AAPI FORCE-EF’s 2022 California Midterm Election Guide provides voter information in English, Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Khmer, Lao, Punjabi, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Visit aapiforce-ef.vote to learn more about what midterm elections are for and how to vote to make sure our communities’ voices are heard.
Let’s use our AAPI power to VOTE AS A FORCE for a better California for all.
![[Image: on an orange-blue gradient, art by Fernando Argosino of an empowered force of five Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, ready to take on the future. Fists are raised, a wave with a tiger propels them forward. Below, text: “VOTE (in starry text) AS A FORCE”] ](https://aapiforce-ef.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Website-slide-cover-1-1-491x410.png)
AAPI FORCE-EF’s 2022 California Primary Election Guide provides voter information in English, Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Khmer, Lao, Punjabi, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Visit aapiforce-ef.vote to learn more about what primary elections are for, how to vote, and to sign up to volunteer to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) with AAPI FORCE-EF and our network partners.
Let’s use our AAPI power to VOTE AS A FORCE for a better California for all.
Download our 2-page Primary Election Guide, translated in Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Khmer, Lao, Punjabi, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. [Link]
From July 8 to August 26, 2020, a coalition of partner organizations coordinated by AAPIs for Civic Empowerment Education Fund fielded a survey in five California suburban regions with high Chinese American immigrant voter density. The results of this survey demonstrate that suburban Chinese American voters are far from a monolith and, depending on the issue, may vary across party affiliation, age, and/or nativity.
Download and read the full survey here [PDF]
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Based on the survey results, AAPI FORCE-EF also released “Portrait of a Key Community: Chinese American Voters in California.” This infographic highlights the survey’s key findings.
Download and read the “Portrait of a Key Community: Chinese American Voters in California” infographic here [PDF]
Following one of the most historic elections in U.S. history, AAPIs for Civic Empowerment Education Fund surveyed 20 integrated voter engagement (IVE) and other community partners throughout the country to gauge Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) experiences voting during the pandemic and to assess the landscape around language barriers and the provision of language assistance to voters. “Exercising Power In a Pandemic: A 2020 Post-Election Survey of AAPI Civic Engagement Organizations” is a part of a larger effort to assess language access work in the civic engagement arena nationwide; document and raise up best practices; and ultimately cultivate greater support for efforts to tackle the problem.
Download and read the full survey here [PDF]
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tony McDade. Ahmaud Arbery. David McAtee. And so, so, so many more have been taken too soon by the police and white supremacists.
These deaths, as well as the disproportionate amount of COVID-19 deaths in the Black community, are caused by systems deeply rooted in the dehumanization of black lives, the prioritization of corporate interests and private property over the lives of working people.
Furthermore, we are witnessing protesters for Black Lives get violently attacked by the police, experience arrests due to unjust curfew policies, and face threats from white supremacist vigilantes.
We must do our part to create social change. We must create a new world where Black Lives Matter, where community wellbeing is valued over corporations, and where community safety is valued over police departments.
Demand the rights of protesters to be respected
Demand a divestment from the police and investment in black communities
Demand immediate COVID-19 relief for communities
Demand community control of budgets, economies, the police department, etc.
Demand an end to the war against Black people (criminalization, incarceration, killing of Black people)
Forging an abolitionist strategy for defending Black lives.
Political Education (English):
Black and Asian-American Feminist Solidarities: A Reading List from Black Women Radicals
Open Letter to Community: A call for unity and solidarity in the face of violence (organized by MN Asian organizations)
Alternatives to Policing in Arab & Muslim Communities by Arab Resource & Organizing Center
Video: Asian American Solidarity in Support of Black Lives hosted by Asian Americans United
In-language resources:
Letters for Black Lives (letters about anti-blackness translated into various languages)
English/Chinese: A Letter from a Yale student to the Chinese American Community
Upcoming virtual events:
June 5th, 12pm PT – Vietnamese Solidarity & Action Network Community Conversation
June 6th, 10am PT – Making Meaning Of This Moment; Forging An Abolitionist Strategy For Defending Black Communities
June 6th, 4pm PT – In Defense of Black Life: Cambodian Community Conversation hosted by Southeast Asian Freedom Network
June 11th, 2pm PT – Using the Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit To Defend Black Lives hosted by Grassroots Asians Rising
June 12th, 3pm PT – South Asians in Defense of Black Lives
Plug into the Movement for Black Lives, and their virtual events, mutual aid, and policy platforms.
