GAPABA - What's New at the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association

What's New with the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association

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WHAT'S NEW

NAPABA 2008 Southeast Regional Conference Sponsors

We gratefully acknowledge the following valuable sponsors that made the Third Annual Southeast Regional Conference possible:

GOLD SPONSORS

Alston & Bird LLP
King & Spalding LLP
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
Troutman Sanders LLP

SILVER SPONSORS

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Jones Day
Kilpatrick & Stockton LLP
Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P.
Seyfarth Shaw LLP

BRONZE SPONSORS

AT&T
AirTran Airways
The Coca-Cola Company
Hughes & Sloan, Inc.
Kim & Kert, Attorneys at Law
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, L.L.P.
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC

GAPABA President Among Finalists for Atlanta City Attorney

Monday, October 2, 2006

Han C. Choi, the current President of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("GAPABA"), is among the 5 finalists to replace departing Atlanta City Attorney Linda K. DiSantis. GAPABA is very proud of Choi's achievement of being selected to this elite group from several dozen applications. Choi, 40, is a partner at Troutman Sanders LLP and practices bond and public finance law. Choi received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and his law degree from Emory University School of Law. Choi has a very long list of distinguished accomplishments, including working as an assistant planner in the administration of then Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. Choi is married and has 3 children.

GAPABA Denounces "Racist Shorthand" by Andrew Young; Apology is Chance to Move Forward

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("GAPABA") was shocked and offended by comments from Andrew Young, one of Atlanta's premier civil rights leaders and political giants, suggesting that Jewish, Korean and Arab store owners "rip off" black communities. Stereotyping such as this, however unintentional, is seriously detrimental to the Asian and Pacific American communities trying to live and work peacefully in Atlanta; for all ethnic communities living in the shadow of misperceptions, this is a disappointing step backwards in racial and ethnic relations.

Young has since apologized, explaining in an interview with the Chicago Tribune on August 18, 2006 that "I was attempting to say that these large shops have been good for my community, and in this meeting I said it too quick. And instead of giving a long explanation, it was a racist shorthand, which was wrong" and in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that his comments were "completely and utterly inappropriate. ... I apologize for those comments. I retract those comments. And I ask for the forgiveness of those I have offended."

The GAPABA board of directors acknowledges Young's apologies, including a formal written apology in yesterday's Atlanta Journal Constitution, in which Young asks for forgiveness, and in a meeting with Korean American community leaders yesterday afternoon. GAPABA appreciates Andrew Young's great history of contributions to the civil rights movement and to the City of Atlanta, and recognizes that even the most thoughtful of public figures misspeak.

GAPABA is concerned, however, that others have publicly defended Young's statements as merely unfortunate "shorthand" for addressing important socio-economic issues that deserve to be addressed. In actuality, statements like these, and support for such statements, reveal deeply rooted subconscious prejudice against Asian Pacific Americans and other minorities that must be addressed head on with genuine efforts to work with the Asian Pacific American community and other affected communities, particularly here in Atlanta. GAPABA believes that Mr. Young's apologies are genuine, but they are merely a first step in the difficult journey toward greater communication and understanding among communities. GAPABA and the Asian Pacific American community looks forward to working with Mr. Young and others to, as Mr. Young so aptly put it, "build a better world together."