Amidst the celebrations at the annual Year of the Dragon at Monterey Park’s Lunar New Year Festival, the air was charged with excitement, joy, and a palpable sense of community. Families and friends wandered through the event grounds, eagerly exploring the various activities on offer. Among the attractions, the CAUSE booth stood out, its line of attendees intriguing passersby. Here, amidst playful interactions and engaging discussions, CAUSE showcased its knack for fostering conversations about civic engagement, epitomizing its distinctive approach to community involvement.
CAUSE experienced an overwhelming response as it engaged with more than 1,500 attendees at the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival as part of CAUSE’s VOTE Initiatives, supported by the CDSS Stop the Hate Program. The festival brought together attendees from all over, serving as a dynamic blend of cultural celebration and community building. CAUSE’s activities focused on raising awareness for voter resources for the upcoming Primary Election and on access to vote centers.
A notable highlight of the event was the unveiling of an ongoing survey produced by CAUSE in collaboration with University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Loyola Marymount University (LMU). This survey is designed to analyze voting patterns in low propensity areas and collect insights on what voting experiences are like for these communities. CAUSE was able to collect almost 700 responses, with more than 200 surveys were conducted in languages other than English, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. This diverse array of responses underscored the rich diversity within the API community.
Details of a digital survey will be disclosed at a later date.
Thank you to the dedicated individuals who contributed to the success of the event, including the CAUSE staff, volunteers, and students from UCLA and LMU. Notable appreciation goes to Dr. Natalie Masuoka, Associate Professor of Political Science and Asian American Studies at UCLA, and Dr. Nathan Chan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at LMU, who helped make this survey and coordination possible. This opportunity to participate at the festival was made possible with the support of World Journal.
Special recognition is extended to CAUSE's Executive Director, Nancy Yap, and Senior Communications Manager, Farrah Su, for promoting voting resources and the survey to the wider audience through speeches on the main stage.
As CAUSE reflects on the impact of this event, we express sincere gratitude to our sponsors, partners, and the broader community for their support.