Follow and support local organizations that are fighting to defend Black lives. Here is a list of anti-racist groups in California, compiled by We Are California.
Make sure California reinvests and prioritizes the education, health, and safety of our communities. Schools and Communities first is a historic initiative that will end corporate loopholes and reclaim $12 billion for local schools and communities. Add your name to the #AAPIs4SCF movement here and join us for a virtual campaign kickoff next Wednesday here.
**If you have suggestions for political education materials, in-language resources, or virtual events to add to this list, please email Lan@aapiforce.org**
If you didn’t attend our live Census trivia game, you missed out on a fun session of friendly competition. On our Zoom call, participants were on mute but they later reported that they were shouting of joy and frustration as we tested our knowledge of the Census.
But don’t worry, just because you missed our live event doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun. We are sharing our Census trivia game, hosted using the learning-platform Kahoot, with you. Playing this game will make you a Census master who will be able to answer questions about the census — from the most commonly asked to the the most weird (okay, maybe not the most weird).
Organizations or groups who are doing Census outreach are welcome to use the game as a fun way to train your census workers on the ins and outs of the Census. For organizations click on the link to “play as a group” below and have one person who is the “host” screenshare on a video call (or, if in person, project the screen) to play. Participants can use a computer or smartphone to play. All that’s needed is an internet browser and access to internet.
You can also play at your own pace as an individual (below)! When playing as an individual, what you entered as your “nickname” and your score will be shared with other folks who play the game later, so keep that in mind when choosing your nickname.
Please let us know what you think about the game by tagging us on social media @aapiforceef. We hope you have fun and learn a lot!
On March 28th, 2020, our executive director Timmy Lu spoke in a town hall addressing Anti-Asian racism in the midst of COVID-19. The town hall discussed the U.S.’s long history of Yellow Peril racism against Asian Americans and emphasized solidarity with other communities of color, alternatives to policing, applying a disability justice framework, and more.
Click on the links below to see our live tweets from the event and to access a recording of the town hall.
“Movements are born of critical connections rather than critical mass.” –Grace Lee Boggs
As we’re facing a once-in-a-generation crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important now than ever to center human connections and be a part of a movement for community care. This means that while we are experiencing physical distance from our communities, the compassion and love we have for each other remains strong.
During this crisis, our communities are being targeted and scapegoated, with GOP politicians referencing COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus” and numerous incidents of hate crimes against Asians. We’ve seen this before. Throughout history, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been oppressed, harmed, and even killed due to our race. But time and time again, we have prevailed from these hardships by taking care of each other.
We come from peoples who have survived and flourished despite war, colonization, and environmental catastrophe. As working-class Asian American immigrants, refugees, and Pacific Islanders, our people have survived and thrived by putting community care over individual needs. We see this in elderly folks who sacrifice their time in retirement to raise their grandchildren. We see this in community members pooling money together to form community-based loan systems to combat discrimination from banks. When employers won’t grant workers adequate time off, we see workers sharing their sick leave with colleagues so that they can care for themselves and their loved ones.
We have been trained to adapt an individualistic mindset that tells us that we have to fend for ourselves. But we must remember that during the most devastating moments, community care, not hyper-individualism, is what allows us to prevail.
Despite experiencing physical isolation, we’re witnessing the power and beauty of compassion and community care. We’ve seen neighbors offering to watch each other’s children as schools close, community members delivering groceries for elders, loved ones celebrating birthdays via video chat and organizers collaborating to push for policy changes that would protect our most vulnerable populations.
Reach out and talk to elders and immunocompromised people who are housebound and who may be experiencing loneliness from social isolation.
Participate in mutual aid networks like the ones in Seattle or Oakland and volunteer your time or donate money/supplies to those in need. If you can’t find a mutual aid network in your area, you can build your own or simply post what labor/goods you’re willing to offer in local neighborhood groups. Offering to make a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy could go a long way for someone in a vulnerable group.
