Established in 1974, Asian Americans for Equality, Inc. (AAFE) is a community based, not-for-profit organization committed to community service and empowerment targeting immigrants, low-income families and minorities throughout New York City. AAFE’s mission is to advance the rights of Asian Americans and all those in need through advocacy in access in civil rights, immigrant assistance, social services, affordable housing, and economic development; to empower our communities through research and publishing that embody our issues and concerns; and to foster understanding and unity among diverse communities through building coalitions and forming collaborations.
Asian Media Watch is a not-for-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting a diverse, fair, and balanced portrayal of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA’s) in the media and entertainment industry. We provide news about APIA media portrayals including our on-going effort to monitor television and film for offensive or controversial content, campaign against offensive programming, and promote better APIA media representation. Our objectives are to raise awareness of negative APIA media portrayals, facilitate the open debate and timely response to the broadcast of offensive content, and work proactively to encourage more diverse roles for APIA’s.
In 1979, a group of Chinese restaurant workers and a couple of workers from other industries came together and founded the Chinese Staff & Workers’ Association (CSWA). Unlike unions, which are often single-trade or narrowly defined as an “employees” organization, CSWA started with mostly male, restaurant workers, but rapidly expanded to include garment and construction workers, caregivers, disabled workers, retirees, and youth. Today CSWA has a membership of over 1,300 workers from various trades and ages, injured and non-injured, documented and undocumented and a leadership composed primarily of women. We have two centers, one in Manhattan’s Chinatown the other in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park Chinatown. CSWA is the first contemporary workers’ center bringing together workers across trades to fight for change in the workplace as well as in the community-at-large.
MISSION STATEMENT: The Korean American League for Civic Action (KALCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan, education and community advocacy organization. KALCA is dedicated to promoting the civic participation of Korean Americans and Asian Pacific Americans. KALCA seeks to promote active participation of the Korean and Asian American communities in the civic process; to educate community members about their rights, duties and responsibilities as American citizens; and to encourage community members to contribute to the broader American society. KALCA strives to accomplish its goals through leadership development, educationand advocacy programs on behalf of the community.