WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- During the late evening hours of Monday, December 20, 2021, the Commission voted to approve the final Congressional, Senate, and Assembly maps, which can be viewed here. This marks one of the last steps of the redistricting process as the Commission is required to post these maps for 3 days before they will be final. By law, maps need to be certified by December 27, 2021, so they are unlikely to change. Once finalized, these maps will play a major role in the future of our communities and California politics for the next decade.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- A coalition of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community leaders and organizations are joining together to raise concerns over California Citizens Redistricting Commission’s draft maps of the San Gabriel Valley (SGV). The draft maps split West San Gabriel Valley cities (WSGV) and East San Gabriel Valley (ESGV) cities with significant AAPI populations into multiple congressional districts. In these drafted commission maps, the AAPI community would face an uphill battle to elect a representative from their own community and reverse four decades of progress by community coalitions and partnerships.
記者劉子為╱聖蓋博市報導 2024-11-05 01:00 ET
11月3日，亞美政聯（CAUSE）在聖蓋博市Blossom Market Hall舉辦了亞太裔投票動員會（TOGETHER WE VOTE: AN API GET OUT THE VOTE FEST），希望透過社區活動提升亞太裔的投票意願。現場提供拍照、集郵、串手鏈等有趣的方式，讓亞太裔社區成員能了解投票的重要性，並互相交流和聯結。現場還設有選票投遞站，以便民眾投票。
CAUSE執行長Nancy Yap表示，此次活動除提供選票投遞外，還包括適合家庭參與的教育活動，CAUSE一直致力成為亞太裔選民的資源中心。「我們希望民眾看到，投票和參與公共事務可以是一項家庭共享的活動。」Yap提到聖蓋博市擁有大量亞太裔居民，選在這裡舉辦活動意在提醒社區成員選舉的重要性，並提供語言資源，幫助有需要的亞裔選民獲取相關資訊。
在談到亞裔社區面臨的挑戰時，Yap指出，語言障礙和資訊獲取困難使亞裔選民難以參與政治。她說，「投票方式已經改變了，現在不僅可以郵寄投票，還可以在投票中心直接投票，而且所有機器都支持多語言翻譯。但我們發現社區成員對這些變化了解不夠。」Yap希望透過活動加強宣傳，讓選民能夠接觸更多資訊。
CAUSE的高級傳播經理蘇法恭（Farrah Su）介紹了本次活動的創意設計，希望以趣味形式讓選民感受到投票與日常生活息息相關。活動設置了拍照站、繪畫及手鏈製作站等互動區域，完成所有活動即「集郵成功」。她還提到，即便郵寄投票方式已經普及，亞太裔選民通常偏好親自投票。CAUSE希望透過這樣的活動在選舉日前持續推廣，提升亞裔選民的參與率。
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Farrah Su
Senior Communications Manager
Phone: (213) 269-5716
Email: comms@causeusa.org
Los Angeles, CA - October 30, 2024 -- Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) is partnering with Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) to engage the Eagle Rock Neighborhood as part of “Together We Vote: An API Get Out The Vote Fest” on Saturday, November 2nd, from 11am to 3pm at The Oinkster (2005 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock, CA 90041),
The event will include music, food, karaoke, voter resources and jeepney rides to the nearby vote center at Eagle Rock Library in PWC’s 1944 Jeepney salvaged from the Philippines.
“Asian Americans make up 1.5 million residents in Los Angeles County and 24% of the residents of Eagle Rock. This celebration of civic engagement is meant to engage our communities with food, music, and jeepney rides!” shares CAUSE Executive Director Nancy Yap.
See more details at: https://bit.ly/togetherwevote2024
This event is part of CAUSE’s Together We Vote: An API Get Out The Vote Fest, a multi-day celebration hosted in Los Angele County’s historic Asian Pacific Islander (API) neighborhoods highlighting community building and civic engagement in the 10 days of early voting leading up to the November 5th General Election.
About CAUSE
The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan, community-based organization with a mission to advance the political empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community through nonpartisan voter outreach, training, and education as well as leadership development. For more information visit: www.causeusa.org.
