At Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, we work to promote educational equity for the nation’s diverse Asian American communities and to protect the civil and human rights of all students and families. Strong, fully funded public schools play a vital role in promoting equity for children and equipping them to grow into future leaders.

At Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, we work to promote educational equity for the nation’s diverse Asian American communities and to protect the civil and human rights of all students and families.

Recently, there have been renewed threats to strip undocumented children’s right to access K-12 public education. This would directly impact an estimated 181,200 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) K-12 students.

Talent is everywhere. From the hardworking mother who developed skills on the job to the rising star graduating from a lesser-known college to the homegrown leaders who just need the opportunity to shine, the best people can be found in both expected and unexpected places. Broad recruiting efforts, hiring practices that focus on job-related skills and address bias, mentoring programs, and other initiatives can help organizations find the best people and ensure they thrive in the workplace.

Download fact sheets and a printable Know Your Rights card with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) by clicking on the links below for useful information English learner ("EL") students, their families, and their communities need to advocate for their rights.

In its July 29, 2025 memo, rife with misrepresentations, the U.S. Department of Justice aims to chill colleges and universities from pursuing lawful activities that aim to advance racial equity, dismantle barriers to educational opportunity, and strengthen our campuses and our country as a whole. The memo implies that a college admissions essay prompt about an applicant’s lived experience, or their experience overcoming obstacles, may be unlawful because it “advantages those who discuss experiences intrinsically tied to protected characteristics” like race or gender.

In another effort to carry out the Trump administration’s anti-equity agenda, on July 29, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding on Unlawful Discrimination” (the Memo) to all federal agencies. The Memo claims to prohibit diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts by organizations that receive federal funding, state and local governments, and public and private employers.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have been the subject of the “model minority” myth - the false idea that Asian Americans are “high achieving students.” This has resulted in AAPIs being used to draw a wedge between communities of color, especially in narratives around education. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC conducted a poll to better understand and uplift the AAPI community’s real feelings around education access.

This guide is for education stakeholders and policymakers as they consider introducing legislation to mandate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in K-12 curricula. Due to each state’s varying political, social, and educational contexts, it is strongly recommended that stakeholders determine the existing infrastructure and opportunities for changing the curriculum prior to using legislation as a pathway for implementing AAPI history.

Read the full guide below.

This document was designed specifically for advocacy with moderate lawmakers and is meant to address common misconceptions about mass deportations. We strongly believe that immigrants are integral to our communities, not just because they contribute to the economy, but because we believe in the freedom to move in search of safety or a better life.

On July 3rd, 2025, the House of Representatives passed the Reconciliation Bill in a 218-214 vote, and the President signed it into a law the next day, July 4th. This bill’s main purpose is to cut funding for essential health and nutrition programs in order to attack immigrant communities and extend tax cuts for the wealthy. 

Download the fact sheet below to learn more about why this bill threatens Asian Americans’ access to education, healthcare, and safety amid ongoing immigration fears.