Statement: We Celebrate our Grassroots Mobilization Efforts in the September 14 Special Election

Community Organizations Reached Thousands of AAPIs to Vote Through Field and Ethnic Media Outreach

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‍Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community organizations reached and mobilized thousands of AAPIs to vote in the September 14 special election.  

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“We did this because we needed to. We did this to protect immigrant working class AAPI communities facing anti-Asian hate crimes and a raging pandemic disproportionately affecting Pacific Islanders more than any other group in California. This campaign was about protecting our communities from a clear threat against the progressive wins we’ve had and advancing the racial, economic and environmental justice issues we are fighting for every day.” said Rozlind Silva, AAPI FORCE-EF’s Civic Engagement Organizer.

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Our community organizing network led the state’s biggest AAPI-focused get out the vote operations as a core member of the multiracial alliance, Million Voters Project (MVP) which mobilized AAPI, Latinx, Black, and Youth voters across the state. In the four weeks since MVP and AAPI FORCE-EF  kicked off the GOTV campaign, the groups’ community-led operation to turn out voters of color turned this recall election into a base building opportunity.  

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Daisy Maxion, Filipino Advocates for Justice’s Civic Engagement Organizer said, “Our outreach programs expanded the electorate by making sure Asian immigrant voters understood what was at stake in this election. By not voicing our vote, we  would roll back decades of progress in protecting low-wage workers, addressing the current spike in anti-Asian violence, and making sure corporations pay their fair share in California.”

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Outreach teams spanned the state, with get out the vote operations in Sacramento, Fresno, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Orange County, and San Diego. Our field partners include Asian Solidarity Collective, California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, Filipino Advocates for Justice, Hmong Innovating Politics, and Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (OCAPICA). Canvassers and volunteers had direct phone and door conversations with over 6,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters across the state of California, with voters contacted in English, Tagalog, Hmong, and Vietnamese.

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Through our partnership with the Secretary of State’s office, AAPI FORCE-EF and local partners also reached voters through TV, radio, print, and digital advertisements

• Hmong Innovating Politics’ Communications Associate & Language Specialist spoke about the importance of voting on KBIF 900AM Hmong Radio and Hmong TV Network.
• Shared thousands of print flyers with general information about the special election and the necessary education about how ballots were distributed.
• Translated materials that demystified the recall ballot were boosted on social media channels most used by community members.

Every conversation made a difference. With voters, our network of passionate phone bankers and door-to-door canvassers emphasized that everyone in California should earn fair wages, have clean air and water, live in a safe, affordable home and be able to care for our families. We let them know that their votes would decide the future of California.

By making sure our neighbors and peers filled out their ballots, we empowered ourselves to keep us safe and protect the progress our movement has made to protect immigrant, refugee, and working class communities.