Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 10,000 incidents of violence and hostility against Asian Americans nationwide. But this is nothing new, as the history of violence and hostility towards Asians in this country dates back to their first arrival.

Asian Americans have never hesitated, however, to fight for their legal rights, and they scored hard-fought victories in the courts while also suffering heart-breaking losses. These cases raised issues that were—and still are—important to all Americans.

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

Although Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (“AAPIs”) are the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the country, the Asian American story is missing in history and the classroom. The new Center on Asian Americans and the Law will make a real difference at a critical time.

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.

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

Washing Machine Ad (1886)

Special Announcements

Dedication: Center on Asian Americans and the Law
Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States of America