Karen Narasaki
Encyclopedia
Karen K. Narasaki is a nationally renowned civil rights leader and human rights activist. She is the president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), formerly known as the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC). AAJC is a Washington, D.C.
-based, nonprofit civil rights organization whose mission is to advance the human and civil rights of Asian Pacific American
s through advocacy, public policy, public education and litigation. Prior to her current post, she served as the Washington, D.C. representative to the Japanese American Citizens League
.
. She is the twin sister of playwright and actor Ken Narasaki
. She became interested in civil rights when at age eight she accidentally overheard the pained voices of her parents discussing where their family would live next. Seattle was no longer an option. Although her father was a second generation Japanese American
, served in the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team
of the U.S. Army, the all-Japanese American unit that fought in Europe during World War II
, and an engineer at Boeing
, the possibility of buying his family a house in Seattle was out of the question due to racial covenants at the time. After graduating from Yale University
and UCLA law school, Narasaki worked as a corporate attorney at Perkins Coie
. While at the firm, Narasaki moonlighted as a civil rights activist at Asian American and women’s rights groups.
In 1986, Narasaki said goodbye to corporate America to enter the nonprofit sector as an advocate for human and civil rights. She has a long history of civil rights activism. Under Narasaki’s leadership, AAJC - which is affiliated with the Asian American Institute in Chicago, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles, and the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco - led the passage of the reauthorizations of key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In doing so, AAJC helped unite African American, Latino, Native American and other stakeholders to identify the necessary research, while organizing testimony, training organizers and educating the public about the continuing existence of discriminatory barriers and behavior in voting.
As chair of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, Narasaki is also an advocate for television diversity on behalf of Asian Americans. She serves as a member of the Asian Pacific American Advisory Council, a group of community, civic and business leaders who advise Nielsen Media Research
, an international provider of television audience measurement services, on reaching out to Asian Americans. Through AAJC, Narasaki also issues an annual report card on the major networks - NBC
, ABC
, CBS
and Fox
- on their diversity efforts. These initiatives have led to more than a 20 percent increase for both regular and recurring roles for Asian Pacific Americans on prime-time television shows - both on and off-camera.
In addition, Narasaki serves in a number of leadership positions in the civil rights and immigrant rights communities. She is vice chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
, the national civil rights coalition and as vice president of the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
and chair of the Rights Working Group, a coalition of human rights, civil rights, civil liberties and immigrant rights advocates working together to address the deterioration of civil and human rights in the aftermath of 9/11. She also serves on the national governing board of Common Cause
, the board of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Education Fund, and is a past board member of the Independent Sector.
Narasaki also serves on the National Commission on Adult Literacy, a national project of the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy which promotes adult literacy and is the immediate past chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
.
A nationally recognized expert on affirmative action and immigrant, civil and voting rights Narasaki has appeared on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer
, ABC and CBS News, Hardball with Chris Matthews
and has been quoted in just about every major American newspaper. During the Clinton administration, Narasaki was invited to the White House
on several occasions to advise the president on civil rights issues. On April 22, 2009 she was named to the Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age of the Federal Communications Commission
.
Recognized by Washingtonian Magazine
in 2001, 2006 and 2009 as one of the "100 most powerful women in Washington, D.C.," Narasaki has received numerous awards and accolades. In 2005, she was the recipient of the American Bar Association
Spirit of Excellence Award, and has received the Congressional Black Caucus
Chair's Award, International Channel We the People Award, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential Asian Americans of the Decade by A Magazine
. Along with numerous other awards, she is also the 2004 recipient of the Greater Sacramento Urban League Ruth Standish Baldwin Award, the 2000 U.S. Department of Justice
Citizen Volunteer Service Award, the 1999 Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Community Award, and the 1994 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Trailblazer Award.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based, nonprofit civil rights organization whose mission is to advance the human and civil rights of Asian Pacific American
Asian Pacific American
Asian-Pacific American or Asian-Pacific Islander is a term sometimes used in the United States to include both Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans....
s through advocacy, public policy, public education and litigation. Prior to her current post, she served as the Washington, D.C. representative to the Japanese American Citizens League
Japanese American Citizens League
The was formed in 1929 to protect the rights of Japanese Americans from the state and federal governments. It fought for civil rights for Japanese Americans, assisted those in internment camps during World War II, and led a successful campaign for redress for internment from the U.S...
.
Background
Narasaki was born in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. She is the twin sister of playwright and actor Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki is a Sansei playwright and actor. He is the former Literary Manager at East West Players theatre company in Los Angeles...
. She became interested in civil rights when at age eight she accidentally overheard the pained voices of her parents discussing where their family would live next. Seattle was no longer an option. Although her father was a second generation Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
, served in the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team
442nd Regimental Combat Team
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and mostly Caucasian officers. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment...
of the U.S. Army, the all-Japanese American unit that fought in Europe during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and an engineer at Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, the possibility of buying his family a house in Seattle was out of the question due to racial covenants at the time. After graduating from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and UCLA law school, Narasaki worked as a corporate attorney at Perkins Coie
Perkins Coie
Perkins Coie is an international law firm based in Seattle, Washington. It has been listed on the Fortune Magazine "100 Best Places to Work in America" for the past nine years. It is noted for its intellectual property, Labor and Employment, and Products Liability practice groups, and for its...
