The Flame | March 2024

Meet our Board Chair – Paul Chan

Uniting for Justice: Paul Chan and AJSOCAL’s Commitment to AAPI Communities

In an insightful interview, Paul Chan, the Chair of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), shared what drives him and the organization’s guiding principles. He reminisced about a well-rounded childhood in San Francisco and San Diego, where he shined academically and in basketball. He noted that his drive for social justice ignited at Harvard. “For me, I’ll always be most passionate about our Impact Litigation group,” he stated, because it exemplifies the capacity to use the law as a vehicle to obtain broader societal benefits.

During his time at Harvard, Paul developed a close and lasting friendship with Julie Su, a key figure in AJSOCAL’s history and now Acting Secretary of Labor. “Julie and I started in the same year at Harvard Law School. I was very much aware of her activism at the law school.” This bond influenced his later involvement in significant pro bono cases with AJSOCAL, notably the landmark sweatshop case involving the El Monte Thai garment workers. “My current firm, Bird Marella LLP, was one of the main private law firms that helped bring those initial claims against the sweatshops,” Paul remembered, highlighting the crucial role of legal action in creating meaningful progress.

Paul’s story is deeply entwined with AJSOCAL’s development from its early days to its current status as a key advocate for AAPI communities under the leadership of Connie Chung Joe. Reflecting on the organization’s growth, Paul observed, “When I was in law school, I was involved in some community organizations, like the Chinatown service center in Boston, but they were very much local grassroots organizations. There was no equivalent to a NAACP for AAPI.” His dedication to social justice led him to join AJSOCAL’s Board of Directors in 2009. Paul remembers being invited to lunch by Julie and Stewart Kwoh, founder and former Executive Director of AJSOCAL. “I was thrilled to be invited to join the board,” he remarked, because it fully aligned with his commitment to advocacy and community work.

In face of challenges like anti-Asian hate, Paul underlined AJSOCAL’s role in being proactive and responsive. “That’s what the organization is there for — to respond to the needs of the Community. When events and acts of discrimination and violence arise, what’s rewarding for me is to know that the organization is there and able to respond quickly…” he explained, stressing the importance of quick action and unity.

Paul Chan’s involvement with AJSOCAL is a story of progress and partnership, embodying the belief in the power of law as a tool for societal change. He, like others, sees the organization’s growth, stands as a beacon of hope and a call to action. Stand with AJSOCAL as we continue to fight for justice and equality in the AAPI community and beyond. Your support is pivotal in extending the impactful efforts led by Paul and many others, helping AJSOCAL remain a pillar of hope and a catalyst for positive change.

Unveiling the Asian Resource Hub

On 2/29/2024 – AJSOCAL Held a Press conference and Launched the Asian Resource HUB.

Among Facts & Figures Available are Demographics, Impact, and Community Resources in Asian Languages

FEBRUARY 29, 2024, LOS ANGELES, CA and Washington, DC — Today marks the launch of the Asian Resource Hub, a unique digital resource developed in collaboration between Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC), and Microsoft. This new resource pioneers a dual mission: 1) to illustrate the surge of hatred through data culled from a combination of reports (surveys, hate trackers, law enforcement, and public records) about the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities (AAPIs) and 2) to provide a searchable national directory of resources and culturally competent services that offer help in Asian languages. The website is currently translated in Chinese (Traditional & Simplified), Korean, and Vietnamese. Access to the hub is free to all at asianresourcehub.org.

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AJSOCAL is thrilled to invite you to explore and share the resources available in the groundbreaking Asian Resource Hub – your one-stop destination for tangible resources in the fight against anti-Asian destination.

With this tool, you can access AJSOCAL’s searchable directory for multilingual services including immigration, citizenship, DACA and much more.

You can also dive into the combined AANHPI experience with our dynamic data visualization platform that illustrates reported incidents of anti-Asian hate across the US. The Asian Resource Hub is a translated in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

In these challenging times, it’s essential to arm ourselves with the right knowledge and resources. Remember, together, we can create a more just society.

