Show your love for CAAAV and support our work in low-income Asian communities in NYC by forming a team, fundraising, and/or donating!

Check out CAAAV’s dance moves in our trailer video here!

CAAAV builds the leadership of low-income immigrant and refugee Asian communities to fight for institutional change towards racial, gender, and economic justice. Our work this year includes:

• fighting alongside evicted 81 Bowery tenants for the right to return to their homes;
• gearing up to do major community outreach for a Chinatown rezoning that prioritizes the needs of the community;
• leading Know Your Rights trainings and screenings of our youth-produced documentary for over 100 youth around the city;
• speaking out against police violence through the city-wide campaign Communities United for Police Reform and People’s Justice coalition;
• and continuing to build on our Hurricane Sandy work through our advocacy in the Alliance for a Just Rebuilding.

We do all of this with the support of people like you. Let’s celebrate our work together!

• Register your new team or join an existing team and fundraise! (Fundraise $15 minimum for entrance fee, maximum 7 dancers per team.)
• Donate to an existing team!
• Share the link to our Crowdrise page (crowdrise.com/dance4caaav) and our trailer (www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ5bDMn_Td0) on your Facebook and Twitter pages!
• Bring yourself and your friends out to a fun night of dancing and supporting grassroots organizing!

There will be prizes for:
Grandmaster D (Highest Fundraising Individual)
Shake Your Money Makers (Highest Fundraising Team)
Dancing Machine (Best Individual Dancer)
Dancing Queens (Best Team Dancers)

By participating in our event through one of these avenues, you are supporting CAAAV, the only pan-Asian organization in New York City that develops the leadership of low-income Asian immigrants and refugees towards systematic and institutional change. CAAAV relies on the support of our local community and supporters like you to stay strong and vibrant. Help us continue our presence in NYC and sustain our work for the long haul!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. So, how does this work?
Glad you asked! Our dance-a-thon, like many other fundraising events, has a two main parts to it: the fundraising leading up to the event and the event itself. For the fundraising leading up to the event, we are encouraging people to form a team (here’s a step-by-step how-to for forming a team) or join an existing team (another how-to for that here). Then, you can encourage friends and family to donate to your page. On the day of May 18th, the teams will face off in a CAAAV dance battle! There will also be an individual dance-off.

2. What’s going on at the event?
10:30PM Doors open and registration
11PM Welcome from MC’s and guidelines for the team and individual dance-offs
11:30PM Team battle: Teams that want to compete will dance off for the most love from the audience.
12:15AM Final team showdown: The last two teams standing will face off for the team trophy!
12:30AM Individual dance-off: Individuals who want to compete will dance off and judges (past dance-a-thon winners) will crown the last dancer standing!
2AM Prizes and time to head home after a night of fun!

3. If I come, do I have to dance?
If you come, you do not have to dance. During the team battle, audience members who are not dancing in a team will be able to vote for their favorite team. We do encourage anyone who comes to also participate in the individual dance-off.

4. Can I just come without signing up?
Yes, you can come without signing up on crowdrise.com/dance4caaav. The price goes from $15 on Crowdrise to $20 at the door. We encourage you to sign up on the Crowdrise to fundraise to support CAAAV’s work!

5. Where does the money go?
The money goes to sustaining CAAAV’s work in low-income Asian communities in New York City. We have two main programs, the Chinatown Tenants Union (CTU) and Asian Youth in Action (AYA). CTU works with low-income immigrant residents of Chinatown to fight for the human right to housing. AYA develops the leadership of high school youth from across the city to engage the community in social change. AYA is currently working on a campaign against police violence in New York City.

6. I can’t make it to the event! How can I help?
If you can’t make it to the event, we’d love for you to donate on the Crowdrise! Go to crowdrise.com/dance4caaav and donate $10, $25, $50, or even $100 to your favorite team! Also, let friends in New York know about the event and ask them to come!

Monday, April 1st. 9AM at 500 Pearl St. to Pack the Courts, 1PM at Foley Square for a Press Conference:

Be part of the historic fight to end stop-and-frisk in New York City! Floyd v. City of New York is a federal class-action lawsuit filed against the NYPD that challenges the NYPD’s practices of racial profiling and unconstitutional stop-and-frisks.

Join CAAAV’s Asian Youth in Action to pack the courts beginning at 9AM in support of the trial that could mean a decisive victory for communities impacted by discriminatory policing.

We will also be holding a press conference at Foley Square at 1PM. Two of our AYA youth will be speaking about the effect of discriminatory policing on Asian youth and why it is important to stand in solidarity with other communities of color. Support and unite with young people in the fight against discriminatory policing in all communities!

