Asian Law Alliance 2005-2006 Annual Report

Funding

·        Altos Foundation

·        AT& T

·        California Consumer Protection   Foundation  

·        City of San Jose, Community Development Block Grant

·        Community Foundation – Silicon Valley

·        County of Santa Clara - Community Development Block Grant

·        County of Santa Clara – Social Services Agency

·         County of Santa Clara – Social Services Agency, Targeted Assistance Funding

·         County of Santa Clara – Indigent Civil Legal Services

·        Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Inc.

·        Hitachi Foundation

·          Inspirational Opportunities for Youth and Seniors

·        Office of Refugee Resettlement

·         Silicon Valley Campaign for Legal Services

·          The State Bar of California – Legal Services Trust Fund

·         The State Bar of California – Equal Access Fund

·        United States Department of Justice – Legal Assistance for Victims.

·        United Way of Silicon Valley

ALA History

In 1975, several of the founding members of the ALA began to investigate the possibility of starting a community law office similar to the Asian Law Caucus which had been founded in Oakland in 1972. Our main challenge was convincing people that there was a significant Asian/Pacific community in need of legal services. Two roadblocks stood in our way. The first was the dearth of research statistics to prove that an identifiable Asian/Pacific community existed. The second was the popular stereotype that Asian-Americans were a “model minority” who did not need social assistance.

We quickly discovered that a silently growing Asian Pacific American community had been developing in several areas of Santa Clara County. The lure of job opportunities in Silicon Valley had brought Asian families and immigrants to the South Bay. Working through the Information and Referral Services of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), we soon encountered a whole range of legal needs that were not being addressed.

With the evidence in hand, a consensus was quickly reached among the founding members that it was necessary to establish a community law office to provide individual legal assistance community legal education, and community advocacy. Office space was donated by the San Jose JACL and with the help of two young attorneys, Brad Yamauchi and Don Tamaki; the Asian Law Alliance began taking its own cases in January of 1977.

Asian Law Alliance

184 E. Jackson Street

San Jose, CA 95112

(408) 287-9710

Fax (408) 287-0864

Web site: www.asianlawalliance.org