About Pilipino Workers Center
Founded in 1997, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) is a grassroots non-profit that organizes the low-wage and immigrant Pilipinx communities in the United States. They build collective power to demand better living and working conditions in order to secure the dignity, safety, and economic stability of the Pilipinx community. For more information visit: www.pwcsc.org
Los Angeles, CA - October 21, 2024 -- Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) is partnering with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office to bring an official Mobile Vote Center to the largest Halloween party in Little Tokyo, the 8th Annual Haunted Little Tokyo Block Party. This Vote Center will have later hours than typical Vote Centers, staying open until 9pm PT. The later hours combined with the proximity to a community block party that draws thousands of people annually, is meant to create a fun and accessible voting experience for younger voters, a voting age block that often has lower voter turnout nationally.
Los Angeles, CA - October 18, 2024 -- Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) will host a series of events called Together We Vote: An API Get Out the Vote Fest throughout Los Angeles’ historic Asian and Pacific Islander (API) neighborhoods celebrating community and civic engagement in the 10 days of early voting leading up to the November 5 General Election. Collaborating with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and nine other API community based organizations, CAUSE will engage event attendees with activities that highlight historic neighborhoods and encourage increased civic participation.
A record number of Asian Americans could be elected to the Los Angeles City Council this fall, reports LAist.
Currently there are three – Kevin de León, Nithya Raman and John Lee.
John Lee won the primary with well over 60 percent of the vote and will be headed to another term.
Grace Yoo is on track to challenge incumbent Heather Hutt in a runoff in the District 10 race. Yoo, if victorious, would be the first Korean American woman to ever win a council seat.
DeLeon is facing a tough challenge to hold on to his seat in the 14th district. He faces tenant rights lawyer Ysabel Jurado. Jurado is Filipino American. DeLeon identifies as Latino and Chinese American.
Raman who was born in Kerala, India will face Ethan Weaver in a runoff in the District 4 race.
Despite being the third largest racial group in Los Angeles County, a 2023 report from the UCLA Asian American Center found Asian Americans are underrepresented in the political landscape.
The report concluded Asian Americans are divided among multiple districts, diluting their voting power and hampering the community’s ability to elect candidates that represent them.
“By splitting the Asian American population into multiple districts, they’re making up a smaller share of each of those different districts, which means that their vote doesn’t carry as much power,” said Natalie Masuoka, chair of the Asian American Studies department at UCLA said to ABC7.
Advocates say until the districts are realigned, Asian Americans will not be heard.
“Being ignored has a consequence to the people who live in the city and who live in the county,” said Bill Fujioka who chairs the board of the Japanese American National Museum.
According to the LAist, the Asian Americans currently on the council come from a diverse point of view and don’t vote as a bloc. Raman is described as progressive while Lee has supported a crackdown on homeless encampments.
“For a long time, our Asian American and Pacific Islander community has been seen as one monolith,” said Nancy Yap of the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment. “Just how these two council members carry themselves is already very different from one another.”
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For a city with the country’s second-largest Asian American population, L.A. has gone for long spells without a single Asian American on its city council.
In 1985, Michael Woo became the first Asian American elected to the council and was the only one in city history until 2015, when David Ryu won a seat.
In the decade since, the number of Asian Americans on the 15-member council has steadily grown to three: Kevin de León, Nithya Raman and John Lee.
Their political ideologies and approaches vary widely, underscoring what community advocates have been shouting from the rafters for forever: the Asian American Pacific Islander community is not monolithic.
In November, voters could add a record fourth Asian American council member to the mix.
The latest primary vote tallies that dropped late Friday afternoon show three Asian American candidates on track to head to the runoffs.
Lawyer and community leader Grace Yoo is on course to challenge council member Heather Hutt in the centrally-located Council District 10 encompassing Koreatown, Mid-City and West Adams. Yoo, who's running in second place to Hutt in the primary, would, if elected, be the first Korean American woman on the council.
Another run-off is happening in the 14th District in northeast L.A., which will continue to have a council member of Asian descent no matter what; the question is who.
Embattled council member de León is expected to square off with tenant rights lawyer Ysabel Jurado in a district that includes Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock and a big chunk of downtown.
Jurado, the primary’s top vote-getter so far, could become the city’s first council member of Filipino descent if she were to defeat de León, who identifies as Latino and Asian American. His campaign said de León has Chinese ancestry on his paternal side.
The winners will join Raman and Lee around the council dais. Those council members won re-election to their seats outright in the primary by each getting more than 50% of the vote.
