Immigrant Rights
Throughout U.S. history, immigrants have made critical contributions to American society and yet also been subjected to xenophobia, scapegoating, and a host of anti-immigrant policies. Since 2016, the Trump administration has launched an all-out assault against immigrants including the Muslim Ban, rescinding DACA, splitting refugee families, as well as pushing for a border wall and to eliminate family immigration.
These issues directly impact CAA’s core constituency with roughly half of Chinese Americans born outside of the United States, and an estimated 10,000 undocumented Chinese immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area.
At CAA, our efforts on immigrant rights include providing critical in-language immigration legal services, as Department of Justice Recognized and Accredited, to support community members through immigration legal questions. Additionally, we provide in-language community education presentations and workshops to ensure that community members have access to crucial immigration information. This direct work with community members informs our advocacy agenda that includes upholding sanctuary protections, non-citizen voting on school board elections, expanding health and legal resources for low-income immigrants, and working closely with Chinese language traditional and digital media to build narrative power that centers immigrants as people through the lens of migrant justice.
In addition, CAA is part of state and national coalitions that continue to push for fair and just immigration reform.
News & Updates
Thinking about becoming a U.S. citizen? Join us for a clear and practical webinar on the latest naturalization updates and get answers to questions you may have!
Community Service Days at CAA – a 1-day immigration and employment services either drop-in or make an appointment.
There are so many changes on the immigration front. Join us to learn the latest policy changes including the *new* green card policy memo — in Cantonese!
Launching our first ever online webinar in Cantonese and Mandarin. Come and learn about the recent changes to the green card process.
Join CAA’s workshop with Wu Yu and SF Marin Food Bank as the speakers go over the impact of HR. 1 and other public benefits.
On a hot and sunny day in Washington, D.C., hundreds of Black, Latine, and Asian Americans gathered in front of the Supreme Court, as the Justices inside heard oral arguments concerning the future of birthright citizenship. CAA arranged for Norman…
On April 1, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Trump v Barbara challenging Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States. ⚖️ Join the live stream audio on 4/1 at 7 am PT!…
Know your rights before you travel. If ICE replaces TSA at San Francisco Bay Area airports, it’s critical to understand what officers can—and cannot—do.
As immigration enforcement continues to terrorize communities in Minnesota and elsewhere, everyday people have joined advocates to push back against unchecked ICE and Department of Homeland Security powers. At CAA, we thank those who answered our email to block federal…
Annette Wong’s story starts in Chinatown where her parents, new immigrants in San Francisco, met for the first time, taking the bus from Chinatown to Ocean Campus to attend community college classes. From the garment industry to healthcare, to an…
The uncertainty and threats of the last week remind us that now more than ever, we must mobilize and stand together.
In this issue: We’re staying strong. Will you join us by making a gift to CAA? The Latest on Birthright Citizenship In a 6-3 decision, the conservative-majority Supreme Court avoided ruling on the constitutionality of Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship,…
CAA has created a fact sheet to help Chinese international students understand their rights, stay informed, and navigate this deeply unsettling moment.
Economic Justice
A just society requires all communities to have sustainable employment and economic opportunities that grow shared community wealth and equity.
Yet our local, regional, and national economies are experiencing record high levels of income and wealth inequality. Food, housing, and job insecurities are disproportionately hurting communities of color and immigrants.
Since its founding, CAA has employed multiple strategies to expand economic opportunities for community members and prioritized the needs of low-income, limited-English speaking immigrant community members. These have included direct employment and job training assistance as well as advocacy for systemic reforms such as mandatory local hiring laws on public construction, community benefit agreements on large development projects, and creating sector-specific hiring policies that are inclusive of people who face barriers to employment.
News & Updates
Community Service Days at CAA – a 1-day immigration and employment services either drop-in or make an appointment.
Join CAA’s workshop with Wu Yu and SF Marin Food Bank as the speakers go over the impact of HR. 1 and other public benefits.
The California Primary Election is on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. In San Francisco, there are a number of important issues on the ballot. To help you make an informed decision, CAA is proud to share the following local ballot propositions.…
Whether you’re dealing with unfair wages, workplace safety, or discrimination, know that you have protections under California law regardless of your immigration status. This workshop will be in Cantonese.
As immigration enforcement continues to terrorize communities in Minnesota and elsewhere, everyday people have joined advocates to push back against unchecked ICE and Department of Homeland Security powers. At CAA, we thank those who answered our email to block federal…
Annette Wong’s story starts in Chinatown where her parents, new immigrants in San Francisco, met for the first time, taking the bus from Chinatown to Ocean Campus to attend community college classes. From the garment industry to healthcare, to an…
The uncertainty and threats of the last week remind us that now more than ever, we must mobilize and stand together.