Donate to community care funds like the National Domestic Workers Alliance’s Fund and APEN’s fund for Asian immigrant families. Many community members will face a loss in income and/or employment, and these funds will help them mitigate the impacts.
Fill out the 2020 Census and remind others to fill out the Census. Funding for local health clinics and programs like Medicaid — which are essential in crises like this one — is determined by Census responses. Asians are the least likely of any racial group to fill out the Census. And the U.S. Census Bureau offers no language support for Pacific Islander languages, leaving states and community organizations to fill the gap. To get care for our communities, we must fill out the Census ourselves and encourage others to do so.
Advocate for emergency policy changes regarding paid sick leave, moratorium on evictions, easier access to prescription medications for disabled people, small business relief, protection for incarcerated populations, and access to healthcare for all regardless of immigration status. Join our mailing list for an update on policy actions you can sign on to support.
As an organization working to build power amongst working class AAPIs, we recognize that working class communities will be some of the most heavily hit during this crisis. Workers such as servers, sanitation workers, manicurists, etc. may experience financial difficulties due to a cut in hours.
Addressing the viral social media post supposedly from Stanford doctor full of misinformation
“Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”
What to do if you are sick with COVID-19 / 如果您感染了 2019 新型冠状病毒 (2019-nCoV) 该怎么办
What you need to know about COVID-19 / 关于冠状病毒疾病 2019 (COVID-19) 您需要知道什么
Guidance for Preventing the Spread of COVID 19 / 预防冠状病毒疾病 2019 (COVID-19) 在家庭和住宅社区中传播的暂行指南
How to Cope With Stress / Tham Khảo để Giữ Gìn Sức Khỏe Tâm Thần và Thể Chất
Cleaning in Group Settings / Hướng Dẫn Vệ Sinh Chung liên quan đếnBệnh về Đường Hô Hấp tại Những Nơi Đông Người
Cleaning in the Home / NGĂN NGỪA BỆNH VỀ ĐƯỜNG HÔ HẤP LÂY LAN TẠI NHÀ
Frequently Asked Questions / Mga Kadalasang Tinatanong na Katanungan
What If I’m Exposed / Ano ang dapat gawin kung Ako ay Malantad
Cleaning in the Home / PAGPIGIL SA PAGKALAT NG SAKIT SA PALAHINGAHAN SA TAHANAN
What You Should Know / មេរោគកូរ៉ូណាប្រភេទថ្មី អ្វីដែលអ្នកត្រូវដឹង
Cleaning in the Home / ការរងាា រការរីកោលដាល ដនជាំងឺផាូវែនងហើម នៅតាមផទះ
This is the time to come together — not physically, but through our actions. Community care doesn’t just look like participating in mutual aid or donating funds — it also looks like adhering to physical distancing regulations. By exchanging a trip to the gym or a night out with friends for a quiet night in or a celebration via video chat, we are actively working against the spread of the virus. We are all capable of contracting and spreading the virus, but we are also all capable of keeping our communities safe. We will do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will demand that our government protect not just us, but the most vulnerable in our community. Even if we’re not out on the streets protesting, we are still looking out for each other and fighting for justice.
Check out AAPI FORCE’s March 2020 voter guide, with instructions on how to vote, details about California’s new Voting Centers, details on how to vote for the presidential nominee, and details on what Prop 13 is.
Feel free to print out and share this resource with your friends, family, and community members. Let’s show the country what #AAPIpower looks like.
Download [PDF]
AAPIs for Civic Empowerment Education Fund organized the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Campaign School to develop the skills needed to advance AAPI power-building strategies at every level, and to strengthen organizations to mobilize AAPIs across the country. The School elevated integrated voter engagement (IVE) strategies that combine grassroots organizing with voter mobilization as a key path to building power. New AAPI civic engagement leaders received training by seasoned IVE practitioners to become better organizers, campaign leads, and directors. The School consisted of plenary sessions setting the political landscape, breakout trainings for skills development, and strategy sessions to address specific challenges. Together we explored our strategic role as AAPIs to build governing power in our states, and strategies to unite a multiracial voter bloc at the local, state, and national levels.
Read the full report [PDF]