2024 CAUSE Summer Soirée: Radiating Strength
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9TH, 2024
PRE-EVENT FROM 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
SOIRÉE 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
(Doors open at 5:30pm)
LOS ANGELES HOMPA HONGWANJI BUDDHIST TEMPLE
(815 East First Street, Los Angeles CA 90012)
Calendar
(Doors open at 5:30pm)
(815 East First Street, Los Angeles CA 90012)
The 2024 CAUSE Leadership Academy orientation week is held from Monday, June 24 through Friday, June 28, 2024.
Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) will be providing voter resources for the Primary Election on March 5, 2024 at the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival from January 27th through 28th, 2024 with the support of the World Journal.
CAUSE’s Summer Soirée is a reimagining of previous CAUSE Annual Galas. In its second iteration, the soirée continues to serve as the premier Asian and Pacific Islander (API) event for those interested in politics and community, boasting the largest attendance of API elected officials. The soirée also serves as the largest fundraiser of the year for CAUSE. Funds raised help sustain CAUSE’s many programs and services, which include leadership development programs for students and professionals, voter engagement, and multicultural collaboration. 300 guests are expected to attend this year — all of whom are dedicated to elevating the API community. This year’s Summer Soirée celebrates the accomplishments of API leaders throughout this challenging year. This year’s soirée falls also on CAUSE’s 30th year anniversary.
This holiday season, CAUSE is partnering with co-mrkt, Cafe Dulce, and Yoboseyo! Superette to create a holiday market that highlights Asian American and Pacific Islander small businesses on December 10, 2022 in Little Tokyo.
The event will highlight 25 small businesses and share their stories of civic engagement so that attendees can learn more about not just their products, but also their passions and community investments. 100% are AAPI owned businesses, with 90% of them owned by AAPI women.
holiday co-mrkt is made possible through sponsorship from Ernst & Young, Brunswig Square, and CAUSE.
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
Yoboseyo! Superette and Cafe Dulce are small businesses in Little Tokyo, located in Downtown Los Angeles.
Co-mrkt is a producer of pop ups for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) small businesses. These events are curated markets filled with emerging and early entrepreneurs/small business owners who have potential but just haven’t had visibility.
Or click the thumbnails below:
The Creating Our Paths: Women in Power webinar will feature and explore the paths of change-making women leaders. The conversations will provide a closer look at their paths to leadership, their experiences as women leaders in their sectors, and their personal insight for aspiring community leaders.
Women In Power will include:
The Honorable Judy Chu, Congresswoman, State of California
The Honorable Stephanie Chang, State Senator, State of Michigan
Caroline Choi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Edison International and Southern California Edison
Diana Hwang, Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI)
CAUSE equips community leaders with the skills and networks to address issues affecting the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. As part of the CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI), a certificate program for high-potential professionals, Creating Our Paths a series designed to connect leaders and community members to share, discuss, and reflect on their journeys as part of collective solution-building initiatives.
U.S. Congresswoman The Honorable Judy Chu
Judy Chu was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2009. She represents the 27th Congressional District, which includes Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley of southern California.
Rep. Chu currently serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over legislation pertaining to taxes, revenues, Social Security, and Medicare. In that Committee, Rep. Chu is a member of the Subcommittees on Health, giving her oversight over healthcare reform and crucial safety net programs, Worker and Family Support, and Oversight.
She also serves on the House Small Business Committee, which has oversight of the Small Business Administration, as well as the House Budget Committee.
Chu was first elected to the Board of Education for Garvey School District in 1985. From there, she was elected to the Monterey Park City Council, where she served as Mayor three times. She then was elected to the State Assembly and then California’s elected tax board, known as the State Board of Equalization. In 2009, she became the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress in history.
MI State Senator The Honorable Stephanie Chang
Sen. Stephanie Chang, the first Asian American woman to be elected to the Michigan Legislature, worked as a community organizer in Detroit for nearly a decade before serving two terms in the Michigan House of Representatives.
She served as state director for NextGen Climate Michigan, alumni engagement and evaluation coordinator for the Center for Progressive Leadership in Michigan, deputy director for the Campaign for Justice and as an organizer for Michigan United/One United Michigan. She also worked as a community engagement coordinator for the James and Grace Lee Boggs School and assistant to Grace Lee Boggs, an activist, writer, and speaker.
