Former AABA Chicago president Gary Zhao was interviewed by ABC 7 Chicago regarding his support of President Biden's executive order condemning the wave of racism towards Asian-Americans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that “In our meetings and discussions, we noticed many incidences of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination.”

See more at: https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/YMhfCyP2v3h7yqBXIZQyFd?domain=abc7chicago.com/

Chicago, IL – AABA condemns yesterday’s assault on the United States Capitol during the process to certify the Electoral College votes. AABA calls upon President Trump and all other leaders to condemn this violence, denounce the assault as seditious criminal conduct, and to bring those responsible to justice to the full extent of the law.

The American people have voted. Both sides of the political divide have made their voices heard with a historic turnout of voters. Poll workers, election protection volunteers, local election staff, and municipality personnel across the political spectrum worked diligently to ensure a safe and trusted election cycle across the country. Claims of irregularities have been investigated. Audits and recounts have taken place. The states have certified the results. The Electoral College has voted. Courts have shot down legal challenge after legal challenge and have found nothing to undermine the notion that the 2020 election was free and fair. All lawful processes to reelect President Trump or to challenge the election results have been exhausted.

John Adams, one of our country’s founders and our second president, observed that “we must be a nation of laws and not of men.” We must heed this message and warning now. The words of President Trump and other leaders who seek to overturn a free and fair election are not the law. Words that pushed many to move beyond constitutionally protected peaceful protest to illegal acts of violence and destruction at one of our country’s most sacred spaces are not the law. President Trump is not the law and not above it. No president is. No person is.

We recognize that unjust laws have existed throughout our country’s history, which have contributed to the systemic oppression many Americans face today. We support efforts to change discriminatory laws as well as the right to protest to push for change. That is not what we witnessed yesterday. What we saw yesterday was violence set ablaze on a pyre of lies. We saw images of the siege on our Capitol by hundreds carrying Trump and confederate flags. We saw fear in the eyes of lawmakers trying to take shelter. We could imagine the smirk on the faces of the rioters who were taking selfies as they lounged in our representatives’ chairs. What we felt was a visceral desecration of our being as Americans.

“Seeing yesterday’s events at the U.S. Capitol unfold was painful. What those who stormed the Capitol did was criminal,” said AABA President Kristy Gonowon. “As members of the legal community, my colleagues and I have the privilege and duty to preserve and protect the rule of law. Thus, we condemn in the strongest terms these acts of violence. We ask our family, friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans to remember that, despite our differences, we must stand together as one nation, indivisible, committed to our shared belief in liberty and justice for all. We are a nation of laws and not of men. We must all do our part to ensure that it stays that way.”

AABA was founded on the belief that a professional bar association could serve not only the interests of its members, but also the community from which its members have come. Our mission includes promoting the professional growth of our members; mentoring law students and new lawyers, providing services to our local community; fostering the exchange of ideas and information among our members and community leaders; partnering with other minority organizations on common matters of concern; and offering policy recommendations on legal, social, political, and economic interests significant to our community. 

To learn more about AABA, visit www.aabachicago.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram (@aabachicago).

AABA is hosting a virtual panel on Thursday, October 22, 2020 titled "Emerging Power of Asian Pacific American Voters" featuring a discussion on how we got to where we are now and how you can raise your voice for the future of APAs and our country. To accompany the panel, AABA has created an action plan with tangible steps you can take to make a difference in the upcoming election.

Download a PDF or Word version of AABA's Action Plan for Voting here:

AABA Action Plan for Voting.pdf

AABA Action Plan for Voting.docx

On September 29, AABA hosted its first virtual speed networking event. We were able to coordinate 25 pairings with law students across the country and the experience was rewarding for both participating attorneys and law students!

We are incredibly proud of our Board Member Sonni Choi Williams!

Sonni was recently appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to serve on the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission (https://www2.illinois.gov/Pages/news-item.aspx...) and will be awarded the Northern Illinois University College of Law's "Alum of the Year" Award on October 14 (registration for the awards reception is free at https://law.news.niu.edu/.../niu-law-to-honor.../). Congratulations Sonni on your recent accomplishments!

On May 22, 2020 AABA hosted its first virtual talent show. It was extremely well-attended, with Jenner & Block hosting.

The Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago Stands in Solidarity with George Floyd’s Family and the Larger African American Community

The Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago (AABA) is deeply saddened by George Floyd’s death. We mourn his loss, and our hearts go out to his family.

Across the nation, we hear cries of grief and frustration. As protests rise up in so many cities, we see Americans of all colors chanting “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe.” We feel the anguish in the eyes of those holding up signs that read, “My skin is not a weapon,” and “Why are you so afraid of me?” Like many in this country, we are greatly disturbed by the circumstances of Floyd’s death. While we often use our voices to advocate for the Asian American community, the current situation calls on us to stand with the African American community, and thus, we direct our voice inwards to our Asian American community.

We at AABA take this message to heart, too, and we call on the broader Asian American community to do the same. Now is not a time to hunker down in our bunkers, let alone incite violence as the President has done. Rather, it is time to stand in solidarity with the African American community, to mourn together, and to rise together.

Over fifty years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “America can and should be […] a moral power, a power harnessed to the service of peace and human beings, not an inhumane power unleashed against defenseless people.” These words still ring true, as violence is wielded to oppress unarmed Black Americans today. Yet, in that speech, MLK was not giving voice to Africans Americans. He was speaking on behalf of Asian victims of the Vietnam War. Despite the unpopularity of his position at the time, with many of his allies pleading that he not take away the spotlight on the fight for the lives and rights of Black Americans, he stated that his conscience left him no choice but to stand with victims of the war. A few years earlier, MLK had written the famous phrase in his letter from Birmingham Jail, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He took his own message to heart and stood up for Asians with whom he shared little other than the lived experience of pain, suffering, and oppression. 

We at AABA take this message to heart, too, and we call on the broader Asian American community to do the same. Now is not a time to hunker down in our bunkers, let alone incite violence as the President has done. Rather, it is time to stand in solidarity with the African American community, to mourn together, and to rise together.

We understand that the Asian American community is hurting right now. The rhetoric around the COVID-19 pandemic from the highest position of this country has empowered many to treat Asian Americans as scapegoats for the fears, anxieties, and uncertainties of a worldwide health crisis. But, we must recognize that the African American community has been hit hard in the past several months as well. The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are exhibits on a long list of evidence of an unjust system of policing and the use of violence to oppress African Americans in this country. And while the rhetoric around the COVID-19 pandemic has recently been weaponized to oppress Asian Americans, the pandemic has actually killed African Americans at a higher rate than any other group, almost three times the rate of White Americans. 

While we as Asian Americans struggle with our current reality—living in fear of harassment and violence in public spaces—we must recognize that this struggle has been a constant reality for Black Americans in this country. Due to the increased hostility toward our community, some of us might argue that this is a time to keep our heads down and to stick with our own. Some of us might propose that this is a time to work harder to show our American-ness. Yet, at AABA, we recognize that racism is wrong, and a system that perpetuates racism is broken and must be fixed. Hate takes on many forms and shades. No matter how hard we work to show that we should not be hated, it is a disease that constantly adapts to the situation to infect us. Instead of focusing on how we can change ourselves to fit in, we should center our discussion on how we fit into the work needed to make change.

We recognize that our fight to advocate for Asian Americans is inextricably linked to the great struggle against racism in this country. If we want to no longer be treated as perpetual strangers in this country, then we must work with our natural allies—the African American community, the Latinx community, and others who have been marginalized—to push for antiracist policies and to shape this country into one that welcomes people of all colors. Remember Vincent Chin. Remember Fred Korematsu. The Asian American community has a long history of fighting against racism in this country, and it is time that we are again at the forefront of that fight.

We hope that the whole Asian American community will join us in standing in solidarity with the African American community and saying: You are not alone. Your tears are our tears. Your freedom is our freedom. Your fight is our fight. Only when Black Lives Matter, can all lives matter.

AABA and its sister bar association's advocacy efforts in fighting covid-19 related anti-Asian racism and hate crimes are recognized and celebrated in this Emmy Award winning TV program. 

https://abc7chicago.com/society/asian-influences-standing-strong/6182988/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2020

Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx Stands with Asian American Bar Associations in Condemning Surge of Discrimination and Hate Crimes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

CHICAGO, IL, April 22, 2020 – Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx recognizes and condemns the rise in discrimination and attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has announced that she will collaborate with local Asian American bar associations and other community organizations to investigate and prosecute all discrimination, harassment, and hate crimes in connection to the pandemic as appropriate.