Sunday, March 31st, 12PM noon at 81 Bowery:

Support 81 Bowery tenants’ right to return to their homes! Three weeks ago, the tenants were forced out of their apartments and told to pack up their belongings and leave immediately. They were given only three days of emergency shelter from the Red Cross and many had nowhere to go afterward.

The tenants demand:

• A firm commitment to when they can return to their homes
• Comprehensive repairs that will ensure they won’t be evicted ever again

Join us at the press conference to show your support for low-income tenants and the human right to housing.

March 9, 2013

On March 7^th, about 50 residents were forced out of their homes at 81 Bowery by the Fire Department of NY (FDNY).  A vacate order had been issued earlier that day, citing safety reasons.  Personnel from the FDNY showed up in the middle of the day, when almost no one was home, and broke down the doors to all the tenants’ rooms.  When the residents came home, they were told they could not stay in their homes and had to leave immediately.  They have been given emergency shelter by the Red Cross until Monday morning.  On Monday, they will be homeless.

How did this happen? The FDNY received a tip from a person in Arizona after watching this clip from CNN.   The vacate order cited fire egress and sprinkler issues.  After an inspection, the FDNY also determined that there were gas leaks in other parts of the building.

This was preventable. In 2008 the residents were forced out of their homes for the same reasons.  CAAAV worked with them for 9 months until they were able to return. Since the tenants moved back in 2009, the landlord has not met their obligations by keeping the building safe.  Not only have the landlords not provided any services, they have also not been aware of the condition of their own property.

It is easy for the media and the landlords to point fingers at the tenants and judge them on the conditions with which they live under.  It is also easy to sensationalize their stories or assume that people want to live under these circumstances.  But, New York City has been in a housing crisis for decades.  It is clear to everyone who lives in the city that the development of new housing has not meant a decrease in poverty and homelessness.  In poor communities like Chinatown,  it is no secret people live in overcrowded conditions that are often unsafe.

The residents of 81 Bowery live in a rent-regulated Single Room Occupancy (SRO) building on one of the busiest streets in Chinatown.  SROs are some of the most affordable housing in the city.  For immigrants who are an invisible workforce, who are underemployed in service sectors where they have no job protections or a guaranteed income, 81 Bowery is their home and their only choice for a place to live.  They have created and built a community together.

We demand that

• The landlord correct the violations that are preventing the tenants to be able to return to their homes
• The FDNY and all relevant agencies expedite the process to lift the vacate order
• The residents are provided housing by the City each and every day the vacate order is in effect
• The preservation of truly affordable housing at 81 Bowery be the priority of the City

Stay tuned to support us! CAAAV was on site when the FDNY vacate order was executed.  We are actively meeting with the residents every single day and working with MFY Legal Services, and we are determined to get them back into the building. In the coming days we will continue to issue updates and very likely a call to action for you to help us move this work faster.  Keep posted through our facebook page, twitter (@caaav), and our website (www.caaav.org).  We are thankful for all the support we’ve already received.

Sunday, February 24, 1pm @ Long Xin Restaurant (50 Eldridge Street)

Come celebrate the year of the snake at our annual Lunar New Year Banquet! We will feast, feature some great folks, and welcome a new year of community development for and by the community.  Tickets are $30 and available at the office (vegetarian option is available upon request).  Please contact Jason at jchan@caaav.org to RSVP.

Saturday, February 2/23, 1:15PM-2:30PM @ Columbia University

CAAAV’s youth program Asian Youth in Action will be leading a Know Your Rights training and screening our youth-produced documentary “No Justice, No Peace! No Biased Police!” at the East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference. Register at ecaasu2013.org to access the training as well as other workshops, performances, and student activities.

Our youth-produced mini-documentary concerns the impact of policing on an Asian community in New York City, featuring Comptroller John Liu, musician Mr. Wu who faced a notorious incident of police brutality in Chinatown’s Columbus Park, community organizer Aidge Patterson, CAAAV members, and more. Following the screening, we will lead a fun and interactive training on your constitutional rights when approached by law enforcement. Through roleplay and games, we provide suggestions on how to conduct yourself in these situations. Knowing our rights is one step towards empowering ourselves and our communities.

In March, AYA will be hosting another training and screening open to any and all CAAAV supporters. Keep an eye out for our next mailing for details.

Sunday, February 17th, 12pm @ CAAAV Office (46 Hester Street)

Come march with us and the Lunar New Year for All contingent in the Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade! We’re meeting up at the office at 12pm and heading over together.