. While at the firm, Narasaki moonlighted as a civil rights activist at Asian American and women’s rights groups.
In 1986, Narasaki said goodbye to corporate America to enter the nonprofit sector as an advocate for human and civil rights. She has a long history of civil rights activism. Under Narasaki’s leadership, AAJC - which is affiliated with the Asian American Institute in Chicago, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles, and the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco - led the passage of the reauthorizations of key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In doing so, AAJC helped unite African American, Latino, Native American and other stakeholders to identify the necessary research, while organizing testimony, training organizers and educating the public about the continuing existence of discriminatory barriers and behavior in voting.
As chair of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, Narasaki is also an advocate for television diversity on behalf of Asian Americans. She serves as a member of the Asian Pacific American Advisory Council, a group of community, civic and business leaders who advise Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, an international provider of television audience measurement services, on reaching out to Asian Americans. Through AAJC, Narasaki also issues an annual report card on the major networks - NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
- on their diversity efforts. These initiatives have led to more than a 20 percent increase for both regular and recurring roles for Asian Pacific Americans on prime-time television shows - both on and off-camera.
In addition, Narasaki serves in a number of leadership positions in the civil rights and immigrant rights communities. She is vice chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , formerly called The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, is an umbrella group of American civil rights interest groups.-Organizational history:...
, the national civil rights coalition and as vice president of the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform , also known as CCIR/NAOC or New American Opportunity Campaign is a non-profit immigrant rights advocacy organization based in Washington, DC, established in 2003 to pass comprehensive immigration reform...
and chair of the Rights Working Group, a coalition of human rights, civil rights, civil liberties and immigrant rights advocates working together to address the deterioration of civil and human rights in the aftermath of 9/11. She also serves on the national governing board of Common Cause
Common Cause
Common Cause is a self-described nonpartisan, nonprofit lobby and advocacy organization. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican former cabinet secretary under Lyndon Johnson, as a "citizens' lobby" with a mission focused on making U.S. political institutions more open and...
, the board of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law, often simply The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights or Lawyers' Committee, is a civil rights organization that was founded in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy.-Origins: 1963-1973:...
, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , formerly called The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, is an umbrella group of American civil rights interest groups.-Organizational history:...
Education Fund, and is a past board member of the Independent Sector.
Narasaki also serves on the National Commission on Adult Literacy, a national project of the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy which promotes adult literacy and is the immediate past chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 29 national Asian-Pacific American organizations in the United States. Founded in 1996 and based in Washington D.C., NCAPA seeks to expand the influence of Asian-Pacific Americans in the legislative and legal arenas, and enhance the...
.
A nationally recognized expert on affirmative action and immigrant, civil and voting rights Narasaki has appeared on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
, ABC and CBS News, Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who...
and has been quoted in just about every major American newspaper. During the Clinton administration, Narasaki was invited to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on several occasions to advise the president on civil rights issues. On April 22, 2009 she was named to the Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age of the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
.
Recognized by Washingtonian Magazine
Washingtonian (magazine)
Washingtonian is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, DC area since 1965. The magazine describes itself as "the magazine Washington lives by." The magazine's core focuses are local feature journalism, guide book-style articles, and real estate advice.-Editorial Content:Washingtonian...
in 2001, 2006 and 2009 as one of the "100 most powerful women in Washington, D.C.," Narasaki has received numerous awards and accolades. In 2005, she was the recipient of the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
Spirit of Excellence Award, and has received the Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
Chair's Award, International Channel We the People Award, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential Asian Americans of the Decade by A Magazine
A Magazine
A Magazine was founded in 1989 by Jeff Yang, Amy Chu, Sandi Kim and Bill Yao to cover Asian American issues and culture, and grew out of a campus magazine Yang edited while an undergraduate at Harvard University....
. Along with numerous other awards, she is also the 2004 recipient of the Greater Sacramento Urban League Ruth Standish Baldwin Award, the 2000 U.S. Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
Citizen Volunteer Service Award, the 1999 Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of Asian-Pacific American trade union members affiliated with the AFL-CIO...
Community Award, and the 1994 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Trailblazer Award.
External links
- AAJC Biography http://www.advancingequality.org/narasaki/
- Asian American Justice Center Web site http://www.advancingequality.org
- American Bar Association Web site http://www.abanet.org/publiced/rbkn.html
- "U.S. Should Take Leadership Role in Racial Justice," St. Paul Pioneer Press, Aug. 16, 2001. http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0816-01.htm
- "I, Too, Am an Affirmative-Action Baby," Essence, Oct. 1, 1997. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_n6_v28/ai_19801488
- "The 2002 TV season: what's new, what's black, what's back!," Ebony, Oct. 1, 2002.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_12_57/ai_97997717
- "Handling of Arab-American data blasted," Deseret News, Nov. 10, 2004.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20041110/ai_n11486073
- "Asian-Americans trying to be seen by politicians," Associated Press, Feb. 22, 2004.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20040222/ai_n10935951
- "Advocates mark high point of civil rights movement," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 24, 2003.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20030824/ai_n10905474
- "Networks plan events to bring more minorities to TV shows," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jan. 24, 2002 http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20020124/ai_n10756086
- "Asian population surging," Chicago Sun-Times, March 11, 2001.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20010311/ai_n13893350