Did You Know? Governor's Edition

 

DO YOU KNOW WHY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE API COMMUNITY?

Civically engaging in your communities can have a lasting impact on the quality of life for you, your family, and beyond. There are many ways to be civically engaged in your communities and CAUSE will continue being a resource for everyone on their civic engagement journey. 

It is especially important for Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) to advocate for the needs of their communities because…

  • By 2060, Asians are projected to be the United States’ largest immigrant group, with numbers estimated to surpass 46 million (more than 10 percent of the total U.S. population). 

  • Asians are the fastest-growing racial/ethnic demographic in the country! The population size nearly doubled between 2000 and 2019 and will continue to increase.

This demographic significance is really important for the API community politically, economically, culturally, and socially. 

 

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR IS THE STATE'S MANAGER?

 

Why is it important to learn about your state's governor? A governor has great legislative power. The governor signs bills into law in each state. If you have issues and policies you deeply care about, know that your state Governor has the power to turn them into law.

 
 

DID YOU KNOW THE CA GOVERNOR SIGNED THE HISTORIC API EQUITY BUDGET?

Governors have the power to allocate state resources using the state’s budget. For example, in 2022 the  current California Governor, Gavin Newsom, passed an important legislation to aid the API community. 

In 2021, Governor Newsom signed the historic Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Equity Budget. This effort, sponsored by the API Legislative Caucus, was a $156.5 Million investment in response to the surge of anti-API hate. 

As a historic initiative to help API communities and an important step towards equity, this bill also included a distribution of $14 Million in “Stop the Hate” funds to 80 organizations in California to combat hate incidents. This direct support provided…

  • Legal services and case management

  • Mental and complementary health services

  • Other needed intervention and prevention activities

CAUSE is honored to be one of these 80 organizations. Through this initiative, CAUSE is able to continue civically empowering API advocates and the API community. 


HOW CAN API COMMUNITY ADVOCATES MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN AN ELECTION?

Register to vote and know your state’s deadlines.

  • Register to vote here

  • Check your state’s rules here

  • Be an informed voter.

    • Research the issues on your ballot and find them here

  • Know your polling location.

    • Locate your polling place here

  • Vote early.

    • Learn how to vote early here

  • Raise awareness about issues you care about.

    • Research congress members that support the policies you care about here

    • Don’t be afraid to educate your friends and engage on social media! 


HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED IF I CAN’T VOTE?

Boost voter registration.

  • Organizations like HeadCount and RockTheVote collaborate with young voter advocacy groups to raise awareness about the importance of voting.

  • Join a phone bank.

    • You can always support a candidate through calls! 

    • Join SocialWorkVotes and attend a phone bank event.

    • Check out MobilizeAmerica to find progressive phone banks and CAGOP for conservative phone banks in California. 

  • Drive others to polls.

    • If you have a car, you can help drive voters through CarpoolVote.

    • AARP also provides a map that lists orgs that transport the elderly in every state

  • Share voting information

    • On social media, via email 

    • Send letters to your family + friends

  • Stay educated, get creative

    • Stay informed and use your creativity to create infographics

    • Make presentations to show your friends and family

    • Email these works to your school or local orgs for use 

  • Text to get out the vote

    • Find a textbank you align with and volunteer with them!

  • Volunteer on  campaign