History

Asian Americans for Equality and Liberty (AAFEL) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established by a group of outstanding Asian American community leaders with proven records fighting for our constitutional rights.

Our journey began in the spring of 2014 when AAFEL co-founders Tony Guan and Yukong Mike Zhao joined the Asian American grassroots movement fighting against SCA5, which aimed to re-introduce affirmative action into California.

In the summer of 2014, Mike Zhao took the initiative of uniting Asian American communities to fight against anti-Asian discrimination in college admissions. Under his outstanding leadership, the Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE) has made a significant difference in the fight for our children’s equal education rights and in support of Students for Fair Admission (SFFA)’s lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC):

• In 2015, the founders of AACE united 64 Asian American organizations and jointly filed a civil rights violation complaint against Harvard in May 2015. The action exposed Ivy League schools’ discrimination against Asian American children on national and international stages and started the journey of supporting Harvard case by winning in the court of public opinions.

• In 2016, AACE united 132 Asian American organizations and jointly filed civil rights complaints against Yale University, Brown University, and Dartmouth College. This triggered the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation and lawsuit against Yale University in 2020.

• Since July 30, 2018, AACE has built increasingly large alliances (from 64 in 2015 to 386 partner organizations in 2022) in Asian American communities, filing five amicus briefs in support of Students for Fair Admission’s lawsuit against Harvard/UNC. These briefs were filed on July 30, 2018, and January 8, 2019, with the U.S. District Court in Boston, on February 26, 2020, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and on March 31, 2022, and May 9, 2022, with the U.S. Supreme Court.

• In collaboration with partner organizations, AACE has organized two historical rallies in support of Students for Fair Admission’s lawsuit against Harvard/UNC: “Rally for the American Dream – Equal Education Rights for All” on October 14, 2018, in Boston before the hearing of the Harvard Case by the U.S. District Court in Boston and “Equal Education Rights for All” Rally on October 30, 2022, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court before the hearing of the Harvard/UNC cases by the U.S. Supreme Court.

• In July 2018, AACE’s policy recommendations for college admissions were adopted by the Trump administration. This was a triumphant moment for AACE, as their efforts were recognized by the federal government and materialized into a major policy reform.

Unfortunately, when Asian Americans organized and fought back against anti-Asian discrimination in college admissions, the radical left started to engage in illegal racial balancing in America’s high schools.

In 2018, Mayor de Blasio started the “reform” of the admission tests of Specialized High Schools of New York, in order to reduce Asian enrollment. AAFEL co-founder Sam Ni joined the Asian American grassroots movement that successfully derailed the anti-Asian “reform” by Mayor de Blasio.

In 2020, when the School Board of Fairfax County of Virginia abolished the objective admission test of the Thomas Jefferson High School, our nation’s #1 high school, AAFEL co-founders Asra Nomani and Suparna Dutta led Asian parents to fight back. In the same year, AAFEL co-founder Bentao Cui led Asian parents in Boston, defending the admission tests in its prestigious Exam Schools.

Over the last eight years, many other Asian community leaders have joined the fight for equal education rights. AAFEL co-founder Xiaoming Sheng led the United Chinese Association of Utah and consistently joined AACE’s initiatives in support of SFFA. AAFEL co-founder Lily Cummings encouraged her son to join SFFA.

With their great contributions, Asian Americans fought side by side with SFFA and finally won a decisive battle in Harvard/UNC cases in June 2023, achieving equal education rights in college admissions. After this historical victory, Asian American leaders of equal education rights did not stop there. Led by AACE founding president Yukong Mike Zhao, they formed Asian Americans for Equality and Liberty (AAFEL), opening a new chapter in Asian Americans’ fight for life, liberty, and constitutional rights.