In this issue: We’re staying strong. Will you join us by making a gift to CAA? The Latest on Birthright Citizenship In a 6-3 decision, the conservative-majority Supreme Court avoided ruling on the constitutionality of Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship,…
When Trump attacks our communities, we fight back! From Trump’s horrendous revival of the Alien Enemies Act to his attacks on international students, this administration is not slowing down — but neither are we! In the first months of Trump’s…
Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) is hosting another monthly Cantonese workshop in Chinatown, San Francisco! Come learn about the new wage-replacement rate for Paid Family Leave and Disability Insurance which means families can better afford to take leave for bonding…
Anthony Huang is a community advocate in CAA’s Economic Justice Program, which helps immigrants navigate employment in San Francisco. Clients come to Anthony to get guidance on crafting resumes, applying for jobs online, preparing for interviews, and connecting with prospective…
Meet Xiaojun Jiang From CAA’s Economic Justice Program. At CAA, she helps Chinese immigrant clients search for jobs.
My work at CAA is part of a long history of CAA supporting immigrant and low-income communities through direct services.
Language Diversity
Communities are strongest when all people are able to fully participate in political, economic, and cultural life. And those who speak a language other than English deserve the opportunity to engage in all aspects of civic life, and have a civil right to access critical public services regardless of language ability.
At the same time, language diversity in schools and in society is increasingly important as economies, countries, and cultures grow more interconnected.
In San Francisco and California, CAA works to monitor and improve the City and State’s language access laws to keep pace with changing demographics, technology, and community needs. A major component of this work is building the limited-English proficient community capacity and infrastructure to both support and hold public and private institutions accountable for progress. As part of this work, locally, CAA is the lead agency for the San Francisco Language Access Network.
News & Updates
On a hot and sunny day in Washington, D.C., hundreds of Black, Latine, and Asian Americans gathered in front of the Supreme Court, as the Justices inside heard oral arguments concerning the future of birthright citizenship. CAA arranged for Norman…
While community members spoke in Cantonese and Spanish, no interpreter was there at the meeting, illustrating the challenge of having certified interpreters on hand when needed. Jose Ng, with Chinese for Affirmative Action, explained that they learned about the meeting…
October 30th is our next Immigrants Rights Workshop in Cantonese. Come and learn about why language access is important!
In this issue: We’re staying strong. Will you join us by making a gift to CAA? The Latest on Birthright Citizenship In a 6-3 decision, the conservative-majority Supreme Court avoided ruling on the constitutionality of Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship,…
From the passage of important legislation protecting domestic workers and protecting language education — to the coming together of our friends, allies, and neighboring communities, we ended 2021 with hope in our hearts.
A new community assessment conducted by the Language Access Network of San Francisco (LANSF) provides new insight into how the LAO functions and to what extent it meets the ever-changing needs of LEP communities.
Since the beginning, CCSJ strove to develop a holistic approach to addressing violence and racial inequity in ways that meet the needs of Asian communities.
The City College of San Francisco (CCSF) approved budget cuts across 39 departments in a move that will impact non-English speakers and other communities that benefit from community college education in San Francisco.
CAA advocates for Language Access with California’s Employment Development Department to ensure limited English proficient (LEP) community members have more equitable access to unemployment insurance and other programs and services.
Insufficient language access makes it near impossible for non-English speakers in California to collect on unemployment benefits during the current economic crisis.
Education Equity
Education equity means a commitment to racially diverse public schools, colleges, and universities that are universal, high-quality, no-cost, and tuition-free.
At the K-12 level, CAA’s historic and current work has prioritized ensuring school desegregation, quality education for English learner students, the involvement of limited-English proficient parents, and the creation of pathways that support the acquisition of multiple languages.
With roughly half of Asian Americans enrolled in post-secondary education attending community college, our higher education efforts have prioritized 1) strengthening City College of San Francisco including the creation and construction of a permanent Chinatown campus, and 2) a commitment to ensuring that college admissions retain the ability to combat systemic discrimination against Asian Americans and others with tools such as affirmative action.
News & Updates
On a hot and sunny day in Washington, D.C., hundreds of Black, Latine, and Asian Americans gathered in front of the Supreme Court, as the Justices inside heard oral arguments concerning the future of birthright citizenship. CAA arranged for Norman…
中文 We want to share an update about United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). What’s Happening Official Updates This situation is changing rapidly, so please check these sites for the most updated…
As immigration enforcement continues to terrorize communities in Minnesota and elsewhere, everyday people have joined advocates to push back against unchecked ICE and Department of Homeland Security powers. At CAA, we thank those who answered our email to block federal…
CAA urges the SFUSD to maintain the current requirement of two semesters of ethnic studies.
