Asian Pacific Islander Justice Coalition

This page is for APIJC member organizations that do not yet have a website.

The Asian Pacific Islander Justice Coalition of the Silicon Valley (APIJC) signed on to a letter sent today by Vietnamese American attorneys to Tan Nguyen, a Vietnamese American candidate for Congress in Orange County, denouncing a letter sent by that candidate’s campaign. They joined a growing chorus of Latino and Asian Pacific American organizations, calling for a federal investigation into the matter.

According to news reports, the campaign sent the letter to as many as 14,000 people in the district. The letter stated that it was a crime for those in the country illegally or immigrants to vote in a federal election and that an offense could result in jail time or deportation. The letter also told of a federal government computer system that could verify voter names, and that anti-immigration organizations could access the records in that system. Nguyen has denied any personal involvement in the letter.

In its letter, the group of Vietnamese American attorneys expressed outrage and disappointment at the campaign. “It is important for Vietnamese Americans, and all communities whether Asian American, African American or Latino, to take a stand against such a racist and ignorant act. Those who are responsible should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Thanh Ngo, Vice-President of the Asian Pacific Bar Association of the Silicon Valley and founding member of APIJC. “We need to encourage people to participate in the democratic process — not intimidate them with misinformation and threats,” Ngo urged.

Teri T. Pham, President of the Asian/Pacific Bar Association of California, added: “We hope that those eligible to vote will be not discouraged by these events. We encourage everyone to vote in the upcoming and future elections.”

By signing on to the letter, APIJC, along with other groups, sought to show solidarity with the Latino community and immigrant communities who have been historically victimized by these intimidation tactics. Steve Ngo, a civil rights attorney in San Francisco, stressed: “Our common values and experiences are far more important than the unscrupulous ambition of one person or one campaign.”

The Asian Pacific Islander Justice Coalition of the Silicon Valley (APIJC) is a newly formed coalition of organizations whose mission is to advocate for social justice and unite and empower the Asian Pacific Islander community. Members who have signed on to the letters include:

* Asian Americans for Community Involvement
* Asian American Recovery Services
* Asian Law Alliance
* Asian Pacific Bar Association of the Silicon Valley
* Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute
* Organization of Chinese Americans - Silicon Valley

The complete list of signatories to the letter includes the following:

INDIVIDUALS
Minh T. Hoang, Esq., Board Member, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California
Hong Le, Esq., Member, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area*
Steve Ngo, Esq., Board Member, Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans
Thanh Ngo, Esq., President-Elect, Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley
Ann A. Nguyen, Esq., Board Member, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California
Cindy Nguyen, Esq., Board Member, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California
Teri T. Pham, Esq., President, Asian/Pacific Bar of California
Lynn Phan, Esq., Member, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area*
Duy Thai, Esq., Past President, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California
Johnny Tran, Esq., Board Member, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County*
Rebecca Tran, Esq., Board Member, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California
Andrew Vu, Esq., Past President, Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
Asian/Pacific Bar of California
Asian Pacific Islander Justice Coalition of the Silicon Valley
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans:
Henry Der, Former State Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction*
Tessie Guillermo, Former Commissioner, White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders*
Carole Hayashino, Trustee, Marin Community College District*
Keith Kamisugi, Secretary, Board of Trustees, Chinese for Affirmative Action*
Yvonne Lee, Former Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights*
Dale Minami, Chair, Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans
Steve Ngo, Civil Rights Attorney
Dale Shimasaki, Education Consultant
Maeley Tom, President, California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Institute*
Mark Morodomi, Attorney
Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California

*Note: affiliations of individuals are for identification only and do not imply endorsement by the organization