President’s Message on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11

September 11, 2026 – Those moments of 9/11 still linger in collective memory, and indeed we “never forget.” Today we remember how we as a Nation united and faced the horrendous tragedies of those vicious attacks by extremist terrorist groups. We were scarred; yet we continued to heal, with an ointment of hope and a prescription of faith in this country we love.

We remember the innocent lives lost. We hold their families in our hearts.

We honor the valor of the heroes who answered the call — firefighters, law enforcement, and volunteers from all walks of life. You remind us that we as a Nation is stronger when we work together bounded in principles of our good humanity.

Twenty-five years later, the grief remains, but so does the light of the brave souls who showed extraordinary courage in our darkest hour.

One of them is Betty Ong, a Chinese American who grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Her friends said she could have been a model but chose to be a flight attendant to travel and see the world. She was in American Airlines Flight 11, hoping to head home and join her sister for a Hawaiian vacation. But alas, on that morning of 9/11, she called the American Airlines desk, identified herself as No. 3, and reported that their plane was hijacked, two passengers have been stabbed, they had no communication with the cockpit, and mace was in the air. She watched the hijackers and identified their seat numbers. She did all these with calm and poise. Twenty three minutes later, the call ended. The plane was the first to crash in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. She and all on board instantly died. Her call led to the first ever closure of the national airspace, which many say saved countless lives. Years later, a recreational center in San Francisco has been named after her–an inspirational legacy of a regular Chinatown girl who became a national hero.

No words will ever capture the inner feelings we harbor from that fateful day. Yet we know them and we share them and together we will always remember.

In solidarity,
Emmanuel

Sign Up for the 2026 ABAS Mentorship Program

Sign up for the 2026 ABAS Mentorship Program by April 10, 2026.  Click this link to become a mentor/mentee.

ABAS Statement on Recent Events Involving ICE

February 9, 2026 – The Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento (ABAS) steadfastly values the principles of equality, fairness, and due process.  We condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s use of violence to instill fear and deprive individuals of their fundamental rights.  ABAS stands in solidarity with all impacted communities and will continue to advocate for justice and the rule of law.  Together, we will not be silenced.

Following these developments, we:

  • Support Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom’s online portal for the public to report potentially unlawful activity by federal agents and officers across the state: https://oag.ca.gov/reportmisconduct.
  • Continue to host Know-Your-Rights sessions to educate the public and local organizations about the constitutional rights we all share, regardless of immigration status.

Below are some helpful resource links:

 

Past ABAS President The Honorable Danette “Dee” Brown Installs 2026 ABAS President and Board of Directors

January 7, 2026 – The 2026 ABAS Board of Directors led by President Emmanuel Salazar took their oaths of office at the Citizen Hotel. Past ABAS President The Honorable Dee Brown of the Yolo County Superior Court administered the oath. Immediate Past President Kishwer Vikaas thanked all the support she received in the past year. Judge Brown congratulated the Board and urged them to continue helping the community to understand the law and access justice. In his installation speech President Salazar acknowledged the great honor to be elected as the 44th President of ABAS and laid out his goals during his tenure. Following the installation, ABAS hosted a networking mixer for members to meet the 2026 Officers and Directors, including President-Elect Patrice De Guzman Huber, Vice President Fay Saechao, Treasurer John Tan, Secretary Jennie Woo, and At-Large Directors Andrea Matsuoka, Grace Yoon, Katherine Zhao, and Jen-Ann Lee.

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Over 60 Organizations File Amicus Urging Courts to Heed Lessons of Japanese American Incarceration
June 3, 2025 – More than 60 Japanese American and Asian American organizations are joining Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equity in filing an amicus brief urging the court to fulfill their role in preserving the right to due process and ensuring meaningful judicial review of executive orders. We’re coming together to defend civil rights for all and to share the stories of Japanese Americans under the Alien Enemies Act.  The targeting of Venezuelan immigrants by the Trump administration today mirrors our country’s dark past of rounding up and incarcerating Japanese American families during World War II. Already we have seen headlines of Venezuelans deported without a hearing and immigrants reporting for immigration proceedings seized by law enforcement at courthouses. We remember our collective history, collected and archived by generations of Japanese Americans, and won’t stand by and allow the Trump administration to mold the law to its own liking. At the heart of the amicus brief are the stories from Japanese American families who built lives and communities in the U.S. until they were suddenly branded as enemies under the Alien Enemies Act. Read their stories @jacl_national jacl.org/alien-enemies- act-stories
Read about case & our amicus: bit.ly/aea-amicus

Statement from ABAS Board
March 10, 2025-The Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento (ABAS) joins the American Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, our local affinity bar associations, and our members in supporting and upholding the rule of law.  As API attorneys from diverse backgrounds practicing in the Sacramento Valley, we come from a storied tradition of holding local, state and federal governments
accountable. When we took our attorney oath on admission, we swore to support the Constitution of the United States. But a government “of the people, by the people, for the people” exists only when we as a profession uphold that oath.  We will continue to stand with our LGBTQ+ community.  We will continue to uphold the Constitutional rights of all, regardless of immigration status. We will continue to educate
our communities through “Know Your Rights” presentations. We will continue to do the work of ensuring “justice for all” means justice for all.
We stand in solidarity with all impacted communities in our area and pledge our continued support.

-2025 ABAS Board of Directors