate their voices in City Hall. 

City Council also has the chance to ensure Asian American communities in Albany Park, Uptown, and West Ridge are kept whole in their own wards, consolidating their voting power and amplifying their influence over their alderpersons.

For decades, these Asian American communities each have been splintered into multiple wards. This has deprived Asian Americans of the ability to elect an Asian American to City Council or exercise meaningful influence over our elected leaders.

This lack of representation is especially harmful for Asian Americans because our community faces distinct issues. 

Click here to read our op-ed in Crain’s Chicago

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