A note from AALDEF:

We have scheduled the following big outreach days for our housing needs assessment. Please let us know if you are available to help on any of the days. For the days that we are in Queens, people who can speak all Asian languages are helpful. For the days that we are in Sunset Park and Chinatown, Chinese speakers would be especially useful. But our surveys are translated in many languages so even if your bilingual language ability is very limited, we could use your help. If you can volunteer, please email the person coordinating that day (see below for emails) with (1) the day you can volunteer (2) available times, (3) any language ability, and (4) cell number.

Outreach Days
--Friday, July 17: Jackson Heights, Woodside, Elmhurst (9:30am-5pm) – Email: Tony at choim (at) berea.edu

--Saturday, July 18: Jackson Heights, Woodside, Elmhurst (11am-6pm) – Email Kim at ksarabia (at) indiana.edu

--Sunday, July 19: Sunset Park (11am-6pm) – Email Stephanie at ss3511 (at) barnard.edu

--Saturday, July 25: Sunset Park (11am-3pm) – Email Tony at choim (at) berea.edu

--Friday, July 31: Jackson Heights, Woodside, Elmhurst (11am-7pm) – Email Sulekha at gango20s (at) mtholyoke.edu

--Friday, July 31: Chinatown (11am-7pm) – Email Kim at ksarabia (at) indiana.edu

--Saturday, August 1: Chinatown (11am-6pm) – Email Stephanie at ss3511 (at) barnard.edu

--Sunday, August 2: Sunset Park (11am-6pm) – Email Stephanie at ss3511 (at) barnard.edu

Bethany Y. Li
Equal Justice Works Fellow
bli (at) aaldef.org
212.966.5932 x213

Another AALDEF Internship opportunity! Not overkill.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education. For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Description of Summer Internship Program:

The summer program is ten weeks, from approximately June 1^st through August 7^th. Interns work full-time and are supervised by attorneys in specific program areas. Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. AALDEF also provides trainings in housing law, naturalization procedures, and immigration law. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding. Academic credit can be arranged.

For more information, contact: Bethany Li at 212-966-5932 x213 or bli@aaldef.org

Lori Phanachone is a star student at Iowa's Storm Lake High School. She is a member of the National Honor Society with a 3.9 GPA and is ranked 7th in her senior class of 119. Apparently, though, her achievements are not an indicator of her competency in the English language, as she was recently suspended for three days for her refusal to take the "English Language Development Assessment." According to a written statement from the school officials last Wednesday, Lori could be facing expulsion if she maintains her refusal. Her scholarships at Buena Vista University and Iowa State are also in jeopardy.

The policy in itself is not very offensive; rather, it is the administrators' responses and that has been very racist. In efforts to ensure universal literacy in education, it makes sense to have a policy that require certain people to take literacy tests. However, the current way of determining test eligibility is flawed; although a flawless system is near-impossible, students such as Lori have absolutely no need to prove their English language competency. Perhaps a simple signed exemption form from a humanities/social science teacher would have ameliorated this whole situation.

Instead, school officials responded with an adamant attitude, and one that is very racist. In particular, the school district's curriculum coordinator, Lori Porsche, maintains that Phanachone must take the best because indicated on her school registration that English was not the first language spoken at home, unswayed by Phanachone's outstanding academic performance and more-than-obvious competency in English.

Another example, according to Phanachone: "Mr. Ruleaux (assistant principal Beau Ruleaux) told me I was 'no Rosa Parks' -- that I should give up because I would not succeed in my protest." Rather than try to fix the system, those still in favor of the test seek to make an example out of Lori's repeated refusal to conform to their system. The problem is that the officials have taken the policy as the absolute, and have neither considered the original intentions of the policy nor possibilities for reform.

There is disagreement among administrators in other Iowa school districts, and the situation has stirred up quite a controversy. AALDEF has taken on the case, and has asked supporters to hold off on formal protests/letters to the school officials for now. However, AAA PC (Political Committee) will be meeting this Sunday from 4:30-5:30pm in Lerner Board Room 503 to write letters of support to Lori Phanachone. Everyone is welcome!

