Come join AATOP for our first Filipino Community Forum May 31 or June 1!

IOFA Invites You to CIRCA Pintig's Summer Monthly Beat: Human Trafficking Human Trafficking in the Filipino American Community You know that human trafficking happens in the Philippines.  Do you also know that trafficking cases involving Filipinos have been documented across the United States? The majority of immigrant human trafficking victims are from Asia and the Pacific Islands. The Asian American Trafficking Outreach Project and CIRCA Pintig invite you to a drama performance, discussion, and overview about human trafficking in the Filipino American community.  Spread the word! Invite your friends and family! RSVP here! Friday, May 31, 8pm Saturday, June 1, 3pm Moooh Dulce 2602 W. Fullerton Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 The Asian American Trafficking Outreach Project (AATOP), a project of IOFA, partners with API-serving organizations in Chicago to identify and serve victims of human trafficking.    CIRCA Pintig is a community arts organization that speaks to the Filipino American immigrant experience.  Learn more about us! IOFA: www.iofa.org  AATOP: aatopchicago.blogspot.com CIRCA Pintig: www.circapintig.com  STAY IN TOUCH           123 Street Name City, ST - 555.555.5555

Farewell and Looking Forward!

Dear AATOP partners,

From October of 2012 to May of 2013, we have seen AATOP make progress in its first year! I have enjoyed meeting and sharing with you about AATOP. Your partnership and enthusiasm have been invaluable to the project. Thank you for bringing AATOP to a new level of awareness and participation in Chicago’s Asian American community! In the past 8 months, AATOP has:

• Formed new relationships and strengthened existing ones with Asian social services, legal networks, and community organizations
• Organized a Meet and Greet for attorneys with the Asian Pacific American Legal Advocacy Network (APLAN) in May 2013
• Held a human trafficking training with the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) in May 2013
• Held a general community forum in October 2012 and will hold the first Asian-specific community forum with our Filipino project partner, CIRCA Pintig, in May and June 2013

AATOP has been gaining momentum in the past few months and will be moving toward additional Asian-specific community forums and more opportunities for attorney and social service trainings in working with Asian trafficking victims. The planning process for these events is already in the works! With your help, AATOP will continue to explore culturally relevant ways to approach this issue in our city.

Just when AATOP is kicking off at a good speed, I am sad to say that I am ending my internship at IOFA. I graduate in two weeks from the University of Chicago’s Social Service Administration program and will be continuing my job search. I have enjoyed collaborating and meeting you all and hope that you will continue to be a part of AATOP. AATOP has been a productive and learning experience for me as I explored what it means to serve people well as a social worker.

If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to send an email to info@iofa.org.

In solidarity and for Chicago,

Esther Liew

Join AATOP and the Chicago Bar Association at the May 20 Human Trafficking Training!

Training To Assist Asian and Pacific Islander Victims of Human Trafficking

May 20, 2013

4-6 PM
The Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court Complimentary program; 1.75 MCLE credits approved

________________________________________________________________________________

Topics:

·         Asian American Trafficking Outreach Project (AATOP) overview

·         Introduction to Chicago-area API community

·         Human Trafficking Legal Framework

·         Practical considerations for representing API trafficking victims

  

Speakers:

Sehla Ashai, The International Organization for Adolescents

Allison Creekmur, Legal Assistance Foundation, Immigrants and Workers' Rights Practice Group

Diana Lin, Northwestern University professor, APLAN chair

Catherine Longkumer, Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services/A.T.L.A.S.S.T.

Linda Rio Reichmann, Child Law Consultant

This training is for attorneys interested in learning more about volunteering with AATOP to assist API human trafficking victims. Individuals who are not attorneys but work with potential victims are also welcome.

Training sponsored by the International Organization for Adolescents AATOP project, the Asian Pacific American Legal Advocacy Network,

and the Chicago Bar Association.

To register, visit www.chicagobar.org and go to the CLE seminar section.

APLAN's May Meet and Greet a Success!

