Panel Session A

Raids, Detentions, and Deportations: America's Increasing Nativism after 9/11
Deportations of undocumented immigrants have been increasing nationwide. Nearly 350,000 immigrants were deported from the United States as of September 30, 2008, as compared to the 288,663 people deported in 2007, and the 174,000 people deported during the same period in 2004. The trend is expected to continue: What's happening on the ground? Why have deportations increased over the last decade? What will happen under the new administration?

American Dreams Shattered? Asian Pacific Americans and the Financial Crisis
Even prior to the financial meltdown in the United States, Asian Pacific Americans found themselves struggling to provide adequate housing for their families and to succeed as small business owners. The subprime crisis has created another set of barriers for APAs striving to achieve the American dream. This panel seeks to illuminate some of the new challenges facing APAs, shedding light on issues relating to home foreclosures, mortgages, and the availability of loans in the wake of recent economic upheaval. This panel will also look at the impact of economic instability on the renters and tenants who make up a large portion of the APA community. Finally, this panel will explore the implications of the economic bailout plan on homeowners and borrowers in the APA community. As the severity of the economic crisis continues to unfurl, APAs will need to find their place as part of the broader national solution. Ultimately, ¡§Our Moment¡¨ will be to define and implement strategies specific to the community to assist homeowners, renters, and business owners who are currently struggling.

Panel Session B

Making Partner: Succeeding in the Private Sector as an Asian American
This panel will explore how Asian Pacific Americans can attain success in the private sector. Panelists from prominent law firms will share their experiences and insights on the triumphs and challenges they have faced in law firms, the importance of mentorship in the law firm setting, and perspectives on Asian Pacific American representation at the partnership level.

Why in our Backyard? Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice in APA Communities
Urban environmental problems, such as landfills, waste incinerators, and industrial dumping sites, are disproportionately found in the backyards of racial minorities. In an effort to clean up New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, for instance, debris was deposited in a newly constructed hazardous landfill less than two miles away from a large Vietnamese-American community. The health and environmental risks borne from these toxic assaults are inequitably distributed in the United States, with people of color and low-income families bearing greater risks in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and playgrounds.
Asian Pacific Americans across the US have been working to redefine environmentalism, challenging the environmental injustices and environmental racism found in their communities. This panel will examine the impact of environmental injustice on APA and minority communities, highlighting the relationship between the legal, political, and social forces that influence economic decision making processes and their resultant environmental outcomes. This panel will also focus on the legal action, policies, research, education, grassroots outreach, and alliance building currently taking place throughout the environmental justice movement.

Panel Session C

International Trade Relations: Asia's Role at the Table
Asia has been a vibrant region of growth and trade, especially in the past decade. As its leaders attempt to balance development with sustainability, the region plays an increasingly important role in the global conversation on international trade, economic development, foreign direct investment, the environment, and human rights. At the same time that East Asian countries are becoming interconnected with the rest of the world, the nations of East Asia have also become more integrated regionally. In this panel, we hope not only to explore the continuing dynamics between Asia and the Western world, but also between East Asian countries themselves. As Asian Pacific Americans, what are the opportunities open to us in contributing to both inter- and intra-regional growth? How can we help bridge the differences between the East and the West, as well as play a role in helping develop Asia's own model for regional trade and cooperation?

Claiming the Torch: Institutional and Intra-Community Challenges to APA Political Leadership
Why is there a significant disjuncture between the growing political power of the Asian Pacific American communities at the local and state levels and the seeming dearth of APA political leadership at the top levels of government today? APAs are the fastest growing minority group in the United Stated today, with growing political clout across the country. They are the second most generous political donors by ethnicity and have contributed both by contributions and by vote towards the electoral outcomes of several major governorship and senatorial races in the recent past. However, their overall impact on national politics is still fairly limited. This panel will, first, explore institutional challenges imposed on APAs seeking national political leadership and the impact that these challenges have on the success of current and future generations of leaders. Second, this panel will explore challenges within the APA community that discourage young APAs from seeking a path to higher political office. In identifying these institutional and cross-generational challenges to political leadership, this panel will seek to elaborate on what solutions or steps can be taken in order to encourage and aid young APAs to claim the torch of leadership that will be passed to them.