Center on Asian Americans and the Law

Our Mission

Fordham’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law is a first-of-its-kind institution, with three core missions:

Civic education
Educating students, lawyers, and the public on legal issues of importance to AAPIs; 

Scholarship and AAPI legal studies
Establishing a national hub for research and scholarship on AAPI legal issues, including anti-Asian violence, affirmative action in education, the “Bamboo Ceiling” in employment, immigration and citizenship, and the myth of the model minority; and

Outreach and public advocacy
Generating interest in AAPI legal issues by reaching out to law firms, corporations, government, non-profit institutions, and the public, and by collaborating with others to advance the cause of justice for the AAPI community and society in general.

Massacre of Chinese at Rock Springs, Wyoming 240x240
Massacre of Chinese at Rock Springs, Wyoming, in Harper's Weekly (1885)

Washing Machine Advert (1886) 240x240
Washing Machine Ad (1886)

Mochida Family awaiting evacuation, Dorothea Lange, National Archives (1942) 240x240
Mochida Family awaiting evacuation, Dorothea Lange, National Archives (1942)

Projects and Programs

  • Reenactments of historic cases
  • Lectures and speaker panels
  • Creation of digital repository for primary research materials
  • Courses and scholarship on Asian Americans and the Law
  • Student activities and support, including lunchtime discussions, moot court, and assistance with internships and employment
  • Creation of e-casebook
  • Coordinating with other organizations to address issues of concern, including anti-Asian violence