
Our History
In 1974, AALDEF was the first nonprofit organization on the East Coast to address the civil rights issues affecting Asian Americans locally and nationwide. We believed that the law should be used as a tool for social justice, and that lawyers should serve the needs of the people.
The Asian American population has grown ten-fold since AALDEF opened its doors forty-five years ago, from just over 1.5 million to 22 million Asian Americans nationwide. From Chinese take-out delivery workers in New York and Nepalese domestic workers in New Jersey, to Vietnamese American youth in Louisiana and Bangladeshi voters in Michigan, AALDEF brings its commitment and expertise to address the legal needs of diverse Asian American groups.
We have litigated precedent-setting cases and won millions of dollars in back wages and overtime pay for Asian immigrant workers in the restaurant, garment, hotel, construction and domestic service industries. By working in multiracial coalitions, we have brought Asian American perspectives to policy debates and have organized campaigns to stop hate violence, police misconduct, and human trafficking. After the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, AALDEF defended the civil liberties of South Asians, Arabs, and Muslims who were the targets of racial and ethnic profiling. From educational equity issues to voting rights and civic participation, AALDEF has worked with grassroots groups to ensure that Asian Americans have a greater voice in the political process and the governmental decisions affecting their daily lives. We have trained hundreds of young lawyers and students through our internship programs, encouraging them to use their legal skills to serve the community.
AALDEF’s staff of lawyers, policy advocates and community organizers are assisted by pro bono attorneys from major law firms, legal services offices, law school clinics and other volunteers. Together, we have won major legal victories, fighting uphill battles to secure human rights for all.
Timeline of AALDEF History
1974

1975

1976

1977
1978
1979
1980

1981
1982


1983

1984


1985
1986


1987



1988


1989
1990

1991
1992
1993

1994

1995
1996
1997


1998

1999

2000


2001


2002



2003

2004



2005

2006


2007



2008




2009



2010


2011

2012


2013




2015


2016


2017
2018

Stay in touch with AALDEF
Get occasional updates via email, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.