WHEREAS, Asian Americans United (AAU) was founded in 1985 by a small group of volunteers seeking to create an organized response to rising issues of anti-Asian violence, substandard housing for non-English speaking Asians in the city; and
WHEREAS, For four decades, AAU has worked in Philadelphia’s Asian American communities and in broader multiracial coalitions around quality education, youth leadership, and anti-Asian violence, immigrant rights, neighborhood development, and folk arts and cultural preservation; and
WHEREAS, Across all of AAU’s programs, six core values shape its mission and its relationship and understanding with the communities it serves: value each other, safety, inclusion, cooperation, integrity, and courage; and
WHEREAS, Since its beginning, AAU has championed many wins not only for the Asian American community, but multiracial communities City wide, such as initiated a lawsuit that resulted in the hiring of Asian bilingual staff and structuring of services for English Language Learners, created the annual Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival, founded the Chinatown Vote, and organized students across the city to fight the 1995 SEPTA student fare hike; helped build a community garden for elderly Chinatown residents; and
WHEREAS, AAU advocates for the needs of immigrant, refugee, and non-English speaking students and their families. There current focus areas include, immigrant rights, community resistance, language access especially in the School District of Philadelphia, neighborhood development, and building bridges across racial divides in the broader Philadelphia community; and
WHEREAS, The right to culture is a fundamental human right, yet it is a right that people in immigrant and refugee communities have to struggle to maintain. The AAU’s years of organizing work has taught us that for our children to have roots, for our families to have a feeling of community, and for our elderly to embrace memories and discover the power of passing on traditions; and
WHEREAS, As Asian Americans Untied (AAU) celebrates it 40th Anniversary, the City of Philadelphia proudly recognizes the organization’s four decades of unwavering dedication to advancing social justice, empowering Asian American communities, and fostering cross-cultural understanding that enriches the city’s vibrant diversity; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby celebrates the 40th anniversary of Asian Americans United (AAU) in the City of Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED,
That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to the Asian Americans United (AAU) as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
End