Asian Law Caucus

Our Mission

The mission of Asian Law Caucus (ALC) is to promote, advance, and represent the legal and civil rights of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Our Vision

Our vision is a democratic society where race, immigration status, and class are not barriers to full and equal participation in American life. Our approach to social change integrates legal services and grassroots empowerment with policy advocacy, impact litigation, and strategic communications. In our fight for immigrant justice, economic security, and an inclusive democracy, we work in six interconnected areas: Community Safety, Housing Rights, Immigrant Rights, National Security & Civil Rights, Voting rights, and Workers’ Rights. This holistic approach allows our staff to address overlapping issues, challenges, and communities through the same organization.

Our History

Founded in Oakland in1972, Asian Law Caucus is the nation's first civil rights and legal nonprofit promoting the civil and human rights of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. One of our earliest cases was Chann v. Scott, a class action lawsuit against the San Francisco Police Department on behalf of Chinese youth who were routinely targeted in police sweeps through Chinatown.1979 Protest. Photo credit Asian Law Caucus. Our lawsuit successfully ended these racially discriminatory dragnets and spurred community activists and lawyers to form the Asian Law Caucus as a nonprofit legal organization.

In early 1983, we pursued one of our most crucial civil rights challenges. With newly discovered evidence pointing to egregious government misconduct during World War II, our attorneys and pro bono lawyers petitioned the federal courts to overturn the wartime conviction of Fred Korematsu for defying orders for those of Japanese ancestry to report to a relocation center. The eventual success of Mr. Korematsu’s case and the reversal of his conviction paved the way for the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, leading to redress and reparations for 82,219 Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II.

Our Impact

Our communities face challenges that are reminiscent of those that were the impetus for the creation of ALC 52 years ago such as increasing economic inequity, discrimination based on national origin or language ability, and the threat of deportation of community members who have lived in California for decades. 

In 2023, we:

1. Fought against racial profiling and discriminatory targeting by county officials for over 4000 Hmong residents in Siskiyou County
2. Helped pass statewide legislation that will improve redistricting for low-income communities in in every city, county, and school district in California
3. Advocated for deportation protection for over 8000 Southeast Asian refugees 
4. Anchored the Asian American Leaders Table, bringing together over 70 organizations across the country to build power and respond to racial injustice
5. Opened a legal clinic for Bay Area victims and survivors of hate-motivated violence

Measure W in Oakland, CA. Photo credit to Bay Rising.