Asian Americans for Equal Rights (AAER) was born out of the grassroots movements against the data disaggregation bill MA H. 3361 and has since expanded to advocate on a wide range of civil rights related issues.

Our mission is to advocate for the equal rights of Asian American and all Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “if we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.”

We are not quite there to work at the world level, but any issues within the United States are within our scope. We firmly believe that “our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe and our class.”

AAER leadership and community leaders attended the National Solidarity Rally on May 31, 2021 in Boston Common, organized by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance Boston Lodge (CACA Boston) and the Chinese American Heritage Foundation (CAHF), and co-sponsored by the AAER and other community organizations. From left to right, Scott Wang (AAER and CAMA (Chinese Americans of Massachusetts)), Houze Xu (CAMA and CALex (Chinese Americans of Lexington)), Professor Shigeru Miyagawa, Wilson and Esther Lee (CACA Boston and CAHF), Ye Pogue (AAER and CAMA), Helen Yang (AAER, CAMA and CALex), and Jason Huang (AAER, CAMA and Sharon Chinese Association).

Helen Yang, Houze Xu and Professor Miyagawa gave speeches at the Solidarity Rally. Click here for Helen Yang’s speech, and here for Houze Xu’s speech.

Challenges Facing Asian Americans

Asian Americans face three challenges:

  • As a racial minority, Asian Americans share the same disadvantages as other minorities.
  • Perpetual foreigner bias. Asian Americans have been in this land for over 160 years and yet we are still considered foreigners. Helen Yang gave a speech at a community event about the perpetual foreigner bias and its harm.
  • Model minority. Don’t be fooled! Being called a model minority is not compliment. We don’t want to be anybody’s model minority.

First Foray into Advocacy

For many of us, the summer of 2017, was our first foray into political and civil rights advocacy, when the proposed Massachusetts house bill H.3361 stirred tremendous fear about racial profiling.

In the summer and fall of 2017, multiple rallies were held to protest against the data disaggregation bill MA H.3361.

Asian Americans for Equal Rights (AAER) was born in 2017 out of the need to coordinate the efforts across many communities in Massachusetts to fight against the data disaggregation bill MA H. 3361.

Click here for the story.

The Sun Poem

Sara Ting, who likes Dr. King’s quote that “our loyalties much transcend our race, our tribe and our class”, also spoke at the National Solidarity Rally on May 31, 2021 in Boston Common. Impressed by the Sun poem and her message of unity, the AAER wants to help her and the World Unity Inc. to spread the message. Click here to learn more.

Working with the Census Bureau

AAER Representative and fellow community leaders met with senior officials from the Census Bureau to discuss the race question on May, 2018 in Washington D.C.

Proponents of the data aggregation bill claim that they are copying it from the census form. This claim can’t be more wrong.

Click here for the story.

How Anti-racist Activism Affect Interracial Couples Like Us?

Ye Pogue wrote about how the Critical Race Theory affects interracial couples like her and her husband.

Click here to read the article.

Equal Rights

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1776 in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. We understand that “all men” means “all people”.

Asian Americans, as with other groups, have endured horrific injustices throughout the history of the United States, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 that lasted 60 years, and the Japanese Internment during the WWII.

However, it is our belief that racism is never about Black versus Whites versus Asian. It has always been right versus wrong. Even during the dark eras, many stood up against the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Click here for more.

Our American Stories

Asian Americans are first and foremost Americans. We are not foreigners and we are certainly not invaders.

Click here to learn more.

Civic Engagement

The summer of 2017 was also the first time that many of us learned the name of our State Representative and State Senator and met them for the first time.

Prior to that, our civic engagement had been at the town level, volunteering on town boards and committees and running for school committees. The advocacy against the data disaggregation bill has really opened the door for us.

Click here to learn more.