Harvard students & long-time civil rights advocates receive Courage Awards

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Courage Award recipients, from left, Paul Lee, Karen Korematsu, Karen Narasaki, Sally Chen and Jang Lee.

Harvard students who supported affirmative action in the school's admission policies assures that Asian Americans will have champions in the next generation of civil rights advocates.

The students were among the individuals honored over the weekend in ceremonies in Washington DC with the American Courage Awards from the Advancing Justice | AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC). 

The students, represented by Sally Chen and Jang Lee, were joined by AAJC president and executive director Karen Narasaki; former long-time Goodwin Procter LLP Partner Paul Lee; and Fred T. Korematsu Institute founder and executive director Karen Korematsu.

The American Courage Awards is an annual event honoring individuals, groups, or corporations for their extraordinary commitment to the cause of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) civil and human rights.

Along with their fellow Harvard student advocates, Lee and Chen testified in federal court — sharing their personal experiences and emphasizing the importance of race in being able to share their whole stories. 

“These young advocates demonstrate that the next generation of Asian American leaders is ready to safeguard the rights of our communities and advance social justice,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Advancing Justice | AAJC. “From their testimony in the case to their interviews in the media, these students have illustrated how Asian Americans benefit from affirmative action and why we must care about this fight.” 

Korematsu was presented with the President’s Award for her leadership in the Asian American community. She is a civil rights advocate, educator, and public speaker. The daughter of the late civil rights activist, Fred Korematsu, She has dedicated her life to carrying her father’s legacy. In 2009, she established the Fred T. Korematsu Institute to advance racial equity, social justice and human rights for all. 

“Karen Korematsu is an undeniable icon in the community and her desire to make the world a better place for everybody is infectious,” said Yang, “Speaking up for the civil rights of Asian Americans courses through her bloodline and we are proud to applaud Karen as she continues her late father’s legacy.”

“Karen Korematsu is an undeniable icon in the community and her desire to make the world a better place for everybody is infectious,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Advancing Justice | AAJC. “Speaking up for the civil rights of Asian Americans courses through her bloodline and we are proud to applaud Karen as she continues her late father’s legacy.”

Lee "understands that lawyers have a special role in society, and that part of that role is to pay it forward,” said Yang.  “For Paul it is not only about personal giving, but also about inspiring others to join him in making sure that lawyers continue to give back to the community.”

“Karen Narasaki is a pioneer who grew Advancing Justice | AAJC into the powerhouse that it is today and we are proud to have the chance to say thank you as we honor her with the American Courage Award,” said Yang.  

“A part of Karen’s legacy is pushing organizations and individuals to do more for the communities that rely on them – a job she did so well as the president of Advancing Justice | AAJC - and she has been instrumental in creating the infrastructure for today’s Asian Pacific American advocacy landscape.”

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Labor organizer will receive AAAJ's Courage Award, Oct. 4

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Ai-Jen Poo was a guest of Mereyl Streep during the Golden Globes Awards.

AS SHE walked alongside Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes earlier this year, people kept asking, "Who is that woman?"

That was the first glimpse that most of America had of Ai-jen Poo, but it wasn't the last. Her presence at the awards underlined the impact of the #MeToo movement enregized by women in the entertainment industry who finally aligned themselves with working women less glamorous careers.

"Domestic workers, as some of the most at-risk and invisible workers in the nation, want to send a clear message: from the casting room to the kitchen, all women deserve dignity and safety where they work," said Poo that evening in Hollywood.

Poo will receive the 2018 American Courage Award from the Asian American Advancing Justice (AAAJ) during the organization's annual conference that will be held in Washington DC in October.

On October 4, AAJC will celebrate its annual American Courage Awards, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate individuals, groups, and corporations for their commitment and contributions to civil rights.

AAJC awards Poo the American Courage Award for her unwavering advocacy for marginalized individuals and families nationwide. Through her work with domestic workers, her voice in the #MeToo movement and other women’s movements, Poo continues to be an inspiration and voice for the community.

At her core, Poo is an organizer. Her accolades include being recognized as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and one of Fortune’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders as the result of her work in labor organizing.

Poo has been an active force of change for the AAPI community and other marginalized communities since her start in the 1990s at the New York Asian Women’s Center through her journey to organizing around ensuring basic labor protections for domestic workers in New York State. She then co-founded Domestic Workers United (DWU) in 2000, an organization critical in passing the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010, the first law in the United States to guarantee basic labor rights for domestic workers. Her work in New York was amplified when California passed a similar law and President Barack Obama expanded protections for home-care workers.

Currently, Poo operates as the Executive Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), an organization she co-founded in 2007, as well as the Co-Director of Caring Across Generations. The National Domestic Workers Alliance is now an affiliation of more than 60 organizations that works for the respect, recognition, and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers and has effectively organized towards guaranteeing rights for who are involved in domestic work. Since she co-created Caring Across Generations in 2011, the campaign has been working towards building a movement of all ages and backgrounds to transform the way we care about our aging and caregiving populations.

Recognized in 2012 by Gloria Steinem for her empathy and creative organizing tactics, Poo has made waves in the lives of multiple communities. In her book The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America, Poo exhibits her innovative new approaches to how society approaches old age. Her positive and inclusive approach of viewing the elder boom as an opportunity rather than an obstacle resulted in the book being lauded by the New York Times among many other positive reviews. The book, like Poo herself, ultimately aims to organize change for a better society.

For more information about the Asian American Advancing Justice conference and the American Courage Award, click here.

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