Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Formation	1983; 42 years ago
Type	501(c)3 organization
Tax ID no.	95-3854152
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Key people	Stewart Kwoh (Founder and President Emeritus) Connie Chung Joe (CEO)
Website	ajsocal.org
Formerly called	Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) formerly known as Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles (Advancing Justice LA), is a non-profit legal aid and civil rights organization dedicated to advocacy, providing legal services and education and building coalitions on behalf of the Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities.[1] AJSOCAL was founded in 1983 as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC).

AJSOCAL is a legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (NHPI). AJSOCAL is located in Los Angeles, California, and also has satellite offices in Orange County and Sacramento.[2]

AJSOCAL is one of four civil rights organizations under the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation; the other partners include Advancing Justice – Chicago, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, and Asian American Justice Center (AAJC). These affiliated organizations work in tandem to build coalitions, empower underserved communities, and advocate for justice1.

Overview

History:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), originally called Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), was founded by attorney Stewart Kwoh2 in 1983 following the murder of Vincent Chin3. AJSOCAL served an out-of-state co-counsel for the case, worked in support of the Chin family, and advocated for increased awareness on discrimination and hate crime reporting4. Since then, the organization has continued providing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities with multilingual, culturally sensitive legal services, educational programming, and civil rights support5.

Stewart Kwoh, president emeritus and founder of AJSOCAL, is a nationally recognized civil rights leader and has worked in a variety of nonprofit, philanthropic, academic, and legal settings6. Kwoh has been honored with several awards throughout his professional career; notably, in 1998, Kwoh was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow7—becoming the first Asian American attorney and community leader to receive this distinction8.

In 2010, AJSOCAL joined three sister civil rights organizations—Asian American Institute (AAI), Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), and Asian Law Caucus (ALC)—in forming the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation. As a unit, Asian Americans Advancing Justice partner organizations aim to advocate for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved groups through collective work9. Today, AJSOCAL serves over 15,000 individuals and organizations yearly through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, coalition and capacity building, and leadership development10.

Bureerong v. Uvawas

In 1995, AJSOCAL served as the lead counsel in Bureerong v. Uvawas, a groundbreaking federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of 80 Thai garment workers—who were enslaved in a sweatshop compound in El Monte, California11 after being illegally trafficked into the United States. Upon their discovery, the workers were first detained by immigration agents. Together with a coalition of other civil rights advocacy groups in Los Angeles, AJSOCAL worked for their release, adjustment to American society, and continued struggle for justice against the manufacturers and retailers responsible12. Bureerong v. Uvawas contributed to the passing of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 200013, the first comprehensive federal law to address human trafficking14. Julie Su15, the lead attorney for this case, was appointed as the United States acting Secretary of Labor in 2023. Su also worked as the litigation director at AJSOCAL, served as California labor commissioner from 2011 to 2018, and received a MacArthur Foundation grant in 200116 in recognition of her legal advocacy work. Through a combination of advocacy, legal action, research, and direct services, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) works with Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) groups and other marginalized communities to address various issues—which include policy, discrimination, immigration and citizenship, housing preservation, resource and healthcare accessibility, domestic violence and family law, demographic research, and others. With its history of advocacy, coalition-building, and impact-focused litigation, AJSOCAL provides a range of programming and direct services to the communities that it serves17.

Anti-discrimination:

Since its founding, AJSOCAL has introduced a variety of initiatives to combat discrimination and advocate for increased awareness of hate crimes. In 1989, Stewart Kwoh co-authored the Hate Crimes Reporting Law, making Los Angeles the first major west coast city with a system to track and report hate crimes18. AJSOCAL has also pushed back against discriminatory legislation, such as Proposition 209 in 1996, which ended affirmative action in California19.

The organization has also been involved with litigation and direct aid for several landmark cases which address hate crimes and discriminatory hiring practices, such as Hunter/La Ley v. City of Los Angeles (1992)20 and Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch (2003)21; and the racially motivated murders of Thien Minh Ly22, Joseph Ileto23, and Kenneth Chiu24.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) also provides several anti-discrimination trainings and resources. In 2021, following an uptick in hate incidents targeting AANHPI individuals, AJSOCAL began a bystander intervention initiative25 in partnership with Right to Be26 27— teaching AANHPIs and allies how to safely de-escalate or defuse incidents of hate 28.

In partnership with Microsoft29 in 2024, AJSOCAL and its Washington D.C.-based affiliate, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) launched the Asian Resource Hub30, an online platform31 which compiles data and research on hate incidents and provides a directory of AAPI resources and culturally sensitive services32.

Joseph Ileto Case:

In 1999, Filipino American postal carrier Joseph Ileto was killed as part of a racially fueled mass shooting. The shooter, Buford Furrow, began his rampage at the North Valley Jewish Community Center, where he shot five people33, and admitted to shooting Ileto because Ileto was a federal worker and looked Latino or Asian34.

Partnering with Filipino community groups, AJSOCAL provided emotional, financial, and legal support to the Ileto family35. The Ileto family began speaking out for stronger anti-hate legislation, traveling across the nation to spread awareness of Joseph’s story, build coalitions between diverse communities, and push out against gun violence and hate incidents36. AJSOCAL commemorates the legacy of Joseph Ileto with the annual Joseph Ileto Courage Award, given at their yearly anniversary gala37.

Immigration & Citizenship:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) has historically engaged in work supporting immigrant rights; examples include opposition to Proposition 187, a ballot initiative denying access to social services to undocumented immigrants38; legal assistance for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program39; involvement in the passing of AB1261, legislation protecting immigrant victims of crime40; and others. AJSOCAL also holds free citizenship application workshops where staff and volunteers assist individuals in verifying, completing, and filing applications for citizenship41 . In 2024, AJSOCAL launched the Migrant Resource Hub42, a digital, multi-lingual platform providing information and resources on immigration services for migrants43.