Four years ago, Lunar New Year for All, led by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Asian Pacific Islander (API) community, successfully petitioned to be a part of the historic Lunar New Year parade in Manhattan’s Chinatown. It was the first time that a LGBTQ contingent joined the Lunar New Year parade in New York City.

Help us continue the tradition by joining Lunar New Year for All on Sunday, Feb. 17th to celebrate the Year of the Snake, and be part of a fabulous rainbow snake and Korean drumming entourage.

Please contact Jason at jchan@caaav.org to RSVP. For more information, see the Lunar New Year for All website.

As a member of the Alliance for a Just Rebuilding, CAAAV is working for equitable and sustainable rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy. Below is CAAAV and other alliance members’ response to Bloomberg’s announcement of federal grants for Sandy relief.  We demand democratic planning, transparency and accountability from the Bloomberg administration to ensure that members of the most impacted communities must have a voice in how federal dollars will be used. Read below for the full statement from the Alliance for a Just Rebuilding.

February 6, 2013

Contact: Ilana Berger  (347) 645-4255

Response to Mayor Bloomberg’s Announcement of Federal Grants for Sandy Relief

Joint Statement from

• Sandy Regional EJ Assembly and the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
• Members of the Alliance for a Just Rebuilding:  ALIGN-NY, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, The Coalition for the Homeless, Community Voices Heard, Good Jobs New York, Hunger Action Network of New York State, New York Communities for Change, New York State Nurses Association, Occupy Sandy, Pratt Center for Community Development, SEIU 32BJ, VOCAL-NY

Today’s announcement from the Bloomberg Administration concerning the proposed used of its initial allocation of $1.77 billion in Federal Sandy Disaster Aid acknowledges that many New York neighborhoods and some of the city’s most vulnerable residents are still in dire straits after Hurricane Sandy.

While the City’s use of aid money must be approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and requires community input, we are concerned that the Bloomberg Administration’s community input process to date sets an incredibly low bar for community participation in future allocation of Sandy related funds. Our organizations serve many of the city’s low-income and disenfranchised residents, including the communities most impacted by Sandy, and have been left out of this process.  Many of our organizations and unions have been on the front lines in communities devastated by Sandy helping them access basic services, rebuilding homes and tackling emerging critical issues such as mold remediation. We want to bring these experiences to the decision-making table and help build plans for a fair rebuilding.

In the coming months and years, there will be billions of dollars in federal grants coming to New York City. If our city is to rebuild sustainably and equitably, members of the most impacted communities must have a voice in how federal dollars will be used. Therefore, we are calling on the Mayor to create a coordinated public engagement initiative that prioritizes democratic planning, transparency and accountability for the rest of the Community Development Block Grants expected to dollars that will come to the City.  This includes:

• At least 30-days notice of hearings to respond to the city’s proposed plan to use the Sandy Disaster Aid funds. Hearings should be held in the impacted communities, at times that enable residents, business owners, and workers to participate.
• Details of proposed plans, time and locations of community meetings, and an explanation of how New Yorkers can share ideas must be publicized widely and in a timely manner, through traditional media, and should also be consolidated in a website.
• Much like the response to the 2009 Recovery Act, the city and federal government must make available, in an accessible format, how disaster aid is expected to be spent, who received the funds, when and why. Examples to build from include NYCStat Stimulus Tracker and www.recovery.gov.

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The Alliance for a Just Rebuilding brings together labor unions, workers centers and community, faith-based, environmental justice and policy organizations to ensure that both immediate relief and long-term rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Sandy are equitable and sustainable.

CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities will be holding free Sandy Relief Legal Clinics on the following date and times:

• Sunday, January 13th from 11 am to 1 pm (46 Hester Street, ground floor, between Essex and Ludlow)
• Sunday, January 20th, from 3-5pm (39 Eldridge Street, 4th floor)

Fema applications for Hurricane Sandy relief have been extended until January 28th, 2013.

Applications for loss of food have been denied, but you can still apply for other expenses incurred other than food costs.

We can help you fill out forms to get relief and assistance post-Sandy. Possible forms of assistance include: emergency unemployment benefits, small business assistance, FEMA loans for homeowners, rent reductions for those who lost basic services (ie, electricity, heat, and hot water), and more! If you’re unsure whether you qualify for any relief, we still encourage you to come so that we can work with you to determine if you can receive any hurricane relief benefits.

Mandarin, Cantonese, and Fujianese interpreters will be available to assist you. Please bring all relevant paperwork and documents with you.

Call the CAAAV office at (212) 473-6485 if you have any questions, or email justice@caaav.org.