Spring 2026
NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER
From the Desk of our New CEO, DAHNI Tsuboi
Greetings, partners and fellow advocates,
For over four decades, AJSOCAL has been a cornerstone of the AAPI movement — fighting for equity, calling for justice, and proving that organized communities transform lives. I am humbled to serve as a steward of that legacy, and I write to you not simply to introduce myself, but to recommit this organization to the work we share.
We are in a moment of historic reckoning. The chaos and hatred rising across our country are real, and so is our resistance. Every attack on our rights is a reminder of our collective power. The AAPI community has always met oppression with dignity and strength. We are the children and grandchildren of farmworkers, garment workers, and civil rights fighters who leveraged their power not just for themselves, but for generations they would never meet. That inheritance is ours to honor and to build upon.
AJSOCAL’s mission is clear: to make AAPI lives better. That means standing with families navigating threats from ICE, fighting to ensure that limited-English speakers can fully participate in civic life, and showing up wherever our community needs us most. But no organization does this work alone. Our power grows in direct proportion to our connections — with you.
My vision for leadership is simple: walk the talk. Organizations earn trust not through words, but through decisions that reflect their values. AJSOCAL will be present, accountable, and in genuine partnership with the communities and allies we serve.
Many of you are already supporting this vital work. We see you, and we are grateful. To those still finding their footing, we invite you in. There is a place for you in this movement.
Together, our voice is louder. Our fight is fiercer. And the time is now.
In solidarity,
Dahni Tsuboi
Chief Executive Officer
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Make It Clear: AJSOCAL Stands for Trans Healthcare
On February 17, AJSOCAL and our AAPI Queer Joy partners, Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC) and Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), submitted a public comment opposing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’s new rule that would stop Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals that provide gender affirming care to children. Our public comment strongly rebuked the ruling, which creates an overly narrow definition of “necessary” procedures.
We wanted the community to know that, not only does this definition essentially violate a patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions, but this new rule essentially eliminates Transgender children’s right to receive gender-affirming medical care. Amidst these horrendous actions, AJSOCAL and our AAPI Queer Joy partners are committed to continuing our advocacy in support of and for the protection of our QTAPI and larger LGBTQ+ community.
To learn more about how this new interpretation will affect life-saving care for Trans youth, read the statement from our QTAPI Policy team and Health Access Program here.
A CLIENT STORY
The Los Angeles Times covered a victory by our Impact Litigation and Asian Language Legal Intake Project (ALLIP) / Helpline teams! Our Impact Litigation Attorney, Catherine Hwang, was featured in an article about our long-term lawsuit on behalf of senior citizens experiencing harassment from the owners of a 16-floor building in Los Angeles’ Chinatown.
Despite receiving federal subsidies to provide safe housing for low-income seniors, the owners and managers of Cathay Manor engaged in a years-long pattern of abusive behavior; for instance, when the elevators broke down, the owners refused repairs, so elderly tenants were stranded in units or forced to trudge down dark, unlit staircases.
In partnership with Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles (NLSLA), AJSOCAL sued, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development launched an investigation into the nonprofit that owns the building. We’re also proud of the crucial role our helpline team played in translating Taishanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and other languages for the tenants, a majority of whom were Chinese immigrants.
Thanks to the tireless and culturally competent work of our Impact Litigation Unit and ALLIP team, the lawsuit ended with a successful settlement for over 200 low-income tenants. The federal HUD investigation also resulted in a $1.5-million fine for the owners and a requirement that they sell the building, which they did in 2023.
Photo by (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Read the article here.
Did You Know?
There’s so much we can achieve in a year. Take a look at how many community members AJSOCAL was able to serve in 2025.
We Rise and Resist Through Policy
We just unveiled our 2026 legislative package, Rise and Resist, comprising four bills designed to address the attacks on immigrants, cuts to language support and housing, and increasing surveillance on Californians.
AB 322 – California Location Privacy Act (Asm. Ward)
Protects Californians from having their movements tracked and sold, especially when visiting sensitive locations such as protests, domestic violence shelters, legal service centers, and reproductive health clinics, without a judicial warrant.
