| Dates: | 1983 – 1995 (Bulk dates 1984 – 1988) |
| Size: | 1 linear foot |
| Repository: | Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, 400 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60605 |
| Collection Number: | H00025 |
| Provenance: | The records were donated to the Chicago Public Library by Ross Harano in 1995. |
| Access: | Researchers, please request this material 24 hours in advance of use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to satisfy all copyright and privacy laws when copying or using material found in this collection. Some files marked with an asterisk have been redacted or separated for privacy reasons. Please see the archivist on duty for access. |
| Citation: | When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is: Harold Washington Archives & Collections, Asian American Advisory Committee, [Box #, Folder #], Special Collections, Chicago Public Library |
| Processed by: | Alison Hinterliter, circa 1995 |
Historical Note
The Asian American Advisory Committee was established by Executive Order 84-2 by Harold Washington to advise the Mayor and city departments on programs, policy and legislation relevant to Chicago’s growing Asian American population. In addition to advising the Mayor, the 15 members of the Committee also served as liaisons with Asian American organizations across the city. Ross Harano was the first Chairperson of the Committee.
Biographical Note
Harold Washington was the first African American mayor of Chicago, elected in 1983.
Harold Washington was born on April 15, 1922, at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL. His parents, Roy Lee and Bertha Jones Washington, divorced when he was young, and he lived with his father in Chicago and attended boarding school in Milwaukee. Washington entered Chicago’s DuSable High School in 1939, served in the Civilian Conservation Corps for six months, enlisted in the military from 1943 to 1946, and returned to DuSable High School to graduate in 1946. After earning a bachelor degree at Roosevelt University in Chicago and a law degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Washington enjoyed a career as a practicing attorney before he turned to politics.
Washington’s political career encompassed roles at the municipal, state and national levels of government. He served as Illinois State Representative for the 26th District from 1965 to 1976. He then became Illinois State Senator for the 26th District from 1976 to 1980. Washington ran for mayor of Chicago in 1977, but lost. In 1980, he became a U.S. Congressman for the 1st District and served in that post until 1983. Washington again ran for mayor in 1983, winning the Democratic primary election in February of that year and the general election in April. He was inaugurated on April 29, 1983 and was re-elected in 1987. Harold Washington died at 1:36 PM on November 25, 1987 of a cardiac arrest, just a few months into his second term as mayor. He is buried in Chicago’s Oak Woods Cemetery.
Scope and Content Note
The records in this Series contain correspondence and minutes of meetings held by the Asian American Advisory Committee, and also reports by the Chicago Works Together Committee. There is also a brief history of the Asian American Advisory Committee written by Ross Harano, the first Chairperson. The records continue into Eugene Sawyer’s administration following Mayor Washington’s death in 1987.
Arrangement/Series Description
Where possible the original organization has been maintained. The records have been arranged firstly by records produced by the Asian American Advisory Committee and then by the Chicago Works Together Committee.
Related Materials
Harold Washington, Illinois State Representative Records
Harold Washington, Illinois State Senate Records
Harold Washington, U.S. Congressional Records
Harold Washington, Mayoral Campaign Records
Harold Washington, Pre-Mayoral Photograph Collection
Harold Washington, Central Files Records
Harold Washington, Chief of Staff Records
Harold Washington, City Council Proceedings Records
Harold Washington, Community Services Sub-Cabinet Records
Harold Washington, Development Sub-Cabinet Records
Harold Washington, Finance and Administration Sub-Cabinet Records
Harold Washington, Infrastructure Sub-Cabinet Records
Harold Washington, Legislative Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs Records
Harold Washington, Office Manager/Supervisor of Clerical Staff Records
Harold Washington, Press Office Records
Harold Washington, Public Safety/Regulatory Sub-Cabinet Records
Harold Washington, Real Estate Committee Records
Harold Washington, Schedules and Evaluations Records
Harold Washington, Videocassette Collection
Harold Washington, Commemorative Year Archives
Harold Washington, Political Education Project Records
Subject Headings
Asian Americans--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area--Sources.
Chicago (Ill.)--Politics and government--Sources.
Harano, Ross.
Container List
Asian American Advisory Committee
| Box 1 | Folder 1 | History of the Asian American Advisory Committee, compiled by Ross Harano, first Chairperson of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Asian American Affairs, April 1995 |
| Box 1 | Folder 1a | Asian-American Liaison, 1984 |
| Box 1 | Folder 2 | Pre-Committee Material, 1983-1984 |
| Box 1 | Folder 3 | Minutes, 1983-1984 |
| Box 1 | Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1983-1984 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 | Minutes, 1985 |
| Box 1 | Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1985 |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 | Minutes, 1986 |
| Box 1 | Folder 8 | Correspondence, 1986 |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 | Minutes, 1987 |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 | Correspondence, 1987 |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | Minutes, 1988 |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 | Correspondence, 1988 |
| Box 1 | Folder 13 | Mayor's Asian American Advisory Commission, Transition Committee, 1988-1989 |
| Box 1 | Folder 14 | Mayor's Asian American Advisory Committee, 1989 |
Chicago Works Together Committee
| Box 1 | Folder 15 | Brochures, Correspondence, and Memoranda, 1985 |
| Box 1 | Folder 16 | Reports, 1982: “Chicago 1992. Comprehensive Plan,” October 1982; “Report of the Mayor’s Task Force on High Technology Development,” October 1982 |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 |
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| Box 1 | Folder 18 |
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| Box 1 | Folder 19 |
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| Box 1 | Folder 20 |
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