On April 16, 2020, State’s Attorney Foxx met via video with the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago (AABA), Chinese American Bar Association of Greater Chicago, Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago, Japanese American Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association, and Korean American Bar Association to discuss the surge in discrimination and hate crimes against   AAPIs in connection with the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Foxx’s meeting with these bar associations was conducted as a result of their joint letter urging Foxx to publicly denounce these acts and protect the civil rights of AAPIs in Cook County. During the meeting,  she condemned    all racist attacks in connection with COVID-19 and directed victims of such attacks to her office.

“The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic have created great challenges, unfortunately made worse by President Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric targeted at Asian Americans,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx.  “We recognize that these actions have increased danger and fear in the community and may cause hesitation to report a crime. My office will never tolerate discrimination or harassment, and we will prosecute hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law. We are working closely with community leaders to make sure victims have support and access to the resources they need. If you are the victim of a crime, please know that you are not alone. Call 911 in an emergency or the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Unit at 773-674-7200 for help.”

AABA President Gary Zhao applauds Foxx’s quick, positive response to the bar associations’ letter. He looks forward to working with her to advocate for AAPIs in Cook County. He states, “AAPIs across the country are facing an unprecedented challenge as they are treated as scapegoats for the fear, anxiety, and uncertainties of a worldwide health crisis. But here in Chicago and Cook County, we are lucky to have leaders like Kimberly Foxx who will stand with the AAPI community. Chicago is home to people of many cultures and origins, and we have come a long way towards becoming a welcoming city for all. While public officials in many parts of the country have remained silent or have even fanned the flames of xenophobia, I am heartened that our leaders are dedicated to protecting all people in our community.”

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL CONDEMNS RACISM, HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS

Chicago — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today condemned discrimination and hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted individuals throughout Illinois without regard to race, national origin, religion or gender. As all communities continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic devastating the nation, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have faced an increase in instances of discrimination and hate crimes.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak spread throughout states, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have reported experiencing higher instances of harassment and bias. The Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (A3PCON) recently launched a website to collect data related to discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. According to the A3PCON, Stop AAPI hate received 1,135 reports of discrimination and hate crimes throughout the nation in website’s first two weeks.

“That some individuals would use the new coronavirus pandemic to direct bigotry and hate toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is absolutely unacceptable and must stop,” Raoul said. “Racism has no place in our society, and we must stand together to condemn racist acts when we see them, particularly during this crisis.”

“The AAPI community is facing an unprecedented crisis,” said Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago President Gary Zhao. “This is a time when we need to come together and set aside our differences and biases so that we can overcome this crisis as a community. This is a time for quick action by our community’s leaders to take on racism and xenophobia directly.

The A3PCON reports that despite shelter-in-place directives in many states, the number of racist incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders remains high. Many of the incidents being reported have taken place in grocery stores, pharmacies and big-box retailers. The A3PCON has also found that Asian American and Pacific Islander women are harassed at twice the rate of men, and youths are involved in more than 6 percent of incidents.

Asian Americans in the Chicago area have reported experiencing instances of harassment they have experienced in neighborhoods, on public transportation and in airports. Last month in Naperville, a 60-year-old Chinese American man was jogging when he was attacked by two women who spit at him and told him to “go back to China.”

The Attorney General’s office has discussed the need to address COVID-19 – related discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with representatives of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago, the Chinese American Bar Association of Greater Chicago, the Filipino American Lawyers Association of the Chicago, the South Asian Bar Association of Chicago, the Korean American Bar Association and the Japanese American Bar Association.

Attorney General Raoul urges Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to report hate crimes to local law enforcement for criminal prosecution. Raoul also encourages people to report discrimination or hate-motivated incidents to his office by visiting his website, emailing CivilRights@atg.state.il.us or by calling his Civil Rights Hotline at 1-877-581-3692. The Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau enforces state and federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination and hate crimes in Illinois.