AB 1542 – California Sensitive Data Privacy Act (Asm. Ward)
AB 1542 prohibits businesses from selling or sharing sensitive personal information so it can’t be used by immigration enforcement to facilitate raids, or be exploited for financial fraud, retailers for predatory pricing, or government agencies for surveillance.
AB 2332 – Dual Language Immersion Coordinator (Asm. González)
This bill establishes a Dual Language Immersion Coordinator at the California Department of Education to facilitate collaboration among school districts seeking to start or expand dual language immersion programs.
SB 1243 – Tenant Protections for Immigrant Families (Sen. Durazo)
SB 1243 creates an affirmative defense in the eviction process for tenants who have been negatively affected by immigration enforcement and are at risk of losing their housing.
For more information about AJSOCAL’s legislative priorities, visit: ajsocal.org/advocacy.
Impact Lit Renews Its Fire
Most legal aid organizations help one client at a time. In addition to taking on individual clients, our Impact Litigation Unit (ILU) also files lawsuits designed to change the rules themselves, so that the next community member facing the same problems is doing so under more favorable conditions.
With a new Litigation Director, Sean F. Bigley, and a growing team, the ILU is expanding on multiple fronts. We’re filing habeas corpus petitions using the centuries-old legal tool for challenging unlawful detention on behalf of immigrant Californians held in ICE detention. We successfully piloted an election monitoring program during the 2025 Orange County special election, deploying trained volunteers to voting centers to watch for civil rights and language access violations. We are now scaling that program to cover Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino Counties for the 2026 midterms.
We also filed an amicus brief in the Central District Court of California in support of the State of California’s position in United States v. California, defending SB 627 (the No Secret Police Act) and SB 805 (the No Vigilantes Act).
And we’re continuing our core work fighting exploitation and discrimination in employment, trafficking, and other civil rights areas, and expanding our work to add expertise in the defense of elders against financial abuse.
In a volatile moment, we’re not just reacting. We’re building the legal infrastructure to move fast when it matters most.
“We’re building something that didn’t exist before. The ILU is developing the capacity to file a habeas petition for someone detained this morning, or an emergency writ if someone’s voting rights are violated this afternoon. Impact Litigation means having the infrastructure ready before the crisis hits, so we can act when it counts.” – Sean F. Bigley, Director of Litigation.
Did you know? AJSOCAL is eligible for cy pres funding, the receipt of settlement and judgment funds from class action lawsuits directed to organizations whose missions serve the same affected communities.
To learn more about nominating AJSOCAL for cy pres awards, click here or contact Sean F. Bigley, Director of Litigation, by emailing litigation@ajsocal.org or calling (213) 977-7500.
See What’s Happening in OC
Vietnamese-American Networking Luncheon
On March 4, our Orange County office held a long-awaited Networking Luncheon for Vietnamese-American Human Service Providers. We were incredibly grateful that so many organizations joined this space and strategized with us on how to serve one of the biggest API communities in Orange County. Over 35 attendees joined from across the non-profit sector, including St. Jude Medical Center, OC Caregiver Resource Center, Santa Ana Community College, Congressman Derek Tran’s Office, Orange County Clerk Agency, Cal Optima, UC Irvine, Boat People SOS (BPSOS), and more. Best of all was hearing the positive feedback: two of our OC staffers were even given personal shoutouts by happy clients!
Great American Write-In
And we can’t forget about our participation in the Great American Write-In, a free community event designed to empower citizens to influence policy by writing hundreds of letters and postcards to legislators; over 400 constituents advocated for various issues, and it was a great opportunity for AJSOCAL to collaborate with our valued partner organizations and educate elected officials on our state budget priorities for 2026.
Korean Resource Fair
Plus, we also attended the Korean Resource Fair in Buena Park, where AJSOCAL engaged with over 250 majority-senior attendees from Orange County’s Korean community. Community members were able to connect with various resources such as healthcare options, counseling services, legal/immigration services, social support programs, and receive free rice provided by a local food distribution program.
