Asian Americans for Equal Employment was formed in 1974 after a successful fight to include Chinese American workers in the construction of
Confucius Plaza. It was involved in protests the following year after Peter Yew, an engineer, was beaten by police in Chinatown. 20,000 picketers went to the
New York City Hall under AAFE's leadership. It responded in 1982 to the
Killing of Vincent Chin in Detroit. AAFE was involved in protesting prison construction and the Special Manhattan Bridge District. The group also gradually became involved in housing issues with programs such as protecting tenants against "negligent and predatory landlords" through lawsuits and helping people learn their rights as tenants. The organization acquired the site at auction for and proposed converting it into a regional "food hub", though the project ultimately stalled and the site was sold to a developer in 2023 to become affordable housing. ==References==