🎉 HUGE WIN!! After a years-long campaign Chicago's racist Gang Database is officially ERASED w/ yesterday's vote by the Community Commission on Public Safety. This moment was years in the making by dedicated activits with
@OCAD_CHI
,
@byp100
,
@BPNCchicago
,
@jcua_chicago
& more!
We applaud the House Judiciary Committee for passing immigration provisions in the FY22 Budget Reconciliation Package that included a pathway to citizenship for immigrants.
#RacialJustice
&
#CivilRights
provisions brings us closer to
#Citizenship4All
!
BREAKING NEWS: The Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, HB 376, just passed the Illinois House!
Thank you to Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz for leading this historic effort to teach Asian American history in all public schools. Now, on to the Senate!
Lunar New Year is a celebratory time for many Asian American communities. This should have been a time of joy, but is now a time of grief. No one should have to live in fear of mass shootings or gun violence.
We have several free virtual bystander intervention trainings coming up this month! Join us and learn strategies that will help keep our communities safe against racist harassment and hate.
Learn more or sign up here:
BREAKING NEWS: The TEAACH Act (HB376) just passed the Senate with a vote of 57-0!
Now, the bill will go back to the House for a concurrence vote before going to the Governor’s desk.
#TEAACHAct
We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of another member of the Asian American community, Suraj Mahadeva, who was a victim of gun violence in Palmer Square over the weekend. Suraj had his whole life ahead of him and we are heartbroken that his life was cut short.
We are heartbroken and devastated by the tragic loss of two members of the Asian American community in the last week, Woom Sing Tse in Chinatown and Rae Sub Park in Budlong Woods. Both were victims of gun violence and should be alive today. (1)
We're thrilled to share that Gov. Pritzker has appointed our Executive Director Grace Pai to the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes. We at Advancing Justice | Chicago are excited for her to serve in this new role.
Today, we’re excited to announce our new TEAACH curricular resources for teachers! As we prepare for the TEAACH Act to go into effect in fall 2022, we hope to support educators in teaching AsAm history! See the resources: (1)
Advancing Justice | Chicago is excited to announce that effective June 30, our new Executive Director will be Andy Kang! (
@andykangjustice
)
Read statements from Board President Michael P. Chu, current Executive Director Tuyet Le, and Andy here:
We are horrified by the tragic mass shooting in Monterey Park, CA. While it is too soon to know if this was a racially motivated attack, our hearts go out to the families of the victims, survivors, and the Monterey Park community as they mourn this loss on Lunar New Year weekend.
It is with tremendous joy that we congratulate
@gracekp3
, our Director of Organizing, as Advancing Justice | Chicago's next Executive Director.
Read more here:
BREAKING NEWS: The TEAACH Act, HB 376, has passed the Illinois House on concurrence 108-10 and is headed to the Governor’s desk!
If signed into law, IL will be the first state in the country to require all public schools to include a unit of Asian American history.
#TEAACHAct
HAPPENING NOW! Organizers with
@stopshotspotter
are having a press conference calling on the city to cancel the racist and ineffective shot spotter technology!
We just made history! Illinois is the first state in the nation to require a unit of Asian American history to be taught in all public schools.
#TEAACHAct
Thank you to our
#TEAACH
Coalition members,
@JenGGforRep
, and
@senvillivalam
for leading this fight. We did it!
Advancing Justice | Chicago is thrilled to congratulate
@JiananShi
on his appointment as president of the Chicago Board of Education today!
Jianan is the executive director of
@ILRaiseYourHand
and a former volunteer leader with Advancing Justice | Chicago.
Happening NOW: Press conference & rally outside CPS HQ at 42 W. Madison. Students SHOWED UP! Our KINETIC Youth, along with students across the city, are walking out of class to protest the way the district has handled COVID safety. Organized by
@chiradsCPS
📣
The
#TEAACHAct
will be voted on tomorrow in the House Committee! Help us bring an Asian American history curriculum to IL schools by taking 2 mins to submit a witness slip by 8:30 Wednesday so legislators can see how many people support TEAACH!
Tatiana Munoz of
@PASOACTION
talks about the 3 children, who were citizens, detained at O’Hare Airport.
It is unacceptable for family members to be used as pawns for deportation by government agencies such as CBP & ICE.