For more information:
Sioux City Journal
The Register (Des Moines)
KTIV (Siouxland's News Channel)
Angry Asian Man

Well, I guess I can safely say that when it comes to sending e-mails about internship opportunities, AALDEF is guilty of this:


I kid (sort of). AALDEF is great, their people are great, which is why we work with them so much, and they obviously have a ton of opportunities. So if you are really into what AALDEF does, or have four hours to kill, then read the rest of this entry.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education. For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Internships for the summer of 2009 are available in the following program areas:

• Anti-Trafficking Initiative, legal research on the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as outreach, community education, and advocacy on the rights of women and youth trafficking survivors.
• Community Health Care Initiative, legal research, as well as community education and outreach in the areas of immigration, government benefits, language rights, and health care access;
• Economic Justice for Workers, litigation on behalf of garment, restaurant, and other low wage workers;
• Educational Equity and Youth Rights, legal services, policy work, community education, research and litigation concerning educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action and post 9-11 hate violence and racial targeting;
• Housing Justice Project, direct legal services, community outreach/education, and litigation on housing and land use issues affecting low-income Asian immigrant communities;
• Immigrant Access to Justice, litigation, legal services, and organizing/outreach with communities impacted by 9-11, including special interest detainees, special registration, voluntary interviews by the government, the 9-11 absconder initiative, and local and state enforcement of immigration laws;
• New Jersey Asian American Legal Project, community outreach, education, and legal services to Asian Americans in New Jersey, as well as community organizing and litigation on employment-related claims for Asian immigrant workers in New Jersey.
• South Asian Workers Project, direct legal services on employment-related claims to South Asian immigrant workers, as well as community education and advocacy; and
• Voting Rights, legal research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection Clause challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, and state and local election reform; produce reports and organize public forums.
  

Description of Summer Internship Program:
The summer program is ten weeks, from approximately June 1st through August 7th. Interns work full time and are supervised by attorneys in specific program areas. Interns will work on litigation, particularly legal research and writing, legal and policy advocacy, community outreach and education, and client intakes. Each program area differs in emphasis. Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. AALDEF also provides trainings in housing law, naturalization procedures, and immigration law. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding. Academic credit can be arranged.

To Apply:

• Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to be received by AALDEF on or before Friday, January 30, 2009 at the address below. Please indicate the top three program areas on which you would be interested in focusing. Fax or email applications are acceptable.
• Any bilingual ability should be stated in the application. Bilingual ability is helpful but not required. Gujarati, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, and Urdu-speaking applicants are especially urged to apply.
• Applications will be reviewed upon receipt until the January 30, 2009 deadline. Interviewing will take place in February, however, some interviews may be conducted on a rolling basis prior to that time.
  
  Summer Internship Search (Legal)
  Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
  New York , New York 10013-2815
  Fax: 212-966-4303
  Email: info@aaldef.org
  

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932 x212 or jweng@aaldef.org
Ivy Suriyopas at 212-966-5932 x235 or isuriyopas@aaldef.org
*Please do not email applications to jweng@aaldef.org or isuriyopas@aaldef.org


The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy and community education. Current program priorities include economic justice for workers, immigrants’ rights, voting rights and civic participation, human trafficking, language rights, affirmative action, the elimination of anti-Asian violence and police brutality, youth rights and educational equity, and the assistance of low-income Chinatown residents and workers affected by 9-11. For more information about AALDEF, visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. AALDEF also provides trainings in housing law, naturalization procedures, and immigration law. The summer program is ten (10) weeks, beginning approximately June 1st through August 7th. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding and work-study funds may also be available. Academic credit can be arranged.

• Voting Rights Intern: Responsibilities include coordinating voter registration drives, researching the Voting Rights Act, anti-Asian voter discrimination, bilingual ballots, and Asian American political opinion; advocating on state and local election reform proposals; developing reports and organizing forums on the Asian American vote.
• NJ Asian American Legal Project Intern: Responsibilities include conducting community outreach and presentations with Asian immigrant workers and community members in New Jersey ; performing client intake and legal interpretation, and; coordinating client referrals. Bilingual ability in Gujarati, Hindi, or Korean is highly preferred.
• Youth Rights and Educational Equity Intern: Responsibilities include community outreach and presentations with Asian American youth groups, public education policy research, assistance with client intakes and general support for projects on educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action, and post 9-11 hate violence and racial targeting.
• Office Assistant: Responsibilities include data entry, organizing press clippings, answering phones, doing mailings, assisting with fundraising and other events, and performing general clerical duties. Other responsibilities include providing support for community education and outreach projects and acting as an interpreter/translator. Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs are helpful. Bilingual ability in an Asian language is desirable but not required.
  

Requirements:

• Candidates must be detail-oriented and possess strong writing skills. Spoken and written knowledge of Korean, Bangla, Chinese, or another Asian language is a plus.
• Qualified applicants should indicate which internship they are applying for and send a resume and cover letter by Friday, February 13 to:
  
  Summer Undergraduate Intern Search
  Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
  New York , New York 10013
  fax: 212.966.4303
  or email: info@aaldef.org
  

For more information, contact Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932, ext. 212 or jweng@aaldef.org .


The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), a 35-year old New York-based civil rights organization, is collaborating with Pfizer Inc to seek qualified law students interested in obtaining a unique experience in a corporate legal environment.

Pfizer Inc, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, believes that an inclusive workplace leverages the diversity of its customers, markets and colleagues to the mutual advantage of the company and the individual. AALDEF is assisting Pfizer in the recruitment of highly qualified Asian American law students who are considering careers in corporate legal departments.