The senator also is a co-founder and past president of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote-Michigan, and she served as a mentor with the Detroit Asian Youth Project. She is a founder and board member of Rising Voices of Asian American Families and serves on the board of the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center.
In the state House, Sen. Chang led the way on air quality protection, education, criminal justice reforms, improving economic opportunities, and affordable, safe drinking water. She passed bipartisan legislation on a range of issues including female genital mutilation, nitrous oxide “whip-its”, reentry services for wrongfully convicted individuals who were exonerated, and more. She quickly earned her colleagues’ respect and was named chair of the Progressive Women’s Caucus in her second term. She also served on the leadership team for the House Democratic Caucus both terms and was a co-founder of the Asian Pacific American Legislative Caucus.
Chang earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degrees in public policy and social work from the University of Michigan. She lives in Detroit with her husband and two young daughters.
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs Caroline Choi
Caroline Choi is senior vice president of Corporate Affairs at Southern California Edison and its parent company, Edison International. Choi oversees Corporate Communications, Corporate Philanthropy, Government Relations and Public Affairs at the national, state and local levels.
Previously, Choi served as senior vice president of Regulatory Affairs at SCE and was responsible for the company’s regulatory engagement, policy and strategy. Choi also served as SCE vice president of Energy and Environmental Policy and oversaw the analysis and development of energy and environmental policies and strategies, as well as engagement at energy and environmental regulatory agencies.
Before joining SCE in 2012, Choi was executive director of Environmental Services & Strategy at Progress Energy (now Duke Energy), where she led environmental permitting, compliance and policy.
Choi is active in national policy and community engagement. She serves on the board of SEPA, a nationwide organization that supports the implementation and deployment of clean energy and distributed resources. She also chairs the board of Veloz, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the shift to electric transportation through public-private collaboration and public engagement. In addition, she is a member of the Electric Transportation Community Development Corporation, National Forest Foundation, and Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Leadership Council.
Choi holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College.
Diana Hwang
Diana Hwang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI). She began her career politics at the State House as the Executive Director of the Caucus of Women Legislators and as the Legislative Aide to late State Representative Debby Blumer (D-Framingham). She then served as Chief of Staff on the Boston City Council. Diana is a Founding Commissioner on the Mayor’s Women’s Commission for the City of Boston. She also serves on the Boards of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy (CWPPP) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Salesian Boys and Girls Club of East Boston, and served as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Boston Women’s Fund.
CAUSE is a part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity Alliance), a coalition of 40+ community organizations. AAPI Equity Alliance is holding the Get Out the AAPI Vote! Press Conference to kick off voting and highlight past AAPI voter data.
The Press Conference will feature:
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (AD66)
Assemblymember Mike Fong (AD49)
Los Angeles Councilwoman Raman (CD4)
Manjusha Kulkarni, Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance
Tavae Samuelu, Executive Director of EPIC
Nancy Yap, Executive Director of CAUSE
Charles Evans, Asian Americans Advancing Justice
The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) is a certificate program that prepares and equips mid-career professionals with the tools, skills, and network to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Co-founded by CAUSE and USC Dornsife’s Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, CLI brings together aspiring APA community leaders together to gain a deeper understanding of critical APA issues, a network of peers and mentors, leadership skills, and a broader understanding of civic engagement opportunities. Graduates of this program have gone on to change the civic landscape through elected office and leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Program Fee: $300
Program Duration: January - July 2022
Applications are now open as of October 18, 2021!
DEADLINE: Monday, December 6 11:59 pm PT ***EXTENDED DEADLINE***
Applicants must complete the application including a nomination by the date listed above.
Are you looking to land your dream internship? Hoping to update your resume, but aren’t sure where to start? Would like to get some practice and inside tips on interviewing?
Get this support at the CAUSE Virtual Resume and Interview Workshop on Friday, November 19 from 10am - 12pm PT. At this workshop, you will be connected with experienced Asian Pacific American professionals who will give you live and direct feedback on your resume, facilitate a mock interview, as well as share their career wisdom and journeys.
This is a virtual, 18+ event.
Take the next step towards building the future you want to see. Apply these skills to upcoming internship opportunities, like the CAUSE Leadership Academy.
