Dear ABAS Members,
Hard to believe we are almost a quarter through 2017! ABAS has had a busy four months. As many of you know, this year marked the 75th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the forced incarceration of many Japanese Americans and U.S. Citizens. ABAS was pleased to have had the opportunity to endorse and participate in “Never Again,” an event led by members of the Japanese, Muslim, and Buddhist-American communities, including our friends at the Florin Japanese American Citizens League, to honor the survivors of America’s World War II concentration camps, support innocent people in the Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and South Asian American communities, and urge unity among all Americans. ABAS is also very proud of past president Kara Ueda and Director at Large Teresa Chan for participating in the Operation Protect and Defend curriculum this year to educate high school students about Executive Order 9066 and opening a dialogue on its effect and impact on the different communities in America, both then and now. In March, ABAS joined in NAPABA’s statement condemning President Trump’s executive order suspending the entry of refugees and barring foreign nationals from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, and signed on to NAPABA’s amicus brief supporting Hawaii’s challenge to the revised executive order. ABAS was formed over 20 years ago with the purpose of, among other things, advocating for civil and human rights and promoting equitable treatment for all. We are glad that ABAS was able to join in the efforts to speak out against discrimination.
ABAS was also very involved in community events in the past few months. We celebrated the 15th Annual Lunar New Year Dinner with Asian Resources, Inc. in January. In February, we supported the Legal Services of Northern California’s Valentine’s Day run. We had several well-attended happy hours where we connected with old friends and made new ones. Our first Munch Bunch outing was a success. And all this was just in the first quarter! Please see below for a few pictures from those events, and read on to find out more about our upcoming events.
We are excited that ABAS has gotten off to such a great start this year. Of course, this would not be possible without the support of our wonderful Board and our members, and I am grateful for you all (and also for my seven-month old, Allison, for keeping her fuss to a minimum when I take her to ABAS events)! If you haven’t already, don’t forget to renew your ABAS membership (which expires at the end of every calendar year) at https://abassacramento.com/about-abas/join-abas/and join us as we continue to make this year memorable.
We look forward to seeing you at our future events!
Best Regards,
Sophia S. Kwan
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