APIAVote's new organizer resource guide is a great tool to help community leaders, organizers, or anyone to facilitate civic engagement outreach. The guide provides 'how to' strategies as well as "dos and don'ts" in creating a cost-efficient campaign. The guide also provides training in election campaign work such as setting up voter mobilization drives as well as get-out-the-vote campaigns, and also provides links to other training tools and grant opportunities. Sample resources found in the guide include tips for running a nonpartisan campaign, sample phone bank scripts, multilingual fliers, guides on writing press releases, and more! Visit www.apiavote.org/wiki to learn more! 
 Naomi Tacuyan Underwood and Alvina Yeh represented APIAVote at the 10th biennial Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Convention last month. The staff was among 290 AAPI union members and 80 students who gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Entitled, "Generations United Organizing for Change" the conference was the first to convene both workers and students to encourage solidarity in the labor movement.
Underwood moderated a panel entitled "Translating Political Mobilization into Power." The panel featured Rozita Lee (APALA, Nevada Chapter), Kris Valderrama-Lobo (AFSCME), and David Carpio (AFL-CIO). Yeh participated on a panel, "(Re)defining Student Activism and Resistance" about transforming student activism into a career post-college. Co-panelists included Julia Rhee (Green for All), Juan Serafica (UN-LV), Lyell Sakaue (UC-Berkeley), and Susan Li (UCLA). (Photo courtesey of Fitzgerald Pahang)
Recent AAPI Appointees: - Anthony M. Babauta, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Department of the Interior
- Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York
- Edward M. Chen, Nominee for United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- Aneesh Chopra, Associate Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Susan Tsui Grundmann, Nominee for Chairman, Merit Systems Protection Board
- Dolly M. Gee, Nominee for United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California
- Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii
- Jacqueline H. Nguyen, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California
- Vinai Thummalapally, Ambassador to Belize
AAPI Communities and the 2010 Census
What are you doing to prepare for the upcoming 2010 Census? Lower income and ethnic populations like AAPIs are frequently undercounted by the census, leading to underfunding of critical services and under-representation in government. The census is important in determining allocation of resources and federal dollars and enforcing civil rights.
What can you do to help ensure a fair count of our communities?
• Convene a community kick-off where community members and ethnic and local media are invited to learn about the importance of Census 2010.
• Donate space to the Census Bureau where Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QACs) can be setup a month before the Count and Census Bureau staff will provide language assistance and answer questions.
• Educate yourself about the Census and familiarize yourself with this year's form.
 Nonprofits Count provides training and materials for non-profits to mobilize their communities as part of the 2010 campaign.
Census 101: The Basics (.pdf)
Seven Things Any Nonprofit Needs to Know about Census 2010 (.pdf)
Why Nonprofits: Key to a Complete Count (.pdf)
Census Toolkit (Order form, includes CD)  The Asian American Justice Center has compiled an online resource center including AAPI specific factsheet
Importance of 2010 Census to Asian Americans
Debunking the Myths of Asian Americans & Census 2000
The Impact of Redistricting in Your Community (.pdf)
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights has a comprehensive website featuring many resources on organizing around the census.
http://www.civilrights.org/census/
It's not too late! Join the AAPI Summer of Service 
Sign up for AAPI Momentum today at www.aapimomentum.org! AAPI Momentum is an online hub for AAPI leaders, organizations and volunteers. Here you can network among AAPI members with similar interests and goals as well as learn about events in your area. This summer, AAPI Momentum is encouraging everyone to join their Summer of Service, which is in line with President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama's call to service and volunteerism. Create your own projects and sign up for an existing project that helps and empowers AAPI communities. To learn more, go to www.serve.gov.
VisualizAsian Inspires Readership to Stand Up to the Spotlight See. Do. Become. These are the words that VisualizAsian, a new website showcasing the talents and success of APIA community leaders, has for its readers. With a weekly to biweekly spotlight on different AAPI role models, Visualizasian's exposure hopes to inspire and empower AAPIs to find their voices. Its weekly spotlights and interviews include Kip Fulbeck, Yul Kwon, the late Ronald Takaki, Secretary Norman Mineta, Sen. Mee Moua and many more. The next live interview is Tuesday, August 25 at 9pm EST and features Dale Minami - lead attorney in Korematsu v United States and legal community powerhouse. Signup at www.visualizasian.com! Dr. Judy Chu Elected to Represent Southern California District in Congress  On July 14, California Board of Equalization member, Dr. Judy May Chu made history as the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Hilda Solis when she became Secretary of Labor. Representative Chu will represent the 32nd Congressional District of California, which covers part of Los Angeles County, notably East Los Angeles, El Monte, Monterey Park, and West Covina.
