APALRC 11th Anniversary Celebration

APALRC board, staff, volunteers, and supporters came together on October 21, 2009 to celebrate the APALRC’s 11th Anniversary at the Equality Center in Washington, D.C.

In her opening remarks, APALRC Board Chair Mytrang Nguyen quoted Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, to illustrate the difficulties of an immigrant life  by comparing the language and cultural barriers to the walls of a maze by which one’s freedom is greatly limited.  She highlighted the importance of legal assistance for those who face life-altering legal matters and thanked supporters for their contributions to building a community that creates real freedom for all. 

Les Jin , Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, reaffirmed the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to “upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”  He also commended pro bono attorneys and bilingual law student volunteers for their dedication to assisting low-income, limited-English proficient Asian immigrant families with various legal matters through their work with APALRC.    

Kalpen Modi, Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, said that there is “no magic light switch” and emphasized the key to resolving issues facing the Asian Pacific Islander communities is through public engagement and open dialogues.

During an award ceremony, APALRC recognized the Wah Luck House 800 6th Street Tenants Association with the “Community Leadership Award” for its exceptional efforts in addressing the tenants’ collective concerns and empowering others within the community.  APALRC also honored Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher&Flom LLP with the “Pro Bono Service Award” for their exemplary commitment to public service and Sunil Mansukhani, Esq. with the “Outstanding Service Award” for his tireless guidance, support and encouragement over the past ten years on the APALRC board.