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Overview
The Asian American Alliance (AAA) is a student organization that strives to promote understanding, foster dialog and create a sense of awareness within the Asian Pacific American community at Columbia University. It seeks to educate on and address key issues and topics that the APA community faces.
One of the largest organizations at Columbia University, the Asian American Alliance has over 1,200 members on its mailing list represented by all schools and disciplines of the undergraduate, graduate, faculty, and administrative population of the University as well as individuals and organizations beyond Columbia. Our executive board comprises of 30 students from Columbia College (CC), the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Barnard College (BC), and General Studies (GS). The Asian American Alliance works with groups of all types and of all backgrounds including student of color organizations, progressive groups, student government, political organizations, community service organizations, off campus groups, student conferences, and the University administration.
In 2010-2011, AAA is led by the 2010-2011 AAA Board
Mission
Asian American Alliance (AAA) is a student organization that strives to serve the Asian Pacific American (APA) community at Columbia University. AAA is a collaborative organization that seeks to work with APA and all student of color groups at Columbia to reach out to members of the university and the outside community at large. In this way, we aim to promote understanding, foster dialogue and create a sense of awareness within Columbia University.
AAA's purpose is to educate themselves and others, to organize and to mobilize. They seek to cultivate a common understanding and a greater respect for the APA community.
The APA community at Columbia University is in a perpetual state of transformation. Inherent in the structure and goals of the organization is the ability to change in conjunction with evolving issues facing the APA community. Nevertheless, AAA will remain true to its fundamental goal of serving the community by dedicating itself and its resources to student activism.
Organization
Asian American Alliance consists of an executive board that oversees the bulk of our programming, and two committees that concentrate on programming and issues that fall within their focus. The Executive Board is joined by OCMs, Organizational Committee Members, that assist with event programming.
The Political Committee seeks to discuss, educate and act upon issues of political imporance to the Asian American community, seeking to become a catalyst for social change. They are involved in student activism and advocacy both on the Columbia campus, and nationally, organizing around movements and issues of political importance, and participating in and facilitating regional and national APA conferences such as NAASCON, ECAASU and NYCAASC. For the 2010-2011 academic year, the Political Committee is led by Cindy Gao.
The Service Committee seeks to aid the diverse Asian American communities in the New York City area through the means of community-based work. Founded in Fall 2007, it works with community organizations such as AALDEF, SAFER and KALCA to offer support on their initiatives and work. Sahil Shah will be leading this year's Service Committee.
AAA Constitution as amended in January 2009.
History and Past Events
The Asian American Alliance was formed in the spring of 1995. The wiki was founded in the summer of 2008 by Daniel Nishball and Erika Chow.
Browse through the following for a description of previous years' achievements.
Outreach
An archive of newsletters will be kept here.
Newsletters
Crossroads
In 2009, Laura Ly led the organizing and coordinating of AAA's first high school leadership conference, Crossroads. After an application process, about 50 students from New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts traveled to Columbia University Lerner Hall to participate in Crossroads. Students participated in Asian-American history, media, health, politics, and leadership workshops during the entire day and listened to keynote speakers about political and social issues and identities.
Angel Wong and Yalan Wu were the coordinators for the Crossroads 2010.
CultureShock
Every year, AAA presents its acclaimed culture show to a packed audience of over 500 students, faculty, and members of the community. Laura Chin, the 2007-2008 Social Chair organized CultureSHOCK 2008: Exposure. Patrick Chang organized CultureSHOCK F'2008: Liberate, and Tiffany Chen led and organized CultureSHOCK 2009: Lost & Found to celebrate AAA's fifteenth anniversary.
Collaboration and Partner Organizations
The Asian American Alliance works closely with many community organizations and special event committees:
- AALDEF - Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
- CWSA
- CAPA - Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans
- APICHA - Asian Pacific Islander Coalition against HIV and Aids
- SAFER
- KALCA - Korean American League for Civil Action
- ECAASU - East Coast Asian American Student Union
- NYCAASC - New York City Asian American Student Conference
- NAASCON - National Asian American Student Conference
AAA also works closely with many Columbia University clubs and student organizations:
- ABC - Activities Board at Columbia
- BSO - Black Student Organization
- CAO - College Activities Office - Barnard's office for picking up forms, treasury information for student activities on Barnard's campus
- CSC - Chinese Student Club
- KSA - Korean Students Association
- TASA - Taiwanese American Student Association
- Dimensions - Cultural group that covers all South Asian nations (non-political)
- CJS - Columbia Japanese Society
- Liga Filipina - cultural club to promote Filipino community/culture on campus
- Mujeres - cultural support for Latina Women on the Columbia/Barnard campus.
- OPS - Organization of Pakistani Students
- SOL - Student Organization of Latinos
- USCC - United Students of Color Council - umbrella organization to help foster and unify various groups of color
- VSA - Vietnamese Student Association
- Club Zamana - South Asian interest club
- HSO - Hindu Students Organization
- AHIMSA
- Club Bangla
