Press Release

Asian American Civil Rights Group Celebrates 30th Anniversary on March 25, 2004 at Pier Sixty

Mira Nair, Alice Young, and Open Society Institute to Be Honored

Mira Nair, the internationally-acclaimed filmmaker and director of “Monsoon Wedding” and “Mississippi Masala;” Alice Young, partner at Kaye Scholer LLP and chair of the law firm’s Asia Practice; and Open Society Institute, the foundation created by George Soros to promote human rights and social, legal and economic reforms, will be honored at the 30th Anniversary Gala of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) on Thursday, March 25, 2004, at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, in New York City. The honorees will receive the 2004 Justice in Action Awards for their contributions in advancing social justice and equality and for outstanding achievement in their respective fields.

Over 800 individuals are expected to attend AALDEF’s 30th Anniversary Gala, which will begin with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception, followed by the Justice In Action Awards ceremony and a three-course dinner. Tickets for the event are $5,000, $3,000, $1,500, $1,000, and $500. (Special member-priced tickets are also available.) Tables of ten and year-long sponsorship opportunities at $50,000, $30,000, $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 are also available, as part of the special 30th Anniversary campaign, AALDEF@30: Standing for Justice. For additional information, please call Lillian Ling, Assistant Director at (212) 966-5932, ext. 202.

Founded in 1974, AALDEF is a New York-based organization that promotes and protects the civil rights of Asian Americans nationwide. AALDEF litigates cases that have broad impact on Asian American communities, educates Asian Americans about their legal rights, trains students for careers in public interest law, and shapes public policies to ensure the equal participation of Asian Americans. AALDEF is a founding member of the Public Interest Law Center in TriBeCa, which includes the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.

All proceeds from the 30th Anniversary Gala will benefit AALDEF’s legal and educational programs in the areas of immigrant rights, economic justice for workers, voting rights and civic participation, affirmative action, language access to services, and the elimination of hate violence.