AAPI Heritage Month Spotlight: Chinese American Service League

To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Trust will be spotlighting AAPI leaders and AAPI-serving organizations that have contributed to the betterment of the Chicago region – past and present. Check back throughout the month for more profiles. 

The Chinese American Service League (CASL) was founded in the fall 1978 after a group of Chinese immigrant friends noticed that there weren’t many services available to Chinese immigrants. Led by Bernie Wong, who had been working in social services in Chicago for over a decade, the group began helping Chinatown-area immigrants with translating letters written in English, obtaining tax rebates, and accessing public aid. By 1979, CASL was officially established as a nonprofit organization with Wong serving as its first employee.

Since its founding, CASL has become the largest social service agency that serves Asian Americans in the Midwest. Currently, CASL provides multi-generational programs to address the wide-ranging needs of individuals and families, including youth education, senior care, workforce training, citizenship services, and housing and financial security.  

With the Asian community becoming the fastest growing population in Chicago, CASL created the Community Equity Research Center (CERC) to promote equitable outcomes by using data to shape policy, advocacy, and education efforts. And to fight the onslaught of rising Asian hate crimes, CASL was selected by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) to operate an Anti-Hate Action Center in Chicago, which focuses on efforts to track, respond, and prevent hate crimes, as well as help victims access support services.  

The Trust has been a supporter of CASL since the beginning. In 1978, it provided a seed grant of $16,000 to support the establishment of the organization. Under the Trust’s Addressing Critical Needs strategy, CASL more recently received a grant from the Promoting Wellbeing funding portfolio for general operating support for its programs that serve children and youth and aging adults. 

“The Chinese American Service League serves people across their lifespan in a culturally responsive way that is rooted in data-driven solutions that inform service delivery and equitable policies,” says Joanne Otte, Trust program manager.