Come again? Professor Liu has an impressive academic and legal background and has demonstrated that he supports a constitutional right to privacy.  And, his background is an inspiring story for all Asian Pacific Americans.  If confirmed, Professor Liu would be the only Asian or Pacific Islander among the 25 active federal appellate court judges in the Ninth Circuit. That statistic is particularly troubling given that over 12% of the population of the Ninth Circuit is API.  We need more judges like Professor Liu on the federal court! Click here to read more about Professor Liu’s background and qualifications.

Join NAPAWF and NARAL in urging your Senator to confirm Professor Liu.

“This bill is an unacceptable endorsement of unconstitutional racial profiling by the government, and threatens to tear apart immigrant families in Arizona,” said Miriam Yeung, Executive Director of NAPAWF.  NAPAWF condemns the passage of this bill and expresses deep concern that the momentum from anti-immigrant forces may cause similar bills to pass across the country, putting more and more immigrant families and communities at risk.  This new law serves as a stark reminder that comprehensive immigration reform is badly needed at the federal level to ensure that immigrants have access to a fair and just path to citizenship.

What can you do?

• Sign this petition, circulated by Reform Immigration For America, asking that the President and Congress enact comprehensive immigration reform to ensure that the rest of the nation does not follow Arizona’s harmful precedent.
• Contact Arizona Governor Jan Brewer with the following message: “I am outraged that you signed SB 1070. This law legalizes discrimination and racial profiling by law enforcement.  I ask that this law be rescinded immediately.” Her office can be reached at (602) 542-4331 or azgov@az.gov.
• Participate in a May Day rally near you.  Click here to find a rally near you.
• Write your Senator urging him or her to prioritize comprehensive immigration reform today! If you need help with a sample letter, let us know.

In solidarity,
NAPAWF

Washington, DC – In late February, President Obama nominated Goodwin Liu to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Liu, currently a professor at the University of California – Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, would be the youngest judge on the court by 16 years, if confirmed by the Senate.   He would also be the only Asian American among the 175 federal appellate judges to serve on any of the Courts of Appeals.

Professor Liu’s confirmation is especially important to the Asian Pacific American community because there are currently no Asian Pacific American judges among the approximately 175 active federal appellate court judges nationwide.  Professor Liu is the second Asian Pacific American nominated to the federal appellate courts by President Obama, who earlier nominated Judge Denny Chin for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.  If confirmed, Professor Liu would be the only Asian Pacific American among the 25 active federal appellate court judges in the Ninth Circuit. That statistic is particularly troubling given that over 12% of the population of the Ninth Circuit is Asian Pacific American.  Moreover, it has been over five years since there has been an active Asian Pacific American federal appellate court judge and only four Asian Pacific Americans have ever served as federal appellate court judges.

Professor Liu’s background is an inspiring story for all Asian Pacific Americans.  He was born in Augusta, Georgia, to Taiwanese doctors recruited to work in the United States by American medical institutions seeking assistance in serving underserved areas.  Living in Georgia and then Florida in the late 1960s and early to mid-1970s, Professor Liu did not learn to speak English until kindergarten because his parents worried that he and his brother would acquire an accent if they were taught at home.

Finally, Professor Liu has demonstrated his respect for the right to privacy and a woman’s right to choose in a prominent recent publication, Keeping Faith with the Constitution, which is in line with NAPAWF’s values and mission to advance and achieve reproductive justice for Asian Pacific Islander women and girls.

NAPAWF strongly supports this nomination and urge senators to give Prof. Liu a fair hearing. Based on his public service, and his long and illustrious record protecting civil rights, Goodwin Liu is highly qualified to serve on the Ninth Circuit.

As you know, we did not win every battle.  We are disappointed in the treatment of immigrants and abortion access in the final bill.  We know the bill wasn’t perfect, and we will continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform, as well as reproductive justice, for API women and girls.

The good news is, we are politically stronger now than we were before these battles.  And, the API women and girls among the 32million who will now have access to health insurance that covers preventative care are also healthier! Thanks for helping us get there.  All in all, this is truly a step forward in the movement for economic and social justice for API women and girls. We did it, but we’re not done.

In solidarity,

NAPAWF

Please contact Amanda (rjfellow@napawf.org) immediately if you want to be help NAPAWF be a voice on Dec. 2. We can help you come to DC, or make your voice heard in other parts of the country. There will also be actions all across the country.

Last month, President Obama signed an Executive Order reinstating the Initiative, which will work to “improve the quality of life and opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased access to, and participation in, federal programs in which they may be underserved.”  NAPAWF applauds the Obama Administration for appointing a fierce sister to lead this important effort.

For almost twenty years, Kiran Ahuja has dedicated herself to improving the lives of women of color in the U.S.  Well-known as a leader among national and grassroots Asian and Pacific Islander (API) and women’s rights organizations, Kiran served as the founding Executive Director of NAPAWF from 2003-2008.  Through her leadership, Kiran built NAPAWF from an all-volunteer organization to one with a paid professional staff who continue to spearhead successful policy and education initiatives, and expanded NAPAWF’s volunteer chapters and membership across the country.

Kiran grew up in Savannah, Georgia, where her understanding of race, gender and ethnicity was formed as a young Indian immigrant. She attended Spelman College and worked for Georgia’s first African American Congresswoman since the Reconstruction. She attended law school at the University of Georgia, and was chosen as one of five Honors Program trial attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, where she litigated education-related discrimination cases and filed the Department’s first peer-on-peer student racial harassment lawsuit. In addition, she participated in the Division’s National Origin Working Group as part of a core group of attorneys who organized response efforts for the Division after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Congratulations, Kiran!