ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE -AAJC INC

Rooted in the dreams of immigrants and inspired by the promise of opportunity, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC (Advancing Justice | AAJC) advocates for an America in which all Americans can benefit equally from, and contribute to, the American dream.  Advancing Justice | AAJC is a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 in Washington, D.C.

What We Do:

Through policy advocacy, community engagement, and litigation, Advancing Justice | AAJC works to strengthen roots, promote equal protections, and build political power.

- Strengthen Roots: (Immigration & Immigrant Rights; Census & Data Collection; Research; Communications; Telecommunications, Technology & Media; Anti-Racial Profiling Project) By strengthening and expanding federal immigration policies that promote family unification, equal treatment and due process in our immigration system, and integration of Asian immigrants; by ensuring an accurate reflection of Asian Americans within the American landscape in the decennial Census; by increasing the visibility and understanding of Asian Americans as an integral part of the fabric of America through research, communications, and media representation; and by safeguarding civil rights in the digital space and promoting universal access to technology and telecommunications services for Asian Americans and other underserved communities; and by providing legal resources and policy advocacy against race-based targeting of immigrant Asian Americans for surveillance and prosecution by the U.S. government.

- Promote Equal Protection: (Legal Advocacy; Anti-Hate Initiative; Asian American Education Project): By ensuring legal protections for Asian Americans and advance organizational policy goals through litigation, amicus briefs, and partnerships with other civil rights and advocacy organizations; by addressing hate incidents against Asian Americans through documentation, advocacy, and increasing visibility; and by working toward the inclusion of the history of Asian Americans in public education nationwide.

- Build Political Power: (Voting Rights; Community Engagement; Youth Engagement): By increasing the voting power of the Asian American electorate and protecting equal access to the ballot box at local and national levels; by strengthening and expanding the capacity of local community-based organizations to advance and protect the rights of Asian Americans and other communities of color; and by strengthening and expanding student engagement in Asian American civil rights issues and national policy advocacy to advance and protect the rights of Asian Americans and other communities of color.

As a founding member of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) national affiliation, we partner with our affiliates—Advancing Justice | Asian Law Caucus, Advancing Justice | Atlanta, Advancing Justice | Chicago, and Advancing Justice | Los Angeles—to enhance the impact of our collective work.  We work closely with our Community Partners Network, a collaboration of nearly 250 community-based organizations (CBOs) in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Through this network, we work to increase regional and local capacity to elevate community voices nationwide.  In turn, the network provides us insight into the issues facing our diverse community.  For 30 years, Advancing Justice | AAJC has been working at the federal level to ensure public policies are inclusive of our community’s needs.  We are the voice of the Asian American community before Congress and the Administration, we educate and inform our communities, and we engage in advocacy before the courts to protect the rights of AAPIs and other communities of color.   

Program Descriptions:

Anti-Asian Hate – Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC works to raise awareness about increased racism and discrimination again Asian Americans, to advance laws and policies that address anti-Asian hate, and to advocate for increased resources to respond to hate crimes and hate incidents.

Anti-Racial Profiling Project – Advancing Justice | AAJC spearheads strategic advocacy efforts to end the Department of Justice’s “China Initiative. As part of our efforts, we established a legal referral service in English and Mandarin to connect Chinese scientists and researchers with experienced attorneys who can represent them.

Census – We pursue a fair and accurate count of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to ensure that government resources and services are appropriately allocated.

Community Engagement – We work closely with a collaboration of nearly 250 community-based organizations (CBOs) in 37 states and the District of Columbia to increase regional and local capacity and elevate their community voices nationally.

Immigration and Immigrant Rights – Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC is a leading authority on immigration policy as it affects the Asian American community from promoting fair and just immigration policies that protect family unity and providing access to immigration status and citizenship to advocating for civil rights protections and due process in enforcement efforts.

Legal Advocacy – Our litigation efforts engage in cases that impact the welfare and interests of Asian Americans through impact litigation in federal courts, amicus briefs—including in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—and generally, engaging with the broader racial and social justice coalition to advance civil rights goals for the Asian American communities.

Media Diversity – Advancing Justice | AAJC remains committed to ensuring that media reflects the diversity of the world around us. From being a leader in the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) to calling out negative portrayals of Asian Americans on television, we continue to ensure that the images meant to reflect our communities are accurate, thoughtful, and relevant.

Racial Justice – We collaborate with our civil rights partners to address prejudices within the Asian American communities. We are also a proud partner of Communities Against Hate, a diverse coalition coming together for the first time across communities to document hate and demand action.

Redistricting - In the past redistricting has been used to exclude our communities from political power and presents a crucial opportunity to build Asian American electoral strength across the country in how district lines are drawn influences, who runs for public office, and who is elected.

Telecommunications and Technology – Through administrative, legislative, and legal advocacy, we work to highlight the impact of telecommunications and technology policies on Asian American communities.

Voting Rights - As a nationally recognized expert on voting rights, Advancing Justice | AAJC works to increase access for Asian Americans to the political process by eliminating barriers to participation and promoting policies that increase access.