Thank you all who came to the APLAN and AATOP Meet and Greet last Wednesday, May 8! We had a good turnout - 30 in attendance. It was our pleasure meeting with attorneys and other individuals who were interested in anti-trafficking work in the Asian American community of Chicago. AATOP has already connected with several of you from that night and we are looking forward to more future collaboration and progress around this issue.

Enjoying hor d'oeuvres provided by the Chicago Bar Association (CBA)

Evening conversations between Legal Assistance Foundation of  Metropolitan Chicago's (LAF) Allison Creekmur, CBA's Linda Rio Reichmann, and International Organization for Adolescents's (IOFA) Shelby French

APLAN's Diana Lin gives an introduction to the work of the Asian Pacific American Legal Advocacy Network

Thanks for your involvement and many thanks to the CBA for graciously hosting us for providing food and drinks!

Reception Wednesday to Meet Nonprofits Helping Asian Human Trafficking Victims: RSVP Today!

AATOP and one of our legal partners, The Asian Pacific American Legal Advocacy Network (APLAN), invite you to a Meet and Greet this Wednesday, May 8, 2013 to learn about human trafficking in the Asian American community in Chicago and meet other legal professionals who are interested in making helping trafficking victims! RSVP today! Join Us for a Reception to Learn About Groups Assisting Asian Human Trafficking Victims Space is Limited-RSVP Today! Meet and Greet: APLAN and IOFA Have you wondered how you can help human trafficking victims?  Did you know that a large percentage of human trafficking victims in the United States are Asian?  We invite you to learn more about two nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping Asian Pacific American trafficking survivors in the Chicago area the Asian Pacific American Legal Advocacy Network (APLAN) and theInternational Organization for Adolescents(IOFA).  Date and Time May 8, 2013 (Wednesday) 6 PM-8 PM (*PLEASE NOTE NEW START TIME OF 6 PM, NOT 5:30 PM*) Chicago Bar Association 321 S. Plymouth Court Chicago, IL  FREE OF CHARGE  Hors d'oeuvres compliments of Chicago Bar Association  Soriya: Domestic Servitude Labor Trafficking Thirteen year old Soriya was told by her parents she was moving to the U.S. with family friends who would allow her to receive an education and learn English.  Born and raised in a small village in Cambodia, Soriya's family was struggling to pay the school fees for their children's education and welcomed the opportunity for Soriya to receive an education in the United States. Shortly after she arrived in the US, the father she was living with began to physically and sexually abuse the young girl, creating a constant environment of fear for Soriya. For the next six years Soriya was forced to clean the house, wash clothes, cook, and care for their three children, often working 18 hours a day while receiving no form of payment. She was never allowed to enroll in school as the family had promised, go outside, or even use the phone. RSVP TODAY! Click here APLAN The Asian Pacific American Legal Advocacy Network (APLAN) is a legal, human, and civil rights organization that promotes equality and social justice for Asian Americans. APLAN envisions a society where Asian American communities are empowered to fully realize their rights and have access to culturally informed services.  More about APLAN: aplanchicago.org IOFA The International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA) is dedicated to improving the lives of young people by addressing critical and emerging issues affecting vulnerable adolescents around the world. More about IOFA: iofa.org AATOP    The Asian American Trafficking Outreach Project (AATOP) aims to fill the current gap in services and outreach for API victims of human trafficking by partnering with API-serving organizations to build their capacity to identify and serve victims of human trafficking. More about Asian American Trafficking Outreach Project (AATOP):  aatopchicago.blogspot.com

Asian American Woman Awarded for Anti-Trafficking Work

 Minh Dang, a Vietnamese American woman from Berkeley, California, is being honored as a Champion of Change by the White House. In observation of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, this award goes to 15 Asian Pacific American (APA) women who are "doing extraordinary work to create a more safe, equal and prosperous future for their communities and the country." Minh Dang is the executive director of Don't Sell Bodies, an organization that advocate for human trafficking victims. You can watch the award event live here at 1pm Eastern today.