Please engage with The Asian Resource Hub for more information today.

AJSOCAL condemns harmful Senate immigration reforms

In February, Asian Americans Advancing Justice publicly opposed the Senate legislation, highlighting its damaging revisions to the U.S. immigration system.

Read the full statement here.

Meet the Staff – Community Engagement Unit

Meet our Community Engagement unit: Managing Director of Community Engagement Alice Lee, Community Engagement Navigator – Chinese Heidi Shen, Community Engagement Navigator – English Chanfou Saelee, Community Engagement Navigator – Vietnamese William Tran.

AJSOCAL’s Community Engagement unit is here to help our community members. They plan to actively engage with the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese-language dominant clients through in-person community events, educational seminars and social media.

What is the biggest need for the communities you serve?

Language Barriers and access to in-language legal information

What is one dish you would recommend to someone that hasn't tried your ethnic cuisine?

Heidi – Shu Mai
Alice – Bibimbap
William – Beef Pho
Chan – Sticky Rice and Lao Sausage

Welcoming Our New and Returning Board Members

AJSOCAL is thrilled to welcome our new board member, Don Widjaja and returning board member, Mike Eng.

Their diverse experiences and perspectives will undoubtedly enrich our organization’s ongoing pursuit of justice and inclusivity.

Don Widjaja

Don Widjaja is Vice President, customer services field and solutions for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated California utility. He oversees all aspects of customer service field operations as well as customer programs for energy efficiency and customer assistance, and clean transportation.

Previously, Widjaja was director of strategic planning and analysis for Sempra. He has been with the Sempra family of companies since 2008. Prior to joining Sempra, Widjaja held positions at Credit Suisse and Ameren Corporation.

Widjaja holds a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and a Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis. He is married. He and his wife have 2 adult daughters and 2 fur babies. He was born and raised in Malaysia and moved to the US when he was 18 years old. When he has some free time, he likes to go on rides on his Harley.

Mike Eng

Former State Assemblyman Mike Eng has a long history with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) and our founder and President Emeritus Stewart Kwoh. He served on the board for the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, now known as AJSOCAL when it was founded in 1983 and has been a dedicated supporter and partner for the last 40 years.

He currently serves as a full time Board Member of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, which consists of 5 attorneys appointed by the Governor and the State Legislature to handle thousands of cases a year regarding unemployment, disability, and tax issues related to the work place. Mike previously served as Community College Trustee, City Mayor, State consumer board member, college teacher and practicing lawyer.

OUR POLL MONITORING DURING THE MARCH PRIMARY

The Impact Litigation team developed and implemented a robust, non-partisan poll monitoring program in Los Angeles and Orange Counties for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election to promote accountability and transparency in the election administration process for AAPI communities. With the help of internal AJSOCAL teams, Impact Litigation trained over 50 attorneys and law students to observe and investigate about 65 vote centers between the two counties during the early voting period and on Election Day. We selected our target cities based on the percentage of the population that identified as AAPI, percentage of the population that had limited English proficiency, and percentage of registered AAPI voters in the 2022 elections, such as Monterey Park, Koreatown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Historic Filipino Town, Thai Town, Garden Grove, and Westminster.

Upcoming Clinics, Trainings and Events

Do not miss our series of empowering Trainings, Educational Clinics and Events designed for the AAPI community. In the coming months, we will host a range of activities, from legal clinics addressing immigration and citizenship issues to training courses focusing on combating racial discrimination and fostering cultural understanding to our Annual Gala. These events are a wonderful opportunity to learn and take an active part in elevating and strengthening our community.

Citizenship:

In partnership with local community organizations, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California hosts free citizenship application workshops where our staff and volunteers help verify eligibility for citizenship, complete the citizenship application, and prepare a fee waiver request for individuals who qualify.