Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago is recruiting volunteers to help fight voter suppression and protect the Asian American community’s political voice.
Poll monitors observe precincts on Election Day to ensure that language needs are met and civil rights are respected.
NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY, but volunteers are required to attend an upcoming training session (dinner will be provided and RSVP is required)
The next training session is:
MONDAY, February 25
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, office #500
4753 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
The Asian American community of Chicago is diverse and has contributed to all parts of the city in many ways, but this week Mayor Rahm Emanuel fell back on old, harmful stereotypes about our community. Yesterday at an event here in Chicago, Mayor Emanuel asked an Asian American student who had just introduced him on stage «You’re quiet, right? You do a lot of studying?» after first making an offhand comment asking whether they were up for adoption.
Look, there are a lot of layers here, including that Asian Americans and Asian American students are pigeonholed by regressive stereotypes like the «model minority» myth, which masks the everyday struggles of Asian Americans that exist at the margins, including refugee families, undocumented and mixed-status families, and low-income communities. Mayor Emanuel used a racist trope that divides Asian Americans from other communities of color, when in fact Asian Americans have a shared stake in racial, economic and environmental justice policies that would benefit communities of color citywide.
Now, we have an election on February 26 and the Mayor is on his way out of office. How can Mayor Emanuel support Asian American communities between now and when he leaves City Hall? Well, he could start by postponing any votes and committee meetings for the new police academy and Lincoln Yards development, because these developments will hurt neighborhoods across the city, including ones where Asian Americans live. Then he can read UIC’s IRRPP report on racial justice for Asian Americans in Chicago.
Our community will not be used as a wedge between communities of color that we live and work with every day, and we’re tired of being treated in a way that reduces us to a stereotype. We’ll be expecting better from our next mayor.
For Immediate Release: February 15, 2019
Contact: Yoli Navas at 561-990-9029 or yoli@npstrategygroup.com
Value Our Families Denounces Trump’s National Emergency Declaration
Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Value Our Families following President Trump’s national emergency declaration:
«Trump’s remarks and action declaring a national emergency is an astounding display of xenophobia and racism. It is a reckless stunt to rile up his base and endanger our democracy and countless communities along the border.
«There is no national security emergency at the border, and yet Trump is fear-mongering to justify wasting billions of dollars on an immoral border wall. The real crisis is Trump’s self-made humanitarian crisis that separated and jailed thousands of immigrant families.
«Trump continues to spew anti-immigrant rhetoric while systematically attacking our nation’s immigration system. Today, he used the term “chain migration,” a deeply offensive and dehumanizing word used to inaccurately describe our family-based immigration system. Family-based immigration, family reunification, and the diversity visa program are crucial parts of our immigration system.
«We cannot allow our nation’s immigration policies to be hijacked by false nations of security and nationalism. We urge Congress to protect our border and immigrant communities and to end this so-called “national emergency.”»
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Value Our Families protects, preserves, and strengthens the family immigration system and promotes an immigration system that is informed by love, empathy, and justice.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Opposes the President’s Illegal Vanity Wall
February 15, 2019—Washington, D.C.—Today, President Trump declared a national emergency to build additional miles of destructive border wall, following Congress’ passage of a bill that allocates an additional $1.375 billion in wall funding.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, responds with the following statement:
“President Trump’s shameful declaration is a clear-cut abuse of presidential power and a threat to our democracy. The President manufactured a crisis at the border to drum up support for his failed and unpopular campaign promise.
«The President is only trying to circumvent the Constitution. After Congress refused to give him all the money that he asked for, the President is now trying to funnel billions of taxpayer dollars into an anti-immigrant, xenophobic border wall project that a majority of Americans continue to oppose.
«Asian Americans Advancing Justice is in solidarity with communities at the border who live under oppressive conditions, facing separation and danger every day. That is why we urge Congress to stand firm for our immigrant communities by revoking Trump’s illegal emergency declaration.”
Media Contacts:
Michelle Boykins, Advancing Justice | AAJC, 202-296-2300 x0144, mboykins@advancingjustice-aajc.org
Christina So, Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, 415-848-7728, christinaso@advancingjustice-alc.org
James Woo, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, 404-585-8446, jwoo@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Brandon Lee, Advancing Justice – Chicago, 773-271-0899 x200, blee@advancingjustice-chicago.org
Jessica Jinn, Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, 213-241-8817, jjinn@advancingjustice-la.org
In 2019, the voters of Chicago get to choose a new mayor to lead our city in a more equitable direction.
On February 11, join members of the Pan Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) Coalition, for a mayoral forum to hear directly from the candidates about their vision for our city and how they will support our communities.
This event is free and open to the public! Please RSVP below so we can keep track of seating needs.
PAVE has been working with the diverse Asian American communities of Chicago for over a decade. We fight for racial equity by working on issues of education, workers rights, housing, immigration, language accessibility, voting rights, and more.
WHAT: PAVE Mayoral Candidates’ Forum
WHEN: Monday, February 11, from 6pm-8pm
WHERE: Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. Saint Louis ave.
The forum will be held in the Northeastern Illinois University auditorium, inside the student center. The auditorium is wheelchair accessible. The forum will be translated into Vietnamese, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, and other languages based on need. Please contact us regarding any language or accessibility needs.
This forum is sponsored by members of PAVE, the Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment Coalition: Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, Cambodian Association of Illinois, Chinese American Service League, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, Hamdard Center, Hana Center, Indo-American Center, Japanese American Service Committee, Lao American Organization of Elgin, Muslim Women Resource Center, Vietnamese Association of Illinois.