Come meet the candidates running for the San Francisco School Board! At this forum, you’ll hear directly from the candidates about their vision for our schools and how they plan to address the pressing challenges facing SFUSD.
I’m a Harvard graduate and a direct beneficiary of its race-conscious admissions program. My parents were factory and warehouse workers in China before arriving in San Francisco in the 1980s.
From the passage of important legislation protecting domestic workers and protecting language education — to the coming together of our friends, allies, and neighboring communities, we ended 2021 with hope in our hearts.
On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the Immigrant Parent Voting Ordinance in a historic win that makes non-citizen voting permanent in Board of Education elections.
The City College of San Francisco (CCSF) approved budget cuts across 39 departments in a move that will impact non-English speakers and other communities that benefit from community college education in San Francisco.
On May 12, 2021, CAA, a lead plaintiff in Smith v. Regents of the University of California, reached a legal settlement with the University of California (UC), which has agreed to suspend review of the SAT or ACT in undergraduate…
CAA partnered with Chinese American to host Chinese-language town halls on affirmative action and other matters related to education equity.
This past Friday, CAA hosted an SFUSD school board candidates forum at Gordon J. Lau Elementary School to give Chinese immigrant community members a chance to directly engage with candidates Jenny Lam and Robert Coleman. The event was organized by…
Chinese Digital Engagement
For years, conservative and right-wing activists have used Chinese-language social media platforms to spread mistruths and conspiracy theories within immigrant communities. To combat the spread of disinformation, CAA launched PiYaoBa, the first centralized fact-checking website. “PiYaoBa” translates to “let’s fact-check it” in Mandarin Chinese. The platform provides accessible, in-language resources to help users identify and respond to false and misleading information, including real-time alerts, investigative reports, and detailed fact-checking articles.
PiYaoBa builds on Justice Patch, CAA’s broader Chinese-language digital media platform, which includes two WeChat channels and a website that publishes original and translated content. Together, these platforms aim to create a trusted progressive Chinese-language space and provide critical news, civic information, and community resources for immigrants and limited English speaking communities.
News & Updates
距離11月4日加州Proposition 50（以下簡稱50號提案）特別投票只剩一個多月，宣傳戰役進入白熱化階段。
CAA has created a fact sheet to help Chinese international students understand their rights, stay informed, and navigate this deeply unsettling moment.
Increased scrutiny of H1-B visa and green card holders are raising concerns for immigrant communities in Silicon Valley. CAA is organizing a Know Your Rights session to help our community navigate these challenges.
As a digital engagement advocate at CAA, Kennis monitors Chinese-language social media spaces to see what people are discussing — and to track disinformation.
Conservative messaging tends to target first-generation Chinese immigrants — one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S. — manipulating an emerging political constituency with conspiracy theories and polarization.
Justice Patch is a resource for Chinese Americans to access information on a host of civil rights, social justice, and civic engagement issues.
Community Safety & Justice
Racial profiling, national security scapegoating, and mass incarceration must be replaced with systems that humanize and protect the safety of all people.
For CAA this work includes ending the U.S. Department of Justice’s practice of targeting Chinese Americans for espionage-related crimes by raising community awareness, providing support for affected individuals and their families, and building bridges and solidarity across all affected communities. The goal is to combat racism and xenophobia that fuel all injustices, including police violence against Black communities, the Trump administration’s Muslim Ban, and the demonization of undocumented immigrant and refugee communities.
In San Francisco, through the Coalition for Community Safety and Justice, our work with the criminal justice system recognizes the role of mass incarceration as a form of social control, and seeks community justice by working with directly impacted people to find non-enforcement, long-term, and prevention and safety solutions.
News & Updates
This workshop will share key updates, Chinatown project plans, construction timelines and locations, what to expect during construction, and invite community input.
As immigration enforcement continues to terrorize communities in Minnesota and elsewhere, everyday people have joined advocates to push back against unchecked ICE and Department of Homeland Security powers. At CAA, we thank those who answered our email to block federal…
The uncertainty and threats of the last week remind us that now more than ever, we must mobilize and stand together.
San Francisco’s Chinatown is a living community of residents, immigrants, youth, seniors, restaurants, shops, and home to many non-profit and advocacy organizations like Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA). This spring, join us for CAA’s Justice Walk – a walking tour…
In this issue of the CAA Newsletter, we are doubling down on legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing with the Stop AAPI Hate No Place for Hate Legislative Agenda.
Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) believes that the DOJ decision to end the China Initiative falls short of confronting racial and ethnic prejudice.
Since the beginning, CCSJ strove to develop a holistic approach to addressing violence and racial inequity in ways that meet the needs of Asian communities.