Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Chicago

THE MISSION OF ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICECHICAGO, AN AFFILIATE MEMBER OF ADVANCING JUSTICE, IS TO BUILD POWER THROUGH COLLECTIVE ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY.

GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING:ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGO DEVELOPS GRASSROOTS LEADERS TO LEAD CAMPAIGNS TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY. THROUGH OUR BASE-BUILDING PROGRAMS KINETIC, I SPEAK POWER, AND A JUST CHI, WE CENTER THE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY.KINETIC IS ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGOS CIVIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN CHICAGO. THROUGH KINETIC WE BUILD A COMMUNITY FOR, AND INCREASE THE VISIBILITY OF ASIAN AMERICAN AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS IN CHICAGO.I SPEAK POWER CULTIVATES GRASSROOTS LEADERS THROUGH ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) CLASSES AT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN CHICAGO. THROUGH I SPEAK POWER, WE EMPOWERCOMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES AND BE LEADERS FOR CHANGE.A JUST CHI IS A COMMUNITY OF LEADERS WHO ARE ORGANIZING FOR RACIAL EQUITY. ANYONE CAN JOIN A JUST CHI TO MEET NEW PEOPLE AND GET INVOLVED WITH ONGOING CAMPAIGNS. THE GROUP MEETS MONTHLY AT THE ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGO OFFICE.

ADVANCING JUSTICE AFFILIATION:ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE IS A NATIONAL AFFILIATION OF FIVE LEADINGORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATING FOR THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND OTHERUNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY FOR ALL. THE AFFILIATION'S MEMBERS ARE: ADVANCING JUSTICE - ASIAN AMERICAN JUSTICE CENTER (WASHINGTON, D.C.), ADVANCING JUSTICE - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, ADVANCING JUSTICE - ATLANTA, ADVANCING JUSTICE - ASIAN LAW CAUCUS (SAN FRANCISCO), AND ADVANCING JUSTICE - CHICAGO. WE ENVISION A FAIR AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY FOR ALL THAT ENSURES CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ASIAN AMERICANS, PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE WILL WORK TOGETHERAS EQUAL AND INDEPENDENT PARTNERS UNDER ONE NAME, SPEAKING WITH ONE UNIFIED AND POWERFUL VOICETO PROMOTE JUSTICE, EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITIES, BRING LOCAL AND NATIONAL CONSTITUENTS TOGETHER, AND STRENGTHEN OUR MULTI-RACIAL DEMOCRACY.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:WE ORGANIZE OUR COMMUNITIES IN ILLINOIS AND ACROSS THE MIDWEST TO BE ENGAGED YEAR-ROUND IN ORDER TO GROW OUR POWER. WE GET OUT THE VOTE DURING ELECTION SEASONS, EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES ON ISSUES, AND MOBILIZE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WIN CAMPAIGNS.ELECTIONS ARE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE EXERCISE OUR POWER AS A COMMUNITY. WE CONDUCTSEASONAL GET OUT THE VOTE CAMPAIGNS WITH THE PAN-ASIAN VOTER EMPOWERMENT (PAVE) COALITION TO REGISTER, EDUCATE, AND ENGAGE THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND IMMIGRANTCOMMUNITIES TO SHOW UP AND DISPLAY OUR POWER ON ELECTION DAY.ASIAN AMERICAN AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES HAVE HISTORICALLY FACED BARRIERS THAT PREVENT PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS. WE PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES RIGHTS TO VOTE BY RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND DEPLOYING VOLUNTEER POLL MONITORS TO OVER 100 PRECINCTSEVERY ELECTION DAY TO ENSURE THAT VOTERS RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED.ASIAN AMERICANS FACE A UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES IN CHICAGO AND ACROSS THE STATE. WE EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES YEAR-ROUND ON ISSUES AND CURRENT EVENTS, PROMOTING ACTIONBEYOND ELECTION SEASON.EVERY YEAR, WE ORGANIZE A LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY DAY IN SPRINGFIELD WITH OUR PARTNERSIN THE PAVE COALITION. OVER 300 ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATE ANNUALLY TO RALLY AND MEET WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON ISSUESTHAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES.A COMPLETE CENSUS COUNT ENSURES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES GET THE RESOURCES AND REPRESENTATION THAT THEY DESERVE. HISTORICALLY, ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS ARE AMONG THOSE MOST LIKELY TO BE UNDERCOUNTED. IN THE 2020 DECENNIAL CENSUS, WE WILL BE WORKING TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES AND GET A COMPLETE COUNT OF AAPI COMMUNITIES IN ILLINOIS.