* After the racial attacks on thirty Asian immigrant students at South Philadelphia High School in Dec. 2009, AALDEF filed a civil rights complaint with the Justice Department. Last week, the Philadelphia School District settled the discrimination claims, agreeing to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent student harassment and submit annual compliance reports to the Justice Department and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. The Washington Post reported that this agreement "will serve as a nationwide standard for school systems trying to prevent bullying." Read the Washington Post story here.In the coming year, AALDEF will intensify its efforts to, among other things, ensure that Asian Americans are full participants in the political process and engaged in redistricting efforts, advocate for fair and humane immigration policies, assist Asian survivors of human trafficking, take action against hate violence, and litigate cases for exploited immigrant workers.
* With AALDEF's support, seven Korean restaurant workers in Palisades Park, NJ won a $48,000 settlement in unpaid wages from their employer, Dokdo Sarang Restaurant. Former Dokdo chef Mr. Na couldn't pay his rent on time because he didn't receive his wages. Mr. Na said: "Support from the community, from other workers, and from AALDEF made a very big difference in our victory." Read the Bergen Record story here.
* In 2010, AALDEF also conducted a multilingual exit poll of over 3,500 Asian American voters in the 2010 midterm elections in five states–New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Texas–and advocated for election reforms that remove barriers to voting for all Americans.
If you believe in AALDEF's ongoing efforts to address the urgent legal needs of the Asian American community, please consider making a donation. To learn more about the social justice work the organization is doing, and to make an online contribution, go here.