Little Tokyo Ghost Club Presents Haunted Little Tokyo 2021
October 16 & 17 - Pumpkin Patch
October 30 - Scavenger Hunt
October 30 - “Block Party”
CAUSE is excited to announce that the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) cohort was nominated for the 2021 Civic Leadership Academy’s Project of the Year Award for their Energy Upgrade California work!
As part of this nomination, CLA interns will present the project at Civic Leadership Academy’s national showcase as well as have the opportunity to win the Project of the Year award.
CAUSE is incredibly proud of the CLA interns for their work being recognized along with many other impactful projects. Please join CAUSE in celebrating these student leaders and civic organizations by attending the showcase and voting for a Project of the Year.
The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) is a certificate program that prepares and equips mid-career professionals with the tools, skills, and network to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Co-founded by CAUSE and USC Dornsife’s Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, CLI brings together aspiring APA community leaders together to gain a deeper understanding of critical APA issues, a network of peers and mentors, leadership skills, and a broader understanding of civic engagement opportunities. Graduates of this program have gone on to change the civic landscape through elected office and leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Program Fee: $300
Program Duration: January - July 2022
Applications are now open as of October 18, 2021!
DEADLINE: Sunday, November 28th, 11:59 pm PT
Applicants must complete the application including a nomination by the date listed above.
CAUSE is incredibly excited to announce that it is a Top 10 finalist for the #GoldFuturesChallenge. As a finalist, CAUSE has been awarded funds to continue its mission of civically engaging the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community as well as the opportunity to win more... with your support.
Projects selected embody the mission of the Gold Futures Challenge by ensuring AAPIs are seen, heard, empowered, and united.
CAUSE’s project, in partnership with Teach for America’s Asian American & Pacific Islander Alliances (TFA AAPI Alliances), brings civic education and engagement to AAPI students and families through the support of teachers. By collaborating with AAPI teachers, hard-to-reach AAPI students and families will be able to connect to existing nonprofit organizations and government resources and advocate for their needs through civic engagement.
CAUSE’s mission includes encouraging Civic Engagement in all its forms, including advocating for organizations and projects that have meaningful impact in AAPI communities. Through opportunities like this and Civic Leadership Academy 2021 National Showcase’s Project of the Year, CAUSE works to empower people to become more aware and more involved with decisions that affect their communities.
We believe that being informed about your vote is an important part of ensuring your voice is heard. At goldfutureschallenge.org/vote, you will have an opportunity to learn more about CAUSE’s project with TFA AAPI Alliances and all the other incredible finalists. The organization with the most votes will receive the top grant prize of $100,000. Take part in democratizing philanthropy and make your voice heard!
1. Visit: http://goldfutureschallenge.org/vote
2. Click on your favorite project
3. Vote for them by clicking the thumbs-up sign on the left
(One vote per person)
Join CAUSE to congratulate the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) Cohort.
Come connect with the 28 CLI Fellows and hear more about their accomplishments and aspirations.
Learn more about the 2021 CLI Fellows here.
As a final project this year, each 2021 CLI fellow crafted and recorded a 1 Minute Story video. Compiled as a collection of 1 Minute Stories, the 2021 CLI Lookbook briefly introduces each CLI Fellow, their story, and personal vision for civic engagement. The Lookbook offers CLI Fellows opportunities to build connections, align interest and passion areas, and leverage the talents and skills of the CAUSE Network to impact the APA community.
CAUSE is excited to invite you to celebrate the completion of the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) program.
With this year’s new virtual program format, the cohort of 14 CLA interns were placed at CAUSE. Throughout the summer, the interns have been connecting with change-makers across various sectors, diving deep into issues affecting the Asian Pacific American (APA) community, and producing civic-based projects to empower the APA community on relevant issues.
The internship had two major focuses: the 2022 Mayoral Elections and energy conservation. They identified important APA issues and built informational materials to empower the APA community and mayoral candidates for the upcoming 2022 Mayoral Elections. In addition, CLA interns reached out to community members and developed an APA focused energy conservation awareness campaign with the support of Energy Upgrade California.
Join CAUSE, elected officials, community leaders, local press, and families to congratulate this year’s CAUSE Leadership Academy cohort and hear more about what they have accomplished.
The Creating Our Paths: Women in Power webinar will feature and explore the paths of change-making California elected women leaders. They will have conversations with CAUSE Leaders for a closer look at their paths to public service, their experiences as women leaders in office, and their personal insight for aspiring community leaders.
