After facing months of public pressure for his removal, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is transitioning out of the Board of Directors of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF). According to their announcement, he has completed his three-year term on the Board of Directors. Make no mistake: This is an organizing win only made possible due to the dozens of organizations and thousands of community members who have spoken out about the harms of Greenblatt’s Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism.
However, instead of meeting the demands of organizers to cut all ties to the ADL, TAAF has affirmed their ongoing partnership with the ADL and replaced Greenblatt with Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine, a board member of the ADL. TAAF is maintaining their relationship to the pro-Israel organization that surveils, represses, and attacks our movements. By appointing Acuña-Sunshine, a Filipino immigrant woman with ties to Zionist organizations like Hillel, TAAF is using tokenism and representation politics as a cover for their allegiance to Zionism and Islamophobia.
18 Million Rising’s campaign to remove Jonathan Greenblatt from the Board of Directors of the largest Asian American philanthropic organization has succeeded. But, replacing Greenblatt with an Asian board member of the ADL is not a win for us. This decision is a morally reprehensible move that lets us know that TAAF is not moving in good faith to end hate and violence in our communities.
The ADL is dangerous and harmful. This past July, another internal memo leaked revealing the ADL is still spying on activists, including Black organizer, Tatjana Rebelle, who worked on the Deadly Exchange campaign in opposition to an ADL-backed program to send U.S. police for training with the Israeli military. Wikipedia’s editors voted to declare the Anti-Defamation League “generally unreliable,” adding it to a list of banned and partially banned sources. Yet, TAAF refuses to cut ties with this destructive organization.
The TAAF board’s decision to keep the ADL communicates to us that they are doubling down on their commitment to Zionism. Let’s be clear: we will not stop organizing until the ADL is removed from Asian American movement spaces. Stop Asian Hate means Palestinians too.
For over nine months, we organized. Over 70+ Asian American organizations and allies signed an open letter demanding they drop the ADL. If it weren’t for the 18,000 letters YOU SENT to the Board of Directors, TAAF would have never taken action.
Our community have shown up tirelessly to continue to pressure TAAF:
- On May 1st, Yu & Me Books, an Asian American bookstore based in New York City pulled out from vending at a TAAF event after learning of their ties with Zionist Jonathan Greenblatt and The Anti-Defamation League.
- On May 29th, the Association of Asian American Studies announced they will be rejecting $50,000 from TAAF.
- In June, four Asian American chefs boycotted the AAPI Culinary Conference hosted by TAAF.
- Behind the scenes, a handful of philanthropic partners and Asian American organizations canceled events, called in their contacts, sent personal emails, and uninvited TAAF from galas and events.
We will continue organizing towards the end of Zionism and Islamophobia.