AJSOCAL has been involved in a number of legal cases surrounding immigrant and employment rights. In Jessica McClintock v. KIWA (1994), for example, a settlement was won for exploited workers’ education, scholarships, and a workers’ union44. The landmark Bureerong v. Uvawas (1995) case, also known as the Thai garment workers’ case, was monumental in subsequent legislation surrounding human trafficking and garment workers’ rights. In 2006, AJSOCAL supported a group of 17 elderly Korean immigrants in their struggle against deceptive business practices in a Glendora cemetery45. In 2016, the organization backed 11 trafficked and exploited Filipino workers in a legal battle against L’Amande Bakery46. In 2024, AJSOCAL filed a discrimination lawsuit against the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) in Sacramento County Superior Court, on behalf of six Asian students whose certifications were withheld based on the claim of a perceived lack of language skills47.

Demographics

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) has offered research, technical assistance, and training to improve understandings of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities48. In 2004-2005, AJSOCAL released demographic research on AANHPI communities in several counties of Southern California49, highlighting language diversity, ethnic diversity, socio-economic conditions, and demographic growth; similar reports were released in 2006 and 2011^50.

The organization has also worked to increase political participation and analyze voting patterns of Asian American communities. In 2009, AJSOCAL conducted research on voting trends for Proposition 851, a ballot proposition intended to ban same-sex marriage. In 2010, AJSOCAL partnered with several non-profits and community leaders to form a taskforce, aiming to ensure accurate political representation and allocation of federal resources52. 53. In order to heighten AANHPI civic engagement and protect voting rights, AJSOCAL has created voting materials in Asian languages54 and trained volunteers to partake in poll monitoring across Southern California55.

Throughout its history, AJSOCAL has also pushed for visibility through California redistricting processes. In 198556 and 199157, AJSOCAL organized coalitions and advocated for equitable representation for AANHPI and other marginalized communities; similar work in 2021 eventually led to the co-sponsoring of a bill that would create an independent redistricting process in California58.

Housing:

In the focus area of housing rights, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) provides resources and legal help for California homeowners and tenants—focusing on low-income, immigrant, and limited-English individuals59. In response to the 2009 housing crisis, AJSOCAL assisted homeowners who were at risk of losing their homes due to foreclosure60. The Housing Preservation Project, launched in 2021—reflecting upon housing crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic—is a program providing resources for clients in Los Angeles in areas with high AAPI populations and poverty and eviction rates61. Legal support is also provided through AJSOCAL’s monthly legal clinics and multi-lingual hotlines.

Resource Accessibility: Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) works to increase resource accessibility for limited-English, immigrant, and other underserved communities. The organization has been involved in language discrimination cases such as Friends of the Library of Monterey Park v. City of Monterey Park (1988)62, the Tong Sik Chong case in 199663, Bai v. Wondries Toyota (2002)64 and others. Through litigation and advocacy work, AJSOCAL has also organized for increased language access in areas such as social service documentation65 and bilingual education programs. In 2022, AJSOCAL was involved in passing AB 1766, a bill allowing all Californians, regardless of immigration status, to obtain a state-issued identification card66.

Direct Services:

In instances of disasters and crises, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) has given direct aid to communities in the form of legal assistance, necessities, and financial aid. Following the 1992 Los Angeles uprising67, 1994 Northridge earthquake68, and 2020 COVID-19 pandemic69, for example, AJSOCAL has responded by working directly with groups and individuals impacted by the crises. After the 2023 Monterey Park shooting70, AJSOCAL led the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims Fund, providing legal services and raising over one million dollars for the victims and families of the shooting71. Also during the pandemic, AJSOCAL delivered over 4 million dollars in state-funded federal assistance for undocumented immigrants in California through the Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI) fund72. In 2002, AJSOCAL launched the Asian Language Legal Intake Project (ALLIP)—toll-free hotlines in Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Tagalog, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Hindi, and Khmer which assist callers in accessing resources, counseling, or referrals on issues such as domestic violence, family law, immigration, citizenship, employment law,discrimination, racism, health access, and incidents of hate for those with limited English-speaking capacity73.

In terms of health access, AJSOCAL forms coalitions and engages in capacity-building between partner organizations to share information, resources, and services to vulnerable communities. By increasing outreach through education, enrollment and advocacy on health issues and programs, AJSOCAL aims to reduce language barriers and increase health literacy74.

Education:

To further projects for educational equity, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) has implemented programs relating to advocacy, legal, and fundraising work. Along with other civil rights groups, AJSOCAL was involved in Castaneda v. The Regents of the University of California (1999)75—in which the parties sued University of California, Berkeley76 over unfair admissions processes. In 2018, AJSOCAL worked with partner organizations to defend race-conscious college admissions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard77. As a co-sponsor of California Senate Bill 30978 and member of the College for All Coalition, AJSOCAL worked in 2021 to pass a budget request to allocate over $547 million to increase access to high school courses needed for California university admissions79. In 2022, the organization, partnered with stakeholders, advocated for $5 million in state funding for Asian language bilingual teacher education programs in California80.

Orange County:

Since the 1990s, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) has worked on key legal and civil rights issues affecting Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) in Orange County81. In 2006, AJSOCAL opened a satellite office in Garden Grove to directly work with AANHPI communities in the area. In 2021, the officer moved to Anaheim, and it now works to provide legal services, advocacy campaigns, and impact lawsuits to clients, as well as working for civic engagement—from citizenship assistance to voter protection and engagement82.

References

External links

Official website
"Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California". Internal Revenue Service filings. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States