50 Years

Summer Cocktail Party

AALDEF staff and supporters raise a glass to the summer at our annual cocktail party on Monday, June 17, 2024 at the rooftop bar atop 230 Fifth Ave, New York.

50th Anniversary Gala and Justice in Action Awards Celebration

AALDEF held its annual Gala and Justice in Action Awards Celebration on Monday, May 20, 2024 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, NYC. This year’s gala commemorates our 50th anniversary as well as founding director Margaret Fung and senior staff attorney Stan Mark’s monumental and trailblazing work in the Asian American civil rights community. Shifting towards the future, Fung introduced Bethany Li, who will be assuming the position of executive director in October 2024.

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Bethany for many years now, and I know she will lead the organization with creativity, hard work, and good humor,” said Margaret Fung.

Our 2024 Justice in Action Award recipients include: Sam Khichi, Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer and General Counsel of CVS Health; Don Tamaki, Partner of Minami Tamaki LLP; and Simu Liu, actor and activist. The AALDEF Justice in Action Awards recognize exceptional individuals for their outstanding achievements and efforts to advance social justice. Past honorees include the late Congressman John Lewis, Preet Bharara, John G. Chou, Ivan K. Fong, David Henry Hwang, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Vanita Gupta, Neal Katyal, Sandra Leung, Don H. Liu, Thomas Kim, Mira Nair, George Takei, BD Wong, Kal Penn, Ronny Chieng, and Fareed Zakaria, to name a few.

“It’s about how we can fulfill the hopes and dreams of others — how we can help our community and society live up to those American ideals, so those opportunities are open to a broader, more diverse, more inclusive population,” said Sam Khichi.

“We do our part by demanding truth telling at a time when our nation is so truth challenged. And we carry out AALDEF’s vision by supporting causes that dismantle systems that have churned out huge and growing racial disparities,” said Don Tamaki.

“I wanted to show that it was possible that Asian Americans could be loud, unapologetic, and unwaveringly proud of who they were and where they came from,” said Simu Liu.

Lunar New Year Friends and Family Reception

The Lunar New Year Friends and Family Reception was held on Monday, February 5, 2024 at The Tyger in Chinatown, New York. We were delighted to reunite and reminisce with staff alumni, former interns, and community partners, who filled the room with love and laughter.

“How many people get to grow up as an attorney with young Asian American activists as peers, who are progressive and passionate and amazing. We don't get to be in that type of environment. And that's just incredibly unique. And it's what Margaret has created in 50 years for AALDEF, and it's a legacy for the Asian American community, it’s a legacy for the Asian American movement,” said Bethany Li, incoming executive director at AALDEF.