The Asian Law Caucus and three affiliated Asian American civil rights organizations yesterday announced the adoption of “Asian American Center for Advancing Justice” as the new name for the affiliation of the four groups.

The organizations announced the new brand at the second annual Advancing Justice Conference, a three-day event focusing on issues of special interest to the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The four affiliating organizations—the Asian American Institute (AAI), Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), Asian Law Caucus (ALC) and Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC)—jointly host the conference, which has brought together hundreds of participants from across the country.

“This represents a tremendous opportunity not only for the Asian Law Caucus and our sister organizations, but for the larger Asian American community,” said Titi Liu, executive director of ALC, the nation’s oldest Asian American civil rights organization. “Through Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, we will have a larger platform from which to speak about issues that affect our community.”

Asian American Center for Advancing Justice will address many of the issues that are currently the focus of headlines across the country, including immigration, LGBT, civil rights and worker’s rights.

“We are very excited to be part of this partnership of equals at a time when Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a greater presence—both in numbers and in prominence—than ever before,” said Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of APALC, the nation’s largest organization addressing the civil rights and legal services of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The four groups will adopt their shared identity in stages over the coming years, explained AAI Executive Director Tuyet Le. “By affiliating gradually, we will maintain our identity and presence in our local communities. AAI is the leading pan-Asian organization in the Midwest, and we will continue to speak to local issues. Asian American Center for Advancing Justice gives us a voice to speak to national ones as well.”

Each organization will continue to be based in its home city: AAJC in Washington, D.C., APALC in Los Angeles, AAI in Chicago and ALC in San Francisco. AAJC will continue to serve as the lead on federal policy as well as other areas in which it has expertise. However, all member organizations do some work at the national level. On a given issue or area, any one of the member organizations may be the national lead for Asian American Center for Advancing Justice.

“As independent organizations coordinating around a set of shared vision and values, we will work to promote a fair and equitable society for all; strengthen civil and human rights; and empower the Asian American, Pacific Islander and other marginalized communities’” said Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC, one of the premier national Asian American civil and human rights organizations. “In formalizing relationships that have existed for many years, we are expanding our reach and effectiveness and speaking with one unified and powerful voice.”

For more information on Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, please visit www.advancingjustice.org.

Los Angeles-based nonprofit CPAF provides a multilingual 24-hour call center, emergency shelter, transitional housing program, counseling services and community outreach programs that focuses on the needs of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

CPAF finished in the top 100 out of a half-million eligible groups in the first round of the Chase Community Giving contest on Facebook. As a result, they received $25,000 and a chance to compete for a grand prize of $1 million or one of five runner-up awards of $100,000 in the final round of voting from January 15-22. The winners will be announced on January 23.

Any and all proceeds earned will be used by CPAF to reach beyond the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities by unifying all 24-hour call centers in Los Angeles County. The much-needed funding will be used to create a sustainable joint hotline for 20 domestic violence shelters and six rape crisis centers. CPAF will also extend the hotline services to include online chat to make services more accessible to victims.

Every 15 seconds a woman is beaten in the U.S. Ever two minutes someone in the U.S. is raped or sexually assaulted. One in three women will be abused in her lifetime. It happens too often. The silence is deafening.

If a woman has the courage to call, we must make sure there will be someone there to listen.

To vote, please visit http://www.voteCPAF.org.

Related links:
Chase Community Giving on Facebook – http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving
Center for the Pacific Asian Family – http://www.NurturingChange.org
Watch the Videos on CPAF’s YouTube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/CPAFpsa