SPECIAL REMARKS

Honorable Judy Chu and Honorable Dave Min captivated the audience with their special remarks by highlighting the critical need for greater Asian and Pacific Islander (API) representation and celebrating CAUSE’s dynamic leadership pipeline. Their messages emphasized the importance of enhancing representation for the API community and nurturing the next generation of changemakers to drive meaningful and impactful change.

Assemblymember Fong has passionately championed critical issues, introducing legislation that increases access to quality education at all levels, enhances language access for non-English speaking Californians, and strengthens public safety by expediting the removal of dangerous weapons from our streets.

His unwavering commitment to these causes embodies the spirit of the Champion of Change award, and CAUSE is thrilled to recognize his outstanding contributions to our community.

The Soirée also served as Election Night for the CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) Mock Campaign, a cornerstone component of the CLA program that offers interns hands-on experience in running a campaign for Assembly District 49. 

At CAUSE Soirée Vote Center featured ballots in three languages (English, Chinese (Traditional), and Spanish) and four voting booths loaned from the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. In addition to the Mock Assembly District 49 Race, the ballot also asked poll questions to gain insights. These poll questions were sourced from CAUSE’s Multiethnic Statewide Community Poll, current CAUSE efforts, as well as community curiosities.

Poll Question 1:

As you may know, in Los Angeles County, the Board of Supervisors currently governs roughly 10 million people with 5 supervisors. Some people are now proposing to increase the size of the Board from 5 to 9 Supervisors. From what you know, would you favor or oppose increasing the size of the Board of Supervisors?

Vote FAVOR or OPPOSE?

POLL QUESTION 2:

As you may know, in Los Angeles each City Councilmember currently represents roughly 255,000 people. Some people are now proposing to increase the size the City Council to include more Councilmembers. From what you know, would you favor or oppose increasing the size of the City Council?

Vote FAVOR or OPPOSE?

Many Asian and Pacific Islander traditions prepared a version of a roasted pig dish for special occasions and gatherings. Siu Yuk (燒肉) is a Cantonese roast pork belly dish that features crispy skin and juicy meat. Cebu Lechon is a Filipino roasted pig dish that consists of a whole pig that is spit-roasted and is also known for its crispy skin, juicy meat, and unique flavor. As a light addition to the Election Night Ballot, the preferred roasted pig question explores which roasted pig dish is preferred amongst the Soirée guests.

POLL QUESTION 3:

Do you prefer Chinese Roasted Pig or Filipino Roasted Pig?

Vote for One.

The Mock Campaign was a key part of this year’s CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA). Through the Mock Campaign project, the interns produced two competing mock campaigns for candidates running in Assembly District 49 to gain direct experience advocating for salient issues, running a campaign, and building networks. Each team of interns filled designated roles vital to running a campaign: Candidate, Campaign Manager, Communications Director, Finance Director, Field Director, and Policy Director. Candidats were nominated to be Ryan Horio and Haley Ku, forming Team Horio and Team Ku respectively.

Throughout the weeks leading up to Soirée/Election Night, the interns developed campaigns, raised funds, talked to constituents, and secured endorsements. The night of the election, the interns engaged with more than 300 Soirée guests, encouraging them to vote and also informing them about their candidate’s platforms. The race was tight all night, with Team Ku securing the win in the end. 

THE (mock) CANDIDATES AND THEIR TEAMS

KEY REPORTS LAUNCHED AT THE PRE-EVENT

At the Soirée Pre-Event, CAUSE hosted a report launch for two data reports exploring current issues in the API community. These reports were created in collaboration with leading institutions and committed community organizations. These studies represent a vital advance in understanding and addressing the challenges faced by the API community, offering valuable insights that aim to drive positive change and support informed advocacy.

INVISIBILITY IS KILLING US

Data Aggregation and its Health Impact on Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans in California

Invisibility is Killing Us summarizes Pacific Islander and Asian American experiences with California county public health departments’ collection and reporting of public health data. 

The report was conducted by the Southern California Pacific Islander and Asian American Data Equity and Health Policy Collaborative with CAUSE as a community partner. The report was made possible through the support of the U.S. DHHS/Office of Minority Health, Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Taskforce, and UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were data gaps that impacted distribution of resources to diagnose and mitigate COVID-19 for Pacific Islanders (PI) and Asian Americans (AA). As a response, the Southern California Pacific Islander and Asian American Data Equity and Health Policy Collaborative (DEHP) was formed, bringing together researchers, advocates, community-based organizations, and health departments to understand the policy challenges and opportunities to disaggregate Pacific Islander and Asian American data. 

From 2021 to 2022, the research team conducted a legal mapping study to evaluate how counties with populations of 106,000 or more handle data disaggregation. This study involved analyzing local health department standards for race/ethnicity data policies through various channels, including inquiry forms, public records requests, emails, presentations, and community partner outreach.

At the report launch, speakers shared key takeaways and community stories collected through the study. Speakers included:

• Cevadne Lee, Research Manager, Tanjasiri Lab at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health

• Isa Sasi, Advocacy Project Coordinator at Southern California Pacific Islander Community Response Team

• Peter Gee, Director of Service Programs at Little Tokyo Service Center

• Dr. Brittany Morey, Associate Professor of Health, Society, and Behavior at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health

ASIAN AMERICAN VOTER ACCESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Findings on In-Language Ballot Use, Voter Experiences,

and Effectiveness of Voter Outreach

This report study offers insight into what Asian American experiences are like when they cast a ballot in Los Angeles and the extent to which they find services to ease voting useful. 

The Asian American Voter Experience Survey was produced through the partnership of CAUSE, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Asian American Studies Center and Loyola Mount University (LMU).

Since January 2024, CAUSE has collaborated with Professor Dr. Natalie Masuoka (UCLA Asian American Studies Center) and Professor Dr. Nathan Chan (LMU Department of Political Science) to produce, conduct, and analyze a survey on Asian American voting experiences in Los Angeles County. The partnership was the foundation of the 2024 CAUSE on Campus (CoC) student program. Through this partnership and the CAUSE on Campus program, student interns gained direct experience carrying out the study’s research and data collection. As a mixed group of undergraduate students from UCLA and LMU, the CoC cohort researched, conducted, and analyzed a survey exploring the voter experiences of community members in these neighborhoods. 

The team reached large numbers of low propensity voters in high API populated neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, collecting over 1,000 in-person surveys through attending community events held at various locations across Los Angeles County. The survey was available in English, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Vietnamese, Thai, and Spanish, reflecting the common languages spoken in the areas the team visited.

At the report launch, speakers shared personal experiences talking to community members, the impact of culturally-informed translations, and key takeaways from the study. Speakers included: 

• Dr. Nathan Chan, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Loyola Marymount University

• Shengxiao “Sole” Yu, Activist-in-Residence, UCLA Asian American Studies Center

• 2024 CAUSE on Campus Alumni: Sophia Hua, Sydney Pike, and Jasmine To