November 4, 2009
By Karin Wang
Originally posted on APAs for Progress. Photo courtesy of New America Media.
On November 4th, 2008, Proposition 8 passed in California, eliminating the right to marry for same-sex couples. One year later, the rights of the LGBT community are again up for a popular vote, in Maine, Washington and Michigan.
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As a straight ally in the fight for marriage equality, I am often asked why I work on the issue of marriage equality.
It was not something that I planned Read the rest of this entry »
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Asian American, civil rights, community organizing, Stand Up Speak Out! | 
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Posted by asianlawcaucus
November 3, 2009
reposted from
here with permission from the author
By Raj Jayadev
On Oct. 24, the San Jose Mercury News released the video of a San Jose State math major getting beaten and tased by the San Jose Police Department in his home on Sept. 3, 2009. Police were called to the scene after 20-year-old Phuong Ho allegedly wielded a knife during an altercation with his roommate. All the viewer can hear, in between groaning cries of pain and calls for mercy, are the cracking sounds of the batons as they meet 20-year-old Phuong Ho’s head and body, and the torturous zapping of a Taser gun. It is, in a word, disturbing. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Asian American, civil rights, community organizing, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged: asian law alliance, civil rights complaint, david pham, department of justice, FBI, independent police auditor, la raza lawyers association, mercury news, naacp, Phuong Ho, pitf, police brutality, public intoxication task force, Raj Jayadev, rodney king, san jose police, San Jose Police Department, san jose's rodney king, Sunshine Reform Task Force, taser, vietnamese association of northern california | Permalink
Posted by asianlawcaucus
October 8, 2009
By Dionne Jirachaikitti
On September 22, 2009, the Berkeley City Council voted 9 to 0 in support of the Berkeley Thai Temple. The vote came as a relief to the Thai community in the Bay Area who had been waiting for over a year to know whether they would be able to continue their tradition of merit-making in Berkeley.
Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Asian American, civil rights, community organizing, Stand Up Speak Out! | Permalink
Posted by asianlawcaucus
September 3, 2009
This blog post is re-posted from here with permission from the author.
By Shahid Buttar
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano recently highlighted her department’s efforts to reach out to build “stronger relationships with Arab and Muslim Americans, as well as South Asian communities across the country,” seemingly reflecting an awareness of how the war on terror has stigmatized and cast irrational suspicion on these groups. Despite the best of intentions, however, Napolitano’s self-assurance is premature. DHS’s engagement of vulnerable communities emphasizes form over substance and, historically, has amounted to mere public relations.
Outreach efforts conducted by the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), for instance, have long fallen short of repeated requests from vulnerable communities. Just last month, a coalition of over a dozen civil rights organizations issued a letter (PDF) to Secretary Napolitano reiterating a series of substantive and structural concerns, while proposing concrete solutions to fulfill the new administration’s promise to pay greater respect Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Asian American, civil rights, community organizing, Politics | Tagged: arab americans, CBP, crcl, DHS, FBI, muslim americans, office of civil rights and civil liberties, secretary napolitano, shahid buttar, south asian community, TRIP | Permalink
Posted by asianlawcaucus
August 21, 2009
Posted by: Christopher Punongbayan
Below is the story of 21-year old, Stephanie, who is an advocate for the federal and California DREAM Act. She is a member of the immigrant youth group, ASPIRE – Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights Through Education.
My name is Stephanie and I am 21 years old. I was born in Guan Dong, China. Once people get to know me more and know about my personal history, they reply; “Oh! Stephanie, you are so mature!” Every time I hear that, it reminds me of what I have gone through independently for six years. The things I have gone through were full of tears, sadness, loneliness, happiness, obstacles, homesickness, hopes, and dreams. Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Asian American, Asian Law Caucus, civil rights, community organizing, current events, Politics, Stand Up Speak Out! | Tagged: Asian immigrant youth, Asian youth, DREAM, DREAM Act, immigrant rights, undocumented, youth | Permalink
Posted by cpunongbayan
August 20, 2009
Posted by: Christopher Punongbayan
Below is testimony given by Ju Hong, a 19 year old student at Laney College in Oakland, in a recent legislative visit to the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. Ju is the school’s first Asian American student body president. His activism is part of a national Asian American and Pacific Islander Week of Action urging Congress and the President to pass a fair and humane immigration reform bill that upholds the rights of all Americans. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Asian American, Asian Law Caucus, civil rights, community organizing, current events, Politics, Stand Up Speak Out! | Tagged: Asian immigrant youth, Asian youth, DREAM, DREAM Act, immigrant rights, undocumented, youth | Permalink
Posted by cpunongbayan
August 20, 2009
By: Tuyet G. Duong
This post was originally published on the NAPAWF Warrior Prose blog. This post is part of a series that Asian Pacific American Legal Center is collaborating with APAP in order to promote to publicize the National Asian American Week of Action, Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Asian American, civil rights | Permalink
Posted by asianlawcaucus
August 10, 2009
Written by: Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center; Titi Liu, Executive Director, Asian Law Caucus; and Ben de Guzman, Kaya: Filipino Americans for Progress and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations
August 10th marks one decade since the brutal and senseless hate crime spree of an avowed white supremacist in Southern California. That rampage in 1999 left five people wounded (including four children) at the North Valley Jewish Community Center and ended the life of Filipino American letter carrier Joseph Ileto. This tragedy shocked Californians, Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Asian Law Caucus Staff, civil rights | Tagged: asian law caucus, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Ben de Guzman, executive director, Filipino American, Kaya: Filipino Americans for Progress, President and Executive Director, Stewart Kwoh, Titi Liu | Permalink
Posted by asianlawcaucus
July 29, 2009
This article was originally posted on New America Media and is being reposted here with the author’s permission.
By Raj Jayadev
Professor Henry Louis Gates, recently arrested, gets to share a beer with the man who arrested him, Sgt. James Crowley, at the White House with the President of the United States. It is a highly uncommon ending to an unfortunately very common occurrence – a man of color citing racial profiling after an arrest.
If this incident is really to be the “teachable moment” President Obama hopes for, the real question to explore is this: What would have happened to Dr. Gates if he were not an acclaimed scholar and author, friend to the President, and someone whose stardom could greatly embarrass a city and county justice system? Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | civil rights, community organizing, current events | Tagged: arrest, california, california department of justice, classism, crimianl justice system, disorderly conduct, henry louis gates, james crowley, obama, racial profiling, racism, san jose, san jose police, teachable moment | Permalink
Posted by asianlawcaucus
July 16, 2009
By: Christopher Punongbayan
(photo: CNet)
We are almost eight years out from the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Our country faced immense challenges in the immediate aftermath, and national leaders acted swiftly to respond to crises across the board. History has borne out the hard truth that many of the ongoing controversies both foreign and domestic in which are embroiled are, in fact, of our own making. But, moreover, we now know that a genial, soft-spoken Asian American attorney by the name of John Yoo steered the direction of key national security deliberations in the White House from 2001-2003. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | Asian American, civil rights | Permalink
Posted by cpunongbayan
