History & the Law: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Context

The rise in violence against the AAPI community, largely ignited by racist and xenophobic rhetoric amid COVID-19 and punctuated by the Atlanta massacre, has placed the issue of anti-Asian violence at the forefront but the issue of anti-Asian hate is not new. Since the first Asian immigrants arrived on American shores in the late eighteenth century, Asians in America have contributed to the fabric of America while also surviving repeated oppositions to citizenship and legalized violence. This program will explore the history of Asian progress in America, including the creation of “Asian” as a racial construct, the history of scapegoating Asian communities, and the legal approaches used to justify exclusion and violence.

Speakers:
- Lorraine Bannai – Director, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, Seattle University School of Law; Professor of Lawyering Skills, Seattle University School of Law
- Deepa Iyer – Strategic Advisor, Building Movement Project; Director, Solidarity Is
- Tim Ma – Co-Founder, Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate; Chef, Lucky Danger
- John C. Yang – President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Moderator:
- Paul Igasaki – Former Chair, ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice

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Register HERE: bit.ly/3xLrj66