Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight Statement on AANHPI Heritage Month 2025
May, 2025
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight is proud to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. This year’s theme, “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience,” honors the cultural heritage, strength, and lasting contributions of AANHPI communities—from building the transcontinental railroad to leading labor and immigrant rights movements.
Today, AANHPI leaders continue to break barriers. In the 2024 General Election, a record 550 AANHPI candidates ran for office. Pew Research Center data shows that AANHPI representation has steadily grown since 2011, contributing to the 119th Congress becoming the most racially and ethnically diverse in U.S. history. New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim became the first Korean American elected to the Senate, joined by several AANHPI women making historic firsts in their regions.
While AANHPI leaders continue to make historic strides, serious challenges persist. One in five AANHPI professionals reports experiencing workplace discrimination, with disparities by ethnicity, immigration generation, and gender. Additionally, the current administration is advancing policies that threaten the rights of AANHPI communities. These include efforts to undermine birthright citizenship—a right established in the landmark Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898)—and the introduction of the SAVE Act, which could disenfranchise over 21 million Americans by requiring burdensome proof of citizenship to vote. Immigrant workers are especially vulnerable as the administration imposes restrictive immigration policies, increases visa denials, delays green card processing—particularly for workers from countries like India and China—and invokes the Alien Enemies Act, a law historically used to justify the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. The government’s renewed use of laws that have historically harmed AANHPI communities raises serious concerns about fair and equal treatment.
As the first national public interest law firm with a dedicated practice serving the AANHPI community, we remain committed to advancing equity and justice. Our Asian American Litigation and Finance Practice, led by Managing Partner Qiaojing Ella Zheng, represents AANHPI professionals across industries in cases involving discrimination, retaliation, wage theft, and other workplace injustices. Our attorneys and staff, with deep cultural fluency and multilingual capabilities, work tirelessly to provide compassionate, strategic representation and protect the rights and dignity of our clients.
As AANHPI Heritage Month comes to a close, we encourage everyone to continue learning about AANHPI history and culture and to stand in solidarity with the AANHPI community not just this month, but all year long.
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