With special pre-recorded interviews with Congresswomen Kim and Treasurer Ma, Women In Power will include:
U.S. Congresswoman Young Kim, District 39, California
Treasurer Fiona Ma, State of California
Vice Mayor Tammy Kim, City of Irvine, California
Tami Bui, Board Member, CAUSE Board of Directors / Senior Government Affairs Manager, Turo
Tammy Tran, Board Member, CAUSE Board of Directors / Senior Manager - Government Relations, Southern California Edison
Diana Hwang, Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI)
CAUSE equips community leaders with the skills and networks to address issues affecting the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. As part of the CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI), a certificate program for high-potential professionals, Women In Power is the second edition of CAUSE’s Creating Our Paths, a series designed to connect leaders and community members to share, discuss, and reflect on their journeys as part of collective solution-building initiatives.
U.S. Congresswoman Young Kim
Congresswoman Young Kim, representing California’s 39th District, is one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress. Elected in November 2020, Congresswoman Kim has dedicated her life to public service and giving back to her community. She started her public service as Director of Community Relations and Asian Affairs for Congressman Ed Royce, where she was a key liaison to the local communities and advised Congressman Royce on issues pertaining to the Asian community. Despite long odds in 2014, Young Kim unseated an incumbent Democrat to become the first-ever Korean-American Republican woman elected to serve in the California State Assembly. As an Assemblywoman, Young Kim was a champion of public safety causes, low tuition rates, veterans, children, and victims of domestic violence.
CA Treasurer Fiona Ma
Elected in November 2018, Treasurer Fiona Ma is the 34th State Treasurer. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position. California is the world’s fifth-largest economy and Treasurer Ma is the state’s primary banker. As Treasurer, she works closely with the State Legislature to ensure that members know the state’s financial condition as they consider new legislation and gives recommendations for the annual budget. Prior to serving as State Treasurer, Fiona Ma served as an Assembly Member where she authored 60 bills that were signed into law by two different governors.
Vice Mayor Tammy Kim
Vice Mayor Tammy Kim, is a mother, nonprofit leader, educator, community advocate, small
business owner, and former corporate executive who has lived, worked and raised her
son in Irvine for the past two decades. She was elected to Irvine City Council in November 2020
in a historic win beating out thirteen other candidates with the highest vote count for any City Council candidate in the city’s history. Tammy currently represents the City of Irvine on the boards of the Orange County Public Libraries and the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control, where she is part of the Policy & Personnel Committee. She also serves on the Board of Irvine’s Green Ribbon Committee and Irvine Child Care Project, and is on the liaison committee for Irvine Unified School District.
Tami Bui
Tami Bui serves as a CAUSE Board of Directors and is currently a Senior Government Affairs Manager for Turo, based in San Francisco. Turo is the world’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace and Tami is responsible for states in the Western region which include Hawaii, Oregon and Utah. In her role, she shares Turo’s vision of increasing economic opportunity for everyday people who represent a rich diversity of demographics. Regulating this industry remains unchartered territory, which means she is constantly thinking of new ways to connect with policymakers and bring this story to life. Tami has community and government affairs experience in private and public sectors. She previously served as the Associate Vice President of Government and Community Relations for California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), in her hometown of Orange County.
Tammy Tran
Tammy Tran serves on the CAUSE Board of Directors and is Senior Manager for Community Engagement, Local Public Affairs, Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. Tammy has also served as a Senior Community Liaison at SCE. In this role, she also served as a strategist to inform SCE’s senior management about important matters that impact diverse communities including the Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities. Tammy currently serves as the President for SCE’s Asian Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group, called Asian Society for Cultural Exchange, Networking, & Development (ASCEND). She is also an active board member of Orange County Youth, Vietnamese Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking, and the Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment.
Diana Hwang
Diana Hwang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI). She began her career politics at the State House as the Executive Director of the Caucus of Women Legislators and as the Legislative Aide to late State Representative Debby Blumer (D-Framingham). She then served as Chief of Staff on the Boston City Council. Diana is a Founding Commissioner on the Mayor’s Women’s Commission for the City of Boston. She also serves on the Boards of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy (CWPPP) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Salesian Boys and Girls Club of East Boston, and served as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Boston Women’s Fund.