Student interns will work in a team environment on a wide range of summer projects in such areas as employment, intellectual property, commercial transactions, regulatory and international law. This summer internship will not lead to a permanent position at the completion of the program or immediately after graduation. Pfizer Inc., however, provides student interns with mentors who will provide professional guidance and career counseling.

Applicants must be enrolled as a first-year or second-year law student in an accredited law school and have a minimum college Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. This internship program runs for approximately 10-12 weeks with a stipend to be provided.

Students interested in being considered for the Pfizer Inc./AALDEF Corporate Legal Internship Program should send a cover letter, legal writing sample, and a resume with the names of two references, one of which must be an academic reference to the following address:

Pfizer Inc / AALDEF Corporate Legal Internship Program
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York , NY 10013-2815
Fax: 212.966.4303
Email: info@aaldef.org

AALDEF must receive all applications no later than Friday, January 30, 2009.

Applicants who would also like to be considered for a summer legal internship at AALDEF should so indicate in their cover letters.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, advocacy, and community education. Spring internships are available for college, graduate, and law students in AALDEF’s Voting Rights Program.

In prior elections, Asian Americans faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote; for example, ballots have been mistranslated listing Democratic candidates as Republicans and vice versa, lack of interpreters, denial of language assistance, rude and hostile poll workers. AALDEF’s Voting Rights Program aims to enhance the political participation of Asian Americans and guard against anti-Asian voter discrimination.

Voting Rights Interns work on the following:

• Advocate for full compliance with the Voting Rights Act and federal Constitution, by analyzing election monitoring reports. The Voting Rights Act mandates Chinese and Korean language voting assistance and forbids anti-Asian voter discrimination. This includes legal research and writing, fact pattern development, and working with clients and witnesses for possible litigation.

• Monitoring the Presidential Primary Elections in NY, NJ, MA, PA, MD and VA to document the use of bilingual ballots.

• Assess local elections compliance with settlements reached in voting rights lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and other states.

• Registering new voters after citizenship swearing-in ceremonies.

• Conduct research and advocacy on local, state and federal election reform proposals.

Description of Spring Internships:

Supervision: Interns are supervised by attorneys through regular meetings and trainings.

Compensation: These internships are not paid positions, but academic credit can be arranged.

Hours: Interns work anywhere between 12 to 25 hours per week in the office.

Duration: Spring internships usually follows the spring semester, commencing with the start of classes (end of January) to the first or second week of May.

To Apply: Bilingual ability is helpful but not required. Students with language ability in Korean, Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, or Chinese are especially welcome to apply and languages (if any) should be stated in the resume.

Applicants should also state the number of hours they can work per week and a possible schedule.

Send a resume and cover letter to:

Voting Rights Spring Intern Search
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York, New York 10013-2815
Fax: 212-966-4303 Email: info@aaldef.org

For more information, contact Glenn D. Magpantay at 212-966-5932, ext. 206 or gmagpantay@aaldef.org.

World-famous Glenn Magpantay sends voting rights volunteers the following notice about AALDEF internships. Heads up, underclassmen - y'all want to do this.

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

SPRING and SUMMER INTERNSHIPS 2009

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, advocacy, and community education. For more information about AALDEF, visit our website at www.aaldef.org. Internships are available for the following:

· Anti-Trafficking Project, legal research on the Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA), as well as outreach, community education, and advocacy on the rights of women and youth trafficking survivors.

· Community Health Care Initiative, research, as well as community education and outreach in the areas of immigration, government benefits, language rights, and health care access;

· Economic Justice for Workers, litigation on behalf of garment, restaurant, and other low wage workers;

· Educational Equity and Youth Rights, legal services, policy work, community education, research and litigation concerning educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action and post 9-11 hate violence and racial targeting;

· Housing Justice Project, direct legal services, community outreach/education, and litigation on housing and land use issues affecting low-income Asian immigrant communities;

· Immigrant Access to Justice, litigation, legal services, and organizing/outreach with communities impacted by 9-11, including special interest detainees, special registration, voluntary interviews by the government, the 9-11 absconder initiative, and local and state enforcement of immigration laws;

· New Jersey Asian American Legal Project, community outreach, education, and legal services to Asian Americans in NJ, as well as community organizing and litigation on employment-related claims for Asian immigrant workers in NJ.

· South Asian Workers Project, direct legal services on employment-related claims to South Asian immigrant workers, as well as community education and advocacy; and

· Voting Rights, legal research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, and state and local election reform; produce reports and organize public forums.

Description of Internships.