Dr. Chu began her political career on the Garvey School District Board, then served on the Monterey Park City Council, where she served as Mayor for the city three times. She was elected to the California State Assembly from 2001-2006 where she chaired the Budget Sub-Committee on Health and Human Services, Select Committee on Hate Crimes and was also chair of the Cha ir of the California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus from 2004-2005. She served on and chaired the California Board of Equalization from 2007-2009. She has the distinction of now being one of 12 AAPI members in Congress. National Asian Aamerican Survey (NAAS) Releases New Survey Findings in New York City On July 22, 2009, the National Asian American Survey (NAAS) presented its findings in New York City on the political participation and views of Asian Americans in order to emphasize the importance of Asian Americans to the political process and to policy debates. The findings also touched on civic engagement, interracial attitudes and coalition politics, discrimination and hate crimes and policy items like health care and immigration. NAAS researchers documented the population's presidential preferences and the differences of opinion among specific ethnic groups. The data revealed that Asian Americans could play in U.S. presidential races, given their significant presence in battleground states and swing states. The survey showcased the most comprehensive data yet available on the civic and political participation of Asian Americans. For more information, please visit www.naasurvey.com. Interviews were conducted during August, September, and early October 2008. The NAAS is a joint effort between professors at Rutgers University, the University of California Berkeley, and the University of Southern California.
Supporting Organizations:
• Asian American Federation of NY
• APIAVote
• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
• Chhaya CDC
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
• OCA New York Chapter
• Young Korean American Service & Education Consortium
Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote - Michigan Barbecue/Potluck Celebration
When: Saturday, August 22, 2009, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Where: Southfield Civic Center Park (26000 Evergreen Rd, Southfield; **Picnic shelters behind volleyball courts)
Who: All are welcome! Please invite friends, family and colleagues.
How: RSVP to michigan@apiavote.org
This is a family-friendly and vegetarian-friendly event! Bring a dish to share if you can. Bring your racquet or volleyball! Play games, eat food, become a member, and have fun! You can also choose to buy a tshirt and sign up to volunteer! Upcoming Conferences Supported by APIAVote APIAVote is proud to co-sponsor the following conferences, in order to continue important conversations on civic engagement and progressive policy advocacy between election years. We hope you can join us this year at "A Better Deal: Securing Our Economic Future Now" and at "Advancing Justice!"
A Better Deal: Securing Our Economic Future NOW.
 http://www.abetterdealconference.org/
October 15th and 16th, 2009
The Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, D.C.
Today's young adults are the first generation in a century who are not likely to be better off than their parents. Compared to previous generations, young people in their 20s and 30s earn less, carry more debt and pay more for everything from health care to housing. The current recession has only exacerbated these conditions, hitting young people of color and those without a college degree the hardest. But the Millennial Generation, a key force in the 2008 elections, is mobilizing to build a new national movement to address today's pocketbook concerns as well as to redress decades of declining economic opportunity and social mobility.
Demos is proud to host the second conference on A Better Deal: Securing Our Economic Future NOW, in partnership with more than a dozen leading national youth organizations and other key voices. Please join hundreds of young activists and leaders to advance a bold policy agenda to create a better deal for this generation and the nation.
The Advancing Justice Conference
 http://advancingjustice.org
October 29-30, 2009
The Center at Cathedral Plaza
555 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Advancing Justice Conference is an inaugural national civil rights and social justice conference that aims to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders in one place to address a broad range of issues facing AAPI communities. It serves as a unique forum where researchers, advocates, direct service providers, and other leaders can talk about their common challenges and find ways to collaborate.
The conference will cover a variety of issues: immigration reform and enforcement, immigrant integration, human rights, civil rights and national security, health care, Census 2010, redistricting, low-wage workers, hate crimes, and LGBT rights. Workshops will also cover: presentations on corporate and foundation fundraising, new media, community organizing, board and commission participation, capacity building, and intergroup collaboration.
The Advancing Justice Conference is a joint project by the Asian American Institute (Chicago), Asian American Justice Center (Washington, D.C.), Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco) and Asian Pacific American Legal Center (Los Angeles).
