CAA closes out the 20th century by celebrating 30 proud years of civil rights activism.  Nineteen ninety-nine has been a remarkable year of organizational accomplishment and growth.  Within this Annual Report, you will find highlighted just a few of our major activities for the year. 

We thank our friends, supporters and community partners for all you do to make our work enjoyable and worthwhile.  Most of all, we thank the people who continue to seek our assistance and who daily remind us of the reasons that we continue to pursue our mission of advocating for Asian American civil rights. 

As we at CAA embark on our next 30 years and a new century, we know that our work is far from over.  It is with great excitement that we prepare to pursue new civil rights strategies to create greater opportunities, combat discrimination and develop meaningful partnerships, ensuring collaboration across racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation and class lines. 

CAA’s vision of a multiracial democracy that works for all of us—one in which none of our communities are forced to be victims or executioners (to borrow from Camus)—continues to be our motivating force.  We will not seek the advancement of a narrow Asian American agenda at the cost of another community.  Neither will we silently martyr our own interests for the sake of narrow community politics.  Our work to create a path that will take us to 
a society that is truly just for all of us is defined by those most in need of our services, our assistance and our partnership.  We look forward to travelling this path with each of you and creating significant civil rights landmarks along the way.

Very truly yours,

Diane T. Chin, Executive Director 

Dear CAA Supporters:

I am honored to serve as Chair of the CAA Board of Trustees during this exciting time of organizational renewal.  As someone who has both worked as a member of CAA's staff and who has volunteered with CAA for many years, I am pleased to be a part of the new vitality at this 30-year-old organization.

The CAA Board of Trustees and staff have worked hard this year to earn your support. We have advanced important organizational restructuring, undertaken an eight-month strategic planning process, and reconnected with old friends while creating many new and important relationships.  We have also developed innovative partnerships and programs to provide bold civil rights leadership and to meet the needs of low-income and immigrant San Franciscans. 

On behalf of the CAA Board of Trustees, we welcome your active participation in CAA and encourage your active support of this important agency.

Sincerely,

Steven C. Owyang, Chair, Board of Trustees (1998 to present)