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Professor Bill Ong Hing Asian American Studies and School of Law Recipient 2002-2003 Professor Hing is a distinguished scholar in immigration law, Asian American history, critical race theory, and community lawyering. In addition to serving numerous philanthropic, community, and legal services groups, Professor Hing has worked with Congress, the United States Department of Justice, and the National Research Council. For three decades, he has served as a national leader on issues affecting immigration policy and immigrants’ rights. In the non-profit world, Professor Hing has made extensive contributions including serving as a founder of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) in 1980. The ILRC is a nonprofit support program for community agencies, and Professor Hing has volunteered as executive director for almost 20 years in addition to serving as the Center’s general counsel. Professor Hing is also on the board of directors and advisory council of the most prominent Asian American civil rights organization ins the country: the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco and the national Asian Pacific Legal Consortium in Washington, D.C. In the philanthropic world, Professor Hing is on the board of directors of the Rosenberg Foundation which is dedicated to low-income workers, immigrant rights, and civic participation. He served as chair of the board from 1998-2000. He also serves on the board of directors of the Asian Pacific Fund, a group that encourages giving by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and the Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, a group that makes connections between funders and community service agencies. And from 1996-1999, Professor Hing served on the advisory committee of the Emma Lazarus Fund of the Open Society Institute, helping to distribute $50 million donated by philanthropist George Soros to promote citizenship among immigrants. In the world of government service, Professor Hing’s record is equally impressive. Former Attorney General Janet Reno appointed Professor Hing to serve on the Citizens Advisory Panel of the Department of Justice which monitored Border Patrol misconduct. He also served on the Committee on Immigrant Children and Family Health of the National Research Council. As a member of the staff advisory group of the federal Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy, he helped draft reports and proposals, some of which were adopted in the Immigration Reform and Control Act. In addition, he has testified before Congress on numerous occasions, including testimony in 2002 relating to the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security. In the words of the many community leaders who supported his nomination, “[W]e are fortunate that he . . . is willing to give time to build national leadership,” “for nearly three decades he has consistently advocated and worked for the rights of immigrant and refugees which has ultimately meant that he has protected all of our rights,” “he has volunteered tens of thousands of hours for the good of the immigrant community and those who advocate on behalf of the immigrant community.” |