#ShutDownCBP
#NoRoom4CBP
“Real public safety incl. large scale investment in community-based violence prevention programs, wraparound services, trauma-informed care, investments in disinvested communities, affordable housing, good jobs, strong education & more.”
@gracekp3
@WGNNews
Our executive director Andy Kang penned an op-ed in the
@Chicago_Reader
addressing the dangers of racist rhetoric surrounding COVID-19, and how the pandemic is an opportunity to tackle racial injustice:
Our A Just Chi leaders are out marching against money bond, which unfairly punishes low income folks & communities of color in the criminal justice system. We shouldn’t have a system where the rich can get out of jail & the poor must stay.
#EndMoneyBond
#AsianAmsAgainstMoneyBond
"This is a moment for Asian Americans to actively build solidarity with Black communities to confront two sides of the same problem: the legacies of white supremacy that are hurting our communities."
📣📣📣 TODAY:
@AAAJ_Chicago
held a press conference on the University of Chicago campus to denounce increased policing & surveillance in
#HydePark
& surrounding communities in the wake of two local incidents of gun violence. WATCH NOW:
40 years later, the campaign for justice is still relevant. Today and tomorrow in Detroit is the first-ever Midwest Asian American Documentary Filmmakers Convening. Join the 4-day commemoration this weekend virtually or in-person in Detroit:
🎉📷 Advancing Justice is proud to announce our ED
@gracekp3
will join
@LGCChicago
Fellows Class of 2024!
Her work with them will foster a deeper understanding of the issues facing the Asian American community and build a better Chicago for all.
DAY 1 of the Advancing Justice National Summit in Chicago!
We’re so excited to bring together 160 Asian American and Pacific Islander advocates, organizers, and community leaders from around the country for important conversations!
In bittersweet news, our Executive Director
@andykangjustice
will be transitioning out of his role this summer to become the new ED of the Pennsylvania Immigration & Citizenship Coalition. Read his letter to the Advancing Justice-Chicago community here:
We’re devastated by the news coming out of Atlanta, and we stand with our affiliate
@AAAJ_Atlanta
and the work they are doing to hold families and communities in this time.
We are shaken by the violence in our city that has left 8 ppl dead, including members of the Asian American community. We are gathering info about what happened & the needs of directly impacted are. Now is the time to hold the victims & their families in our hearts & with light
We celebrate civil rights trailblazer & Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen who helped pass the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act. The legislation created a bill of rights for survivors & lessened the burdens they must go through when reporting assaults.
#AAPIHeritageMonth
Attendees of
#JusticeConf19
are out here with
@NQAPIA
demanding the release of Chin, an Asian trans man from Hong Kong who has been in solitarily confinement for 15 months.
#FreeChinNow
Earlier this week we joined our coalition partners
@stopshotspotter
to demand that Chicago end its contract with Shotspotter, an ineffective gunshot detection technology that surveils Black and brown communities.
READ:
Today’s our Executive Director Andy Kang’s official last day. We are humbled by his leadership, passion, and dedication that he has put into our community and are all better for it. We wish him the best of luck in his new chapter in Pennsylvania!
@andykangjustice
We’re excited to go out on this lovely day to gather petitions for the Pretrial Fairness Act! There’s a lot of disinfo about ending money bond to fight!! Sign to show your support at
@endmoneybond
A Just Chi leaders recently planned & hosted a mixer for orgs in the Erase the Database Coalition! We signed postcards/petitions, wrote letters to folks in detention, & painted a banner w/ reps from
@stopshotspotter
!
#endpolicesurveillance
(1)
As organizations committed to supporting immigrants and refugees and centering the needs of our most vulnerable community members, we strongly support the move to convert the Broadway Armory into a temporary shelter for recently arrived asylum-seekers.
#ImmigrantsWelcome
We're out here with
@icirr
calling on the city of Chicago to be a welcoming city by investing in Black and brown communities where new immigrants, longtime residents and all Chicagoans can thrive!
We honor Patsy Takemoto Mink, the 1st woman of color elected to Congress! She was 1 of the authors of the Women's Educational Equity Act, known as Title IX, which mandated that any institution receiving federal funding equally support men & women in academics & athletics
#AAPIHM
In Chicago,
#RefugeeResilience
is shown at the
@CambodianMuseum
- educating visitors about the history of genocide while honoring and working through trauma for survivors and future generations.
