CALIFORNIA CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION APPROVES FINAL MAPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Yap
CAUSE Executive Director
Phone: (213) 269-5715
Email: nancy@causeusa.org
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.
Over the last two months, CAUSE has focused its advocacy work on the redistricting process at the congressional level, specifically in the San Gabriel Valley (SGV). After discovering the West San Gabriel Valley (WSGV) API community would be split and the political representation of the East San Gabriel Valley’s (ESGV) API community would be diluted, CAUSE decided to take immediate action to inform the public of what was happening and to share the SGV API communities’ input with the Commission.
Though the redistricting process has been challenging, it sparked unprecedented levels of civic engagement within the SGV API community. Within 72 hours and after countless one-on-one conversations by trusted intergenerational community messengers, over 40 organizations and 150 individuals signed onto CAUSE’s joint statement demanding that the voting rights and political representation of the WSGV and ESGV API communities be protected. Then, CAUSE supporters submitted 200+ comments of the 300 comments that were submitted about the SGV to the Commission, which resulted in the final maps showing:
WSGV API majority cities (Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Marino, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Arcadia, Temple City) are in the same congressional district (CD28).
Though ESGV API political representation has dropped to 21%, ESGV API communities (Hacienda Heights, Walnut, Diamond Bar, and Rowland Heights ) are in the same congressional district (CD38).
A newly formed North Central Orange County congressional district has 37% API representation, one of the highest in the state. (CD45). Several Asian communities (Little Saigon, Cerritos, Fullerton, Buena Park) are in this district where Asian Americans are the largest ethnic group.
In addition, these maps show that, for the first time, the WSGV API majority cities are together in the same State Assembly District, State Senate District, and Congressional District.
Over the past few weeks, CAUSE heard numerous inspirational stories in support of API voting rights and political representation. Stories that represented the diversity of API communities through personal anecdotes and community history. Stories asking commissioners to keep communities whole. For many communities, civic participation can be daunting and inaccessible. Yet, CAUSE supporters answered a call to action when they found out that the voting rights of the API community were threatened.
Nancy Yap, Executive Director of CAUSE, shares that, “Throughout this process, I have been inspired by individual and collective stories on the diversity of the Asian and Pacific Islander experience in California. CAUSE will continue to elevate the voices of our community and work to ensure that their voices are heard by decision-makers.”
Commissioners have publicly stated that the outpouring of support for the WSGV API community was critical to their decision to modify the CD210 map to keep all WSGV API majority cities in the same congressional district, in which a significant portion came from CAUSE supporters.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information or to schedule an interview, call (213) 269-5715 or email nancy@causeusa.org.