What is “cancel culture” and why does it matter? Once little more than a hashtag, “cancel culture” is now firmly entrenched in public discourse.
Broadly applied to a wide spectrum of sins, from insensitive social media posts to felonies, “canceling” can lead to productive dialogue and appropriate consequences or to outrage without action. But how do we strike a balance between holding people accountable for their actions, and allowing people to grow and learn from their mistakes? Join leaders from the AAPI, Black, Jewish, and Latinx communities for a discussion about the pros and cons of cancel culture.
Join several of California’s most respected community leaders as they discuss solutions and a path forward.
The Creating Our Paths: Up Close and Personal with Elected Leaders webinar will explore the paths created by trailblazing California political leaders Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Controller Betty Yee – the first Filipino American as CA Attorney General and the first Asian American woman as CA State Controller, respectively. They will be interviewed individually by a CAUSE leader for an intimate exploration of their paths to public service, the challenges on the journey to their roles, their experiences once in office, and insights and wisdom for aspiring community leaders. Each interview will be followed by a Q&A.
Attorney General Rob Bonta, State of California
Sworn into office in April 2021, Attorney General Rob Bonta is the first person of Filipino descent and the second Asian American to occupy the position. Prior to this role, Attorney General Bonta served in the State Assembly enacting nation-leading reforms to inject more justice and fairness into government and institutions. He has fought for racial, economic, environmental justice, criminal justice system transformation, and to further the rights of immigrant families, renters, and working Californians. As the People's Attorney, he sees seeking accountability from those who abuse their power and harm others as one of the most important functions of the job.
Controller Betty Yee, State of California
State Controller Betty T. Yee was elected to office in November 2014. Only the tenth woman to be elected to California statewide office, she serves as the state’s chief fiscal officer. Ms. Yee chairs the Franchise Tax Board and serves as a member of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) Boards, the nation’s two largest public pension funds. In addition, Ms. Yee volunteers and supports a number of organizations that provide leadership training and mentoring. Through financing authorities, Ms. Yee is dedicated to creating incentives to increase the number of affordable housing units, spur economic development, support pollution-control innovations, and strengthen health and educational facilities.
The coronavirus pandemic has drawn stark attention to persisting systems of racism and discrimination in the United States. Since the pandemic’s outset, communities of color have experienced disproportionate health and economic impacts due to structural inequalities. In addition, this past year catalyzed an explosive, nationwide conversation on racism in America in response to the murder of George Floyd last May and more recently, in response to the dramatic increase of hate crimes against the AAPI community.
Join us for a critical conversation that will address these intersecting layers of racism and discrimination in the United States and California.
Featuring:
Michael Lawson - President & CEO, Los Angeles Urban League
Helen Torres - Executive Director, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality
Charlie Woo - Chair, CAUSE Board of Directors
Dan Schnur - Politics Professor, USC, UC Berkeley, and Pepperdine
The conversation will unpack their work with the California Community Poll, which tracks public opinion among Californians on a wide range of topics. Their most recent poll focused on race relations and discrimination, hate crimes, vaccinations, school reopening, and immigration. Using this data, they will discuss the continued impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, zooming into issues of economic insecurity, academic challenges, health concerns, and vaccine support or hesitancy. They will also discuss the increased hate crimes against Asian Americans and how various communities are joining together to form coalitions to fight hate and discrimination. Finally, the panel will consider what policies and actions are necessary to address inequality and foster equity across California and the United States.
Over the last year, the Los Angeles Times - in partnership with the CAUSE, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), Jewish Center for Justice, and Los Angeles Urban League (LA Urban League) has conducted a series of statewide polls on issues relating to race relations, discrimination, and more. Results from the most recent poll show a profound shift in how Californians view discrimination and racial injustice in their state.
Join leaders from the AAPI, Black, Jewish, and Latinx communities for a discussion about what this latest poll reveals about race in California, as well as what it can tell us about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted different communities.
The conversation will be moderated by CAUSE Board Member Dan Schnur, professor at UC Berkeley and USC Annenberg School of Communication. This event is hosted by the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles as part of their monthly Building Bridges series.
Press conference with AANHPI AMEMSA Community Partners and LAUSD School District Leaders.
Join in-person or virtually on the AAAJ-LA Facebook or Youtube live stream channels.
Links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/protectourstudents