1 of 7 Asian immigrants is undocumented and excluded from every COVID-19 relief legislation that has passed Congress so far. In this pandemic we are suffering. Click to tweet at your Senator to pass the HEROES Act &
#StandwithImmigrants
!
So proud of our Director of Organizing Grace Pai (
@gracekp3
) for being awarded in the 2021 Leaders for a New Chicago cohort, alongside an impressive and well-deserving list of individuals. Thank you
@FieldFoundation
and
@macfound
!
The Field Foundation in partnership with
@macfound
today announced the 2021 Leaders for a New Chicago. Congratulations to these 10 visionary & impactful Leaders! Click the link to learn more about them.
#LeadersForANewChicago
#LFNC21
On March 12, the collective heart of the Asian American Chicagoland community was beating together – we gathered in Horner Park to remember the six Asian women whose lives were lost on March 16, 2021 in Atlanta.
#RememberingMarch16
(1)
Chicago shows up! We marched w/ partner orgs to demand
@potus
& Congress keep promises: legalization, citizenship, & stopping deportations! TAKE ACTION & tell reps to DISREGARD Parl & pass a path to
#Citizenship4All
THIS YEAR:
#ProtectDontDeport
#WeAreHome
Our hearts are heavy as we see anti-Asian racism & racist violence continue to rise, w/ multiple mass shootings around the country this month. We grieve w/ the survivors, families, & loved ones of those killed & harmed. Our full statement:
#StopAsianHate
It's time for Advancing Justice | Chicago and the Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment Coalition's quad-annual Chicago Mayoral Candidate Forum!
Our 2023 Mayoral Candidate Forum will take place on Monday, February 6, from 6-8 pm at the Chicago History Museum! Doors open at 5:45pm.
Advancing Justice | Chicago is proud of our role in this campaign by engaging progressive Asian Americans in the important fight to end racist policing!
The
#ReimagineChi
forum is STANDING ROOM ONLY! People from across the city are here to demand that our next mayor stands with us on the issues we care about ✊✊🏿✊🏽✊🏾✊🏼✊🏻
Asian American community-based orgs are coming together on March 12 at 2pm at Horner Park to commemorate the anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings that took place on March 16, 2021. Let us remember the victims & honor their memories. RSVP:
SAVE THE DATE: On 3/12, join us in remembrance and solidarity as we mark the one year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings that occurred on March 16. In Atlanta, together with
@AsianAAF
, we are hosting a community remembrance event in person on 03/12 (RSVP coming soon).
We’re here in Springfield with 400 of our comrades & community members to talk facts not fear mongering about ending cash bail! We all want fairness & safety for our communities, and with
@endmoneybond
@peopleslobbyusa
@SOULInChicago
and so many more we’re going to fight for it!
Earlier today, Chicago City Council passed a ward map that created a majority Asian American ward in Greater Chinatown and unified the Asian and immigrant community of Albany Park into one ward.
The Chicago Latino Caucus released a proposed citywide map that creates 16 majority Black wards, 15 majority Latino wards, & 15 majority white wards, but no majority
#AsianAmerican
ward.
@CBCACchicago
&
@AAAJ_Chicago
call on the Latino Caucus:
What Anooshka said.
Chicago City Council has an opportunity to address decades of disinvestment our south and west side communities. It's time to pass Treatment Not Trauma, Peacebook, and more. There's enough for all of us, whether we're white, Black, or brown.
This is the first major victory to reimagine public safety under
@ChicagosMayor
and fulfills a major campaign promise.
We are eager to pass initiatives like Bring Chicago Home, Stop Shotspotter, Treatment Not Trauma, and other important proposals that safeguard lives.
It's time for Asian Americans to be represented in US history! The TEAACH Act would add an Asian American history curriculum to IL schools, ensuring our important stories are told. Thank you
@senvillivalam
& Rep. Gong-Gershowitz for sponsoring the bill!
Today we’re featuring music artist
@rubyibarra
! She uses hip hop as a platform to express her experience & empowerment as a Filipina American & incorporates Tagalog & Waray in her music. Her song “Us” called on Filipina women to reclaim their narrative.
#AAPIHeritageMonth
We are growing, we are powerful, and there’s also more to be done! Great to hear about the work being done to build power and engage Asian Americans across the country.
#JusticeConf18
#advancingjustice