Interns are supervised by staff in specific program areas. Legal interns work primarily on legal research and writing, legal and policy advocacy, community outreach and education, and client intakes. Undergraduate interns work on policy advocacy, community outreach and organizing, and some client intakes. Each program area differs in emphasis. These internships are not paid positions, but academic credit can be arranged. Spring interns work anywhere between 8 to 25 hours per week and usually commences with the start of classes. Summer interns work full time for 10 weeks.

To Apply:

Any bilingual ability should be stated in the resume. Bilingual ability is helpful but not required. Spring applicants should also state the number of hours they can work per week and a possible schedule. Send a resume and cover letter to:

Spring / Summer Intern Search

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York, New York 10013-2815
Fax: 212-966-4303

Email: info@aaldef.org

For more information, contact Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932, ext. 212 or jweng@aaldef.org.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) recently released preliminary results from its 2008 General Election Asian American exit poll. Check it out here.

Various Blaaagers and members of the Columbia Asian American Alliance were poll monitors for AALDEF on November 4th. We were assigned to various locations, among them Queens, Brooklyn, and, in my case, Philadelphia. After twelve hours of monitoring, some of us became delusional, others suffered caffeine induced seizures. My favorite experience that day involves a drunk voter at my poll site who enjoyed calling everyone "Chiquita".

Nothing, however, will ever be on the same level as an encounter I had at a Chinatown poll site during the 2007 Democratic Primary. I asked a voter what his ethnicity was for the survey, and this was our conversation:

Me: What is your ethnicity, Sir?
Voter: Sexy.
Me: Um, could you specify?
Voter: I am sexy.
Me: Okay...

Perhaps readers of the Blaaag (yes, all THREE of you out there in cyberworld) will be motivated to volunteer with AALDEF in the next election, so they, too, can be harassed. It's partly offensive, partly amusing, and TOTALLY EMPOWERING!

Although our layout is still a little fritzy and I have six minutes until Intro to Asian American Studies begins, I just had to give a little update on poll monitoring with AALDEF this magnificent Super Tuesday.

AALDEF poll monitoring exists in the aim of protecting the voting rights of Asian Americans from the subtle but palpable discrimination that can sometimes result in the voting process.

Marilla and I were stationed at Flushing's Taiwan Center on Main Street, and though its name connotes a community mecca for Taiwanese Americans, the people we saw turn out were mostly Korean American. Surprising, for us - not counting the fact that Northern Blvd. is very Korean-populated. We probably observed and conducted twenty exit polls, and they all happened to show votes for Democratic nominees, save one, but erroneously - a paper error. (It's being reported.) The people we saw turn out were mostly elderly, with the exception of one 19-24 woman.

These are just facts. In our observation, the polling in the Taiwan Center was definitely smooth, with sufficient translators (Chinese and Korean) and a diverse set of poll workers. In this Asian ethnic enclave, the polling operated well from my observation... And while the morning was a bit slow, I hope to see more voters in my 6-9 shift tonight.

If you haven't yet, go out and vote! ... Okay, I'm definitely late for this class.

Try this out for size...

AALDEF SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIPS 2008

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy and community education. For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. AALDEF also provides trainings in housing law, naturalization procedures, and immigration law. The summer program is ten (10) weeks, beginning approximately June 9th through August 15th. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding and work-study funds may also be available. Academic credit can be arranged.

Voting Rights Intern: Responsibilities include coordinating voter registration drives, researching the Voting Rights Act, anti-Asian voter discrimination, bilingual ballots, and Asian American political opinion; advocating on state and local election reform proposals; developing reports and organizing forums on the Asian American vote. Students from schools in MI, MA, PA, VA, DC, MD, HI, who are also willing to help in coordinating Asian American Election Protection efforts in Nov. 2008 after they go back to school are especially encouraged to apply.

NJ Asian American Legal Project Intern: Responsibilities include conducting community outreach and presentations with Asian immigrant workers and community members in New Jersey ; performing client intake and legal interpretation, and; coordinating client referrals. Bilingual ability in Gujarati, Hindi, or Korean is highly preferred.

Youth Rights and Educational Equity Intern: Responsibilities include community outreach and presentations with Asian American youth groups, public education policy research, assistance with client intakes and general support for projects on educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action, and post 9-11 hate violence and racial targeting.

Office Assistant: Responsibilities include data entry, organizing press clippings, answering phones, doing mailings, assisting with fundraising and other events, and performing general clerical duties. Other responsibilities include providing support for community education and outreach projects and acting as an interpreter/translator. Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs are helpful. Bilingual ability in an Asian language is desirable but not required.

Requirements: Candidates must be detail-oriented and possess strong writing skills. Spoken and written knowledge of Korean, Bangla, Chinese, or another Asian language is a plus.

Qualified applicants should indicate which internship they are applying for and send a resume and cover letter by Friday, February 15 to:

Summer Undergraduate Intern Search
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York , New York 10013
fax: 212.966.4303 or email: info@aaldef.org