Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC Applauds Confirmation of Vanita Gupta for Associate Attorney General
- Contact
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the Senate confirmed Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC issues the following statement:
“The confirmation of Vanita Gupta is a historic moment, as she is a trailblazer in the civil rights community and has spent decades working to advance the rights and dignity of all Americans. She has become the first Asian American and woman of color to serve as Associate Attorney General and the highest-ranking Asian American at the U.S. Department of Justice in its history.
It is meaningful to see a child of immigrants step into such an important leadership position in the Biden-Harris Administration. Advancing Justice – AAJC has witnessed Vanita’s tireless dedication for the last three years as the head of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. We have worked side-by-side with her and can attest to her commitment to the protection of civil rights, such as protecting our right to vote, fighting for everyone to be counted in the 2020 Census, and protecting affirmative action. Previously, while leading the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, she enforced federal voting rights laws and fought discrimination in education, housing, and employment.
We look forward to working with Vanita in this new capacity. As Asian American communities face unprecedented levels of hate incidents amidst the pandemic, as well as the persistent and urgent need to combat hate, racism, and bigotry against all communities of color, we are confident that Vanita will lead with courage and empathy and is the right choice to serve at this critical time.”