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 Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) 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 AAPI 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-AAPI hate.
As a historic initiative to help AAPI 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 AAPI advocates and the AAPI community.
HOW CAN API COMMUNITY ADVOCATES MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN AN ELECTION?
Register to vote and know your state’s deadlines.
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
Campaigns are a lot of work and always need volunteers: find a candidate who is running through https://www.socialworkvotes.org/what-can-i-do and see how you can get involved!