AsianLawCaucusLogo
Fall 2012 E-Newsletter
Letter from the Executive Director
Hyeon-Ju Rho
Dear friends,
   


Our office is buzzing today with preparations for tomorrow's elections. This year, we'll be monitoring more than 400 poll sites with close to 270 trained volunteers. Our largest voter protection effort ever!


We're focusing on neighborhoods that are required, under the Voting Rights Act, to provide language assistance in Chinese, Vietnamese or Tagalog. We may have Chinese-American mayors in both San Francisco and Oakland, but 1 out of 3 Asian Americans still struggle with English proficiency! And many of these community members, like Carlito and Jenn, will be voting for the first time.

The good news is that the number of jurisdictions required to providing voting materials and other language help in Asian languages is growing. This year for the first time, Alameda County is required to provide Vietnamese and Tagalog language assistance, and Sacramento County is required to provide Chinese language assistance.

And the language assistance couldn't have come at a more important time. In addition to a hotly contested presidential election, here in California we have the chance to make history in a number of important areas, including ending the death penalty.


So as we head into tomorrow, here's what all of us can do:
  • Vote! My husband and I mailed in our ballots last week, and it felt great!
  • Educate yourself about the issues. ALC's Voter Guide is a good place to start.
  • Encourage others to vote -- by tweeting that you've voted at @asianlawcaucus, using the hashtag #advancethevote or by any other means necessary!
  • Let us know about any language assistance violations, by tweeting at @asianlawcaucus or calling 1-866-our-vote
Let's make a difference tomorrow!

In solidarity,

Hyeon-Ju

Hyeon-Ju Rho Signature  

 

 

 

 

Meet an ALC Client: Yu Chu Huang  

Yu Chu Huang
Living in San Francisco is very difficult for seniors, like Yu Chu Huang, who rely on public benefits. He rents an in-law unit with his wife in the basement of a building in Chinatown and their only source of income is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Over a 14 year period, Mr. Huang's landlord increased his rent at a rate beyond the city's legal limits. Concerned that his SSI would no longer cover his housing costs, Mr. Huang came to the Asian Law Caucus for help.

ALC took his case before the city's Rent Board and he prevailed. The Rent Board lowered his monthly rent and awarded him over $12,000 in excess rent payments, which he was able to use as a credit toward future rent owed.

ALC also represented Mr. Huang before the Social Security Administration (SSA) to ensure that the Rent Board judgment would not affect his SSI, which he relies on to cover basic necessities. After several months, the SSA declared that his SSI would not be suspended or reduced. Mr. Huang and his wife are finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that thanks to the Asian Law Caucus they can keep their home and remain a part of their community in Chinatown. Donate now to help people like Mr. Huang and his wife obtain critical legal aid.

This article originally appeared on the Campaign for Justice
ALC Sees Rise in Deferred Action Applicants 
 
Deferred Action Press Conference
In early June 2012, two undocumented youth walked into Obama for America campaign headquarters in Denver, Colorado and began a sit-in and hunger strike. The protesters demanded a halt to all deportations of undocumented youth. The sit-ins were part of years of organizing, protests, and advocacy by undocumented youth. Among those advocating for an end to deportations of undocumented youth were
Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education (ASPIRE), a program of ALC.

On June 15th, the President announced a policy called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which would halt to deportations while providing two year work permits for many undocumented youth. Two months ago, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting applications for temporary stays of deportation and work permits. The applications require extensive documentation of educational history, evidence of residence in the United States, background checks, and a filing fee of $465. (For more information on applying for deferred action, please call ALC at (415) 896-1701.) 

In the last two months, the Asian Law Caucus has assisted a steady flow of over a hundred people in applying for deferred action. In the past few weeks, some applicants have received their work permits and for the first time been able to get social security numbers and state IDs. Other applicants have obtained stays of removal just weeks before they were scheduled to be deported. 

The Asian Law Caucus is continuing to provide free legal services to undocumented youth eligible for deferred action. However, their family members continue to be deported as the administration engages in record numbers of deportations. The Asian Law Caucus will continue to advocate for passage of the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform.

Meet an ALC Donor: Leo Lam 
Leo Lam
Leo Lam first joined the Asian Law Caucus as an intern in 1991, alongside former staff attorneys Doreena Wong, Bill Tamayo, Dennis Hayashi, and Gen Fujioka. Leo worked closely with Gen, and soon introduced his mother to the Caucus. Leo's mother volunteered her Mandarin-language translation skills, and became part of the ALC alumni family too.