AJSOCAL Public Affairs Mixer
To top it all, our OC office held a successful mixer in March at the local Anaheim brewery Noble Ale Works. Staffers from Orange County organizations and advocates had a blast talking policy and community work over craft beers and snacks. So make sure to join us for the next one!
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Spotlighting Sacramento
Rising Icon Award
We want to highlight our remarkable Sacramento Policy Advocate, Lan Le, who was honored by the Capitol Queer Association with a Rising Icon Award at their Power in Pride event!
Just this year, Lan advocated for AJSOCAL’s two data privacy bills, AB 322 and AB 1542 at Assemblymember Christopher M. Ward’s press conference, was a featured panelist at a legislative briefing focused on data privacy, and advanced our bills as priorities within major coalitions such as Stronger CA, Dream Alliance, End Child Poverty, and California Coalition for Worker Power, and more.
9th Annual Civil Legal Aid Day
Then in February, Lan and our Housing Program director, Eric Daco, joined the Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) for its 9th Annual Civil Legal Aid Day to advocate for increasing state funding for legal aid. It’s crucial that organizations like AJSOCAL help protect programs like legal aid, an important social safety net that allows low-income Californians to get representation for legal issues like housing, consumer, disability, disasters, employment, public benefits, and more.
Equality California’s Advocacy Day
Later this March, Lan and Jeff Deguia, our LA Regional Policy Advocate, led the AAPI Queer Joy Coalition at Equality California’s Advocacy Day, where over 350+ attendees participated in legislative visits to educate legislators and staff on how their policy proposals specifically impact the LGBTQIA+ community. We’re so proud to have staffers like Lan push for policies rooted in justice and equity for all!
Events and Announcements
Lunar New Year Done Fabulously
We believe that joy is an act of resistance, so we had a blast partnering with the oldest LGBTQIA+ Magazine in Los Angeles, the LA Blade, with a Lunar New Year mixer at the historic The Abbey West Hollywood. After discussing the future of Queer Trans Asian Pacific Islander (QTAPI) advocacy with our community partners, the night gave way to a fabulous singles mixer led by the charismatic Chi Chi Charlas and Best Man Matchmaking. The mixer was also in celebration of LA Blade’s profile on how QTAPI advocates put a Pride Month spin on their Lunar New Year Celebrations.
Step Up for Lunar New Year Pride
As a part of a contingency with Asian Rainbow Collective, AJSOCAL also marched with hundreds of QTAPI champions and allies at the DTLA Chinatown Lunar New Year parade. For many of our staffers, the event was a beautiful way to share their QTAPI pride and allyship with their family while showing their love, support, and advocacy for the next generation.
AJSOCAL Celebrates Tet
Tet, which signals the arrival of Spring, is celebrated by hundreds of thousands in Southern California. So, of course, AJSOCAL represented! We tabled for the City of Santa Ana’s Tet, which was graced by over 2,000 attendees!
Amidst the bright colors, flowers, and amazing food, we were able to educate over 540 community members on the important services provided by AJSOCAL, many of whom were excited to hear we offered resources regarding healthcare, citizenship, and even housing protection.
BeCOME A GALA HERO
Please join us for our annual gala, one of the most highly anticipated events of awards season! Our annual gala is taking place on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, and will be attended by AAPI figures from across the legal, philanthropic, political, and arts worlds, but it can’t happen without funding and sponsorship from folks like you. This year, our 43rd Annual Gala is themed United in Action: Charging Forward, and we’re inviting our most staunch supporters to support an evening celebrating the work of changemakers and AAPI heroes.
To learn more about how to attend and sponsor our gala, click here.
Jade Jubilee
The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Queer Joy Coalition will be hosting its third annual Jade Jubilee in June! Our Jade Jubilee brings together community leaders, advocates, and legislators for an evening rooted in celebration and progress. So, keep a look out; we’re honoring the brilliance of queer and trans Asian & Pacific Islander (QTAPI) communities while uplifting our upcoming legislative bill package centered on our LGBTQIA+ friends and family.