According to numbers provided by the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder's Office, 2,844 ballots remain to be counted countywide.
A milestone, both symbolic and significant
The growing presence of Asian Americans on the city council is part of a trend in L.A. where more candidates of color are emerging — and winning, said UCLA political scientist Natalie Masuoka. Notably, in 2022, city controller Kenneth Mejia became the first Asian American elected to citywide office.
This generation of Asian American politicians are the children of immigrants who arrived in the U.S. after immigration laws were liberalized in 1965.
As immigrant communities have become more settled and larger, Masuoka said, they've also become "more invested in politics, because they really have the time and space and an opportunity to do so."
That evolution, she said, is reflected in the increased Asian American representation on the council.
But what does this demographic shift mean for city politics?
For Woo, the milestone is in many ways symbolic as he said most council business doesn’t typically divide on ethnic lines, let alone ideological ones, with much of members’ time devoted to the grind of budgeting and allocating money for city services.
And just because a politician comes from the same background as underrepresented constituents doesn’t mean they’ll vote or speak out on issues that reflect the needs of their community, Woo said.
A survey showed Asian American Angelenos have found political representation wanting, even with a growing number of Asian American council members.
Just 46% of the Asian American respondents said they feel represented well at City Hall, which was the lowest percentage of any racial group by double digits, according to the survey released Dec. 2022 by the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment, a voter education group.
Woo questioned whether Asian American voters are keeping track of the changing demographics of the council or just paying attention to who represents them. But for some, it could be powerful to see someone from the community guide the city, Woo said.
“It shows there's somebody who's in a leadership position, who looks like me, and maybe this means I could be there [in City Hall] or my kids someday could aspire to be,” Woo added. “Also, just putting the hours into being visible in a community is one way to give people who otherwise feel excluded or irrelevant to the political class some connection.”
In the past, council members have elevated issues relevant to Asian Americans.
Woo recalls that during his time on the council he called for the police department to make more Asian American hires to reflect the city's population. As a result, the department put more resources into advertising and outreach in Asian American communities.
“Without somebody on the council to bring this up, these things tend to get ignored,” Woo said.
During the surge in anti-Asian violence during the pandemic, then-council member Ryu sponsored a resolution supporting a federal bill targeting hate crimes. He also raised topics important to Korean Americans, such as commemorating the anniversary of Korea’s independence in a speech in council chambers.
In 2022, Lee and Raman joined then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in proclaiming May 3 as Asian American Pacific Islander L.A. Day.
The proclamation of the holiday was a rare instance of Lee and Raman joining forces. The Asian Americans on the council do not vote as a bloc when it comes to topline issues such as police funding or homelessness.
Case in point: Raman, who is part of a newer, progressive flank of the council, has harshly criticized a controversial city ordinance that bans homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools, parks and daycare centers.
By contrast, Lee, an independent and only non-Democrat on the council, has taken an aggressive approach to the encampments in his Valley council district. The 12th District saw the most arrests made last year under the anti-camping ordinance.
The council members “really represent such a diversity from AAPI communities,” said Nancy Yap, the executive director of the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment.
"For a long time, our Asian American and Pacific Islander community has been seen as one monolith," Yap said. "Just how these two council members carry themselves is already very different from one another."
Yap sees the same political diversity in the Asian American candidates headed to runoffs in November.
While research has shown that Asian Americans strongly support candidates who share their background, Yap said there’s also recognition that effective representation can come from outside the community.
“Sometimes we can relate to folks who are from our community who know us really well,” Yap said. “But it is about who we believe will advocate for us the best.”
If Asian Americans have enough numbers where they could make the margin of difference in a close race. But for the best chance of getting their top choice into office, they will need to vote in coalition with other groups to get their top choice into office, according to a study co-authored by UCLA's Masuoka and Nathan Chan, a political scientist at Loyola Marymount. She said because of the way districts are drawn, Asian American voters do not have a majority or plurality anywhere in the city.
There's long been talk of redrawing district lines so Asian hubs such as Thai Town and Historic Filipinotown can be grouped together to help consolidate Asian American voting power.
Woo noted that redistricting is the rare order of council business where ethnic solidarity comes into play. And it's an occasion in which Asian American council members working together could hold sway as they pick the commissioners who rearrange the voting maps every decade.