Leo has since joined private practice but has partnered with ALC on cases. Over the years, because of work and family commitments, he's shifted what was once legal support for ALC to financial support. "The people I originally worked with have moved on as well," says Leo, "but I continue to stay in contact with and support the organization because of its importance to our community and ideals.
As an attorney, Leo balances his professional life with support for API and minority bar associations, and quality time with his wife and three children. Leo's firm, Keker & Van Nest, which also includes ALC board member Quyen Ta, was awarded the Law Firm Diversity Award by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley just this October.

Despite his busy schedule, Leo's commitment to ALC remains strong. "ALC has done so much for the underprivileged, addressing key issues and promoting civil rights in housing, employment, immigration, criminal justice, hate violence, and voting," says Leo. "Knowing that I personally am among the more fortunate, it seems only right to give a little to try to help others who are not."

Leo notes that today's challenging economic climate exacerbates the already trying conditions that low-income immigrant API communities face. With less opportunity, immigrant communities - especially those with language and cultural barriers - are among the most vulnerable. With that in mind, Leo's advice to those thinking of donating to ALC is simple and to the point: "Do it! You'll feel better if you do."
Spotlight on Affiliates: AAJC Speaks out Against Racial Hazing
AAJC profile
In 2011, military hazing by fellow service members and superiors led to the deaths of Marine Lance Corporal Harry Lew, of Santa Clara, Calif., and Army Private Danny Chen, of New York, N.Y., within six months of each other in Afghanistan. For Pvt. Chen, that hazing included fielding racist taunts such as "gook," "chink" and "dragon lady." 
 
The tragedies resonated loudly across the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, which has a long history of dedicated service in the U.S. armed forces-from the first record of service as early as the War of 1812, to the more than 50 Chinese Americans in the Civil War, to the decorated Japanese American units and 250,000 Filipino American troops of World War II, to the 85,000 AAPIs who served in Vietnam.  
 
In the wake of Lance Cpl. Lew's and Pvt. Chen's deaths, the Asian American Justice Center and OCA joined to lead advocacy efforts with other civil rights partners and community members across the country to ensure that the military addresses hazing among its ranks with urgency. 
 
In October, AAJC and OCA launched a national petition to U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to urge him to take leadership in advancing critical policy reforms through the Department of Defense. The petition accompanies AAJC's ongoing support for passage of anti-hazing legislation in Congress. Rep. Judy Chu of California-the aunt of Lance Cpl. Lew, Rep. Nydia Velasquez of New York and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York each introduced bills in May, with several provisions included in the annual Department of Defense budget bill that is advancing through Congress.  
 
The stories of Lance Cpl. Lew and Pvt. Chen are not isolated experiences. Hazing persists in an environment where strict enforcement of policies and strong leadership accountability are absent. AAJC believes that an end to military hazing and the protection of troops requires reform of military laws and policies.  
About ALC: The mission of the Asian Law Caucus is to promote, advance, and represent the legal and civil rights of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, the Asian Law Caucus is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant, and underserved Asian and Pacific Islanders. Visit: asianlawcaucus.org

AAC combined logo 
In This Issue
Letter from the Executive Director
Meet an ALC Client: Yu Chu Huang
ALC Sees Rise in Deferred Action Applicants
Meet an ALC Donor: Leo Lam
Spotlight on Affiliates: AAJC Speaks out Against Racial Hazing
Advance the Vote! 

#ADVANCETHEVOTE by sharing this film with voters! Check out our Vimeo page to watch more videos on perspectives in voting in Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

How can you support ALC?

AsianLawCaucusImage

The Asian Law Caucus is a non-profit, charitable organization. Community and corporate support of ALC plays a critical role in defending civil rights by supporting legal services, community education and leadership towards a more just society.

 

We count on donations from people like you to continue our work defending civil rights. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law. Payable in cash, check, or credit card, via mail or online at www.asianlawcaucus.org.

 

Asian Law Caucus Now Accepting Internship Applications!

ALC office 

The Asian Law Caucus offers internships three times a year: spring, summer and fall. An undergraduate internship at the Caucus offers unique opportunities for students interested in civil rights, education, communications, community and youth outreach, and event planning. For more information, visit www.asianlawcaucus.org.

Find Us On

Find us on Facebook View our profile on LinkedIn
 Follow us on Twitter View our photos on flickr
ALC | 55 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94111 | tel 415.896.1701 | fax 415.896.1702 | [email protected]