See you there!
AAPIHM Celebration
Did you know May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM)? We’re ringing in the month with an AANHPI May Heritage Celebration in Sacramento! On May 4, we’re hosting elected officials, legislative staff, advocates, lobbyists, and community members to launch our Rise and Resist policy package for 2026. And to cap off the event, we’re highlighting the work of four luminaries in the legislative space for their commitment to AAPI equity. Previous honorees include Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi and Mao Yang, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens. Keep a look out for who this year’s honorees will be!
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HAP Back to School – Medical Legal Partnership
On March 11 and 16, our Health Access Program (HAP) team led two School-Based Medical Legal Partnership (SBMLP) trainings for the Garvey Elementary School District school nurses and home-school coordinators.
These crucial trainings prepped attendees on how AJSOCAL services can be utilized for the students and families of the immigrant-heavy school district. Connie Lo, the Health Access Program director, reflected on the impact of these MLPs:
“We’re so grateful for the partnership with Garvey Elementary School District. Not only are they hosting AJSOCAL at their school-based health center, but they also brought together the nurses at each of their individual schools to make sure that everyone is aware of the critical legal services we’re making available to students, families, and community members.”
At AJSOCAL, we believe in joining communities in the heart of their neighborhoods, but more than anything, we’re moved by our school partners’ commitment to protecting the health and well-being of their students.
Our Health Access Program is holding a series of trainings, and we’re excited for the upcoming event on April 16, Storytelling for Advocacy, which is open to anyone interested in learning practical skills and communication strategies for driving action.
Register for the workshop here.
Here's How YOU Can Help
It’s time to change how we think tax season; because it’s not just a chore, it’s an opportunity to use your capital for supporting the issues that truly matter to you. Here’s how you can use your taxes to contribute to our organization:
DONOR ADVISED FUND (DAF)
Do you want a simple, tax-savvy way to support causes you care about, like ours? DAFS are a great way to set aside funds with immediate tax benefits and recommend grants over time, giving when it feels right for you. AJSOCAL is proud to be a DAF-eligible nonprofit, and your contribution through a DAF helps us keep fighting for immigrant justice and AAPI communities at a pace and amount that works for you.
If you already have a DAF set up, consider recommending a grant to AJSOCAL it’s a meaningful way to put your fund to work for social justice and AAPI communities.
Appreciated Assets
Did you know you can support AJSOCAL by donating appreciated assets like stocks or IRA distributions?
It’s a smart, tax-efficient way to give, often allowing you to avoid capital gains taxes while making a bigger impact. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to give without tapping into your cash flow, this could be the perfect option.
DONATE ONLINE
Donate directly online here. Your financial contributions enable us to continue advocating for immigrant rights and protecting AAPI communities.
$1,000 covers legal services for one domestic violence victim to secure a restraining order against their abuser. $2,500 pays for 10 limited English speakers who call our helpline needing legal help. $10,000 covers the legal defense to take one unlawful eviction defense case to trial to ensure a family does not end up homeless. Many employers match donations—double your impact!
Mail In a Check
Nothing feels better than writing a check out by hand to a cause you care about. Make a tactile donation by mailing in check to:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Attn: Development
1145 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Please make checks payable to “Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California”
PLANNED GIVING
You can donate through a Will or Charitable Estate Plan and help reduce the taxable value of your estate, allowing you to support a cause you care about, while taking care your loved ones.
LEGACY GIFTS
Did you know you can donate to AJSOCAL through your retirement plan? Consider leaving a legacy gift that costs you nothing, and allow your heirs to avoid double taxation.
If you’d like more information about ways to give or need assistance making a donation, feel free to reach out to us at jhu@ajsocal.org call at 213-977-7500 x231.
Donate today and help ensure that justice remains a priority for all.
Contact Us
For more information about our programs, volunteering opportunities, or ways to donate, please visit our website at AJSOCAL.org or follow us on social media. We are always looking for community members and allies eager to make a difference. Get in touch, and let’s make progress together.
Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to justice.
Together, we are stronger.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
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