About the Center
Massacre of Chinese at Rock Springs, Wyoming, in Harper's Weekly (1885)
Washing Machine Ad (1886)
Mochida Family awaiting evacuation, Dorothea Lange, National Archives (1942)
The Center on Asian Americans and the Law at Fordham Law School is a first-of-its kind-institution — an academic center at a law school devoted to Asian American legal studies. The Center was established in 2022 partly in response to the violence and hostility against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 11,000 “hate incidents” were reported against AAPIs during the pandemic, and anti-Asian violence remains three times higher than pre-pandemic averages. In truth, however, hostility towards Asian Americans is nothing new, but dates back to their first arrival in this country.
Despite their small numbers and limited resources — early litigants included laborers, laundrymen, cooks, grocers, and women suspected of being prostitutes — Asian Americans were not afraid to fight for their legal rights and many of their cases reached the United States Supreme Court. The lawsuits they brought and the arguments they made raised issues that were — and still are — important to everyone. Yet, the Asian American story is largely missing from the history books and classrooms.
The Center was founded to share the Asian American story, to encourage learning about this important part of American history, and to foster dialogue and understanding about the issues presented.
We invite you to join us and support the Center’s mission.