Meet the Summer 2009 Interns APIAVote's interns have played an invaluable role in our organization this summer. They have worked on projects like researching and analyzing current voting rights legislation, developing a comprehensive online guide for voter mobilization, working to build strong ties with our college campus partners, and writing a manual for students on civic engagement.  Lawrence Liu was born and raised in Chinatown, New York City. He is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he is majoring in Government and Politics, and minoring in Asian American Studies and Chinese Studies. In his third year, Lawrence was appointed Yuri Kochiyama Chair of the Asian American Student Union Executive Board. He hosted a series of leadership workshops educating Maryland high school students on Asian American issues, which earned himself an Award of Recognition from the Asian American Studies Department. The following summer he was an OCA National intern at D.C. Mayor's Executive Office on Asian Pacific Islander Affairs where he worked on language access policy. As a second generation Chinese American, Lawrence developed a passion for helping members of his community through social justice and civic engagement. He is an avid enthusiast of martial arts and hip-hop culture.
 Angela Lam is an intern with the Organization of Chinese Americans(OCA) and has been placed at APIAVote this summer. She lives outside Baltimore, Maryland, and is a rising senior at Tufts University, where she is majoring in International Relations and American Studies. She is part of the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service Scholars, a program that promotes active citizenship through student developed projects in local communities. She facilitated workshops for Asian American youth and trained youth at the Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) in Boston Chinatown. She is the active co-founder and past president for Tufts China Care, an organization that raises awareness about the medical care of orphans in China. She hopes to go on to graduate studies to represent those who face barriers to the legal system.
APIAVote Now Hiring Fall Interns APIAVote is now accepting applications for interns in the Washington, D.C. office. The APIAVote Internship Program strives to encourage and cultivate young AAPI student leaders to explore a career in the public sector or the political arena. This internship program will also provide hands on experience and training on how to organize and implement voter activities to increase the participation of AAPIs in the electoral process. Application and details can be found here: www.apiavote.org/internships.
NYT OpEd asserts U.S. registration rates low due to lack of government measures In a country that promotes full democratic participation of its citizens, the United States has a low voter registration rate in comparison to other countries. Countries with close to 100 percent registration rates have government implemented strategies to register every person, such as collecting data from other agencies like the military or health insurance agencies. In smaller countries, the government sends direct mail to houses and manpower out into the streets to register voters. However, in the U.S., voters must take it upon themselves to register, presumably the reason for a low registration rate of 68 percent. In 1993, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act which requires registration materials to be placed at motor vehicle and public welfare offices. Senator Charles Schumer, chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee is working to propose a national voter registration modernization bill, which hopefully will impose higher standards of practice and enforcement on the states, and result in higher registration rates, those fit for a modernized and equitable first-world democracy.
Source: "The Right Way to Register Voters," The New York Times, July 23, 2009.
APIAVote, a 501(c)3, depends on support of individuals to ensure that AAPIs take their place among other diverse cultures and participate fully in the democratic process. Please donate to APIAVote.org today. By making a contribution to APIAVote today, you can help us: - Field: Build up national and local AAPI capacity by providing training and technical assistance to increase the level of civic engagement.
- Research: Gather information and data by utilizing evaluative tools and metrics
- Communications: Work with our local partners and coalitions in developing messages relevant to their outreach and voter contact plans.
- Education: Emphasize the importance of voting and civic engagement and illustrate how elected officials and ballot measures directly affect AAPIs
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APIAVote hosted a three-day 2009 Partners Convening in June, at which over 20 local partner organizations from 13 states were trained to strengthen their voter mobilization programs. The convening emphasized strong voter mobilization plans and evaluation metrics. Partners also met individually with APIAVote staff and campaign and evaluation experts on hand to discuss their field plans and experiments going into 2009 and 2010 elections. The convening's VAN (Voter Activation Network) training was hosted by Andrew Brown from ISSI, and provided a useful overview on VAN and its unique online database. This tool produces much more effective campaign work by sorting lists and narrowing demographics by filtering through attributes such as voting habits and demographics.
"It was exciting to see the many opportunities for the National Asian Pacific American Panhellenic Association (NAPA) youth to be involved in voter mobilization," said William Xu, Pi Delta Psi National President. "We will encourage our members to be involved with APIAVote local partners, so that we have AAPI youth who are trained to do this important work."