The San Fernando Sun covers the press release hosted by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County clerk and community partners. Held at the Chinatown Branch Library on Thursday, Feb. 13, this press release launched the “Let’s Get Every Vote In” campaign to encourage communities in Los Angeles County, especially voters of color, to cast their ballots in the March 2024 Primary Election.
Los Angeles, CA - January 23, 2024 -- Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) will provide vote information 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. Led by participants of the 2024 CAUSE on Campus college student program, CAUSE will engage with festival attendees to increase voter turnout and overall civic engagement in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. These activities are supported by the Stop the Hate (STH) Program, administered by the California Department of Social Services and in consultation with the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.
亞美政聯（CAUSE）2023大學生暑期領導力實習計畫（Leadership Academy）畢業典禮18日在聖蓋博舉行。今年共有14名實習生從該項目畢業，他們在畢業典禮上分享了參與該項目的經歷，表示受益匪淺。
今年實習計畫已是第30屆，亞美政聯創始人創辦人兼主席胡澤群（Charlie Woo）指出，今年有100多位申請人，其中14人憑藉各自特長入選。暑期實習共有九周，學生們每周全職工作五天，約40小時，其中兩天在亞美政聯洛杉磯辦公室，另外三天在加州、聯邦民選官員辦公室或亞裔權益非營利組織實習。因為這些大學生來自美國各州，為讓他們後顧無憂地在加州實習，亞美政聯提供每位實習生4000元生活補助。
就讀於洛杉磯加大的Emma Chen，生長於聖蓋博谷。在參加此夏令營之前，就在亞美政聯實習。她了解到該夏令營廣受好評之後，決定也來參加。她得以在國會眾議員劉雲平（Ted W. Lieu）辦公室實習。她說，參加該項目讓她看到更多可能性，很多前輩給了她未來在該領域繼續發展的啟發。
就讀於波莫那學院（Pomona College）的Angel Yuan是加拿大人，在加拿大高中畢業後來美國讀大學。她說，通過該夏令營，認識了很多人，讓她了解政治是
芝加哥大學華裔生Liam Chia對公共政策非常感興趣，他說，自己來自於亞裔社區，弟弟有唐氏症，在照顧他的責任中，慢慢體會到社會政策和政治影響的重要性。亞美政聯的暑期項目讓他有機會更深入地了解政治，建立相關領域的人脈。他在國會眾議員趙美心辦公室實習。
胡澤群在當天的畢業典禮上祝賀14位政治實習生畢業，他強調了傳承的重要性。他說，畢業生應不忘如今所得到的實習機會，在未來應回饋給下一代亞裔，如此傳承才可以讓亞裔社區更加壯大。
An open letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in support of Agenda Item 10 to ensure inclusivity for Los Angeles County’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, & Inclusion (ARDI) Strategic Plan through an outreach plan that actively engages vulnerable communities and populations that include Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) expresses our deep sadness over the events of the last few days in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. Our hearts are with the victims, survivors, and their families in this difficult time. We commend and thank the emergency responders, elected representatives, and community leaders who continue to care for our communities.
Over the past three years, Asian American communities have felt particularly vulnerable because of an alarming number of violent incidents targeting Asian Americans. While the threat specific to both areas is no longer immediate, these events, during a time of Lunar New Year celebrations, will undoubtedly have impacts that reverberate far wider than the boundaries of the cities impacted. With 3 out of 4 Asian Americans in California worried about being the victim of physical violence, this community-wide concern about public safety is grounded in reality and needs to be addressed.
More than ever, culturally adept, in-language resources and services are also necessary for these ethnically diverse communities. As our community finds ways to grieve and heal, we must also work together to ensure that our needs are heard and addressed.
Thank you to the leaders who lead in advocating for resources for Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Thank you to the leaders who create safe spaces for us to heal and bring us together as a community. Thank you to everyone who cares for us as we work towards a future where we are all safe and empowered.
If you are in need of assistance or support, the City of Monterey Park, LA County, and other partners set up a resource center at Langley Senior Center, 400 W Emerson Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754. A candlelight vigil is scheduled to take place at Monterey Park City Hall on Tuesday, 1/24/23 at 5:30pm. For more information, visit https://www.montereypark.ca.gov/ or call 626-307-1458
