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Community News
APIAVote Mourns Passing of AAPI Heroes
 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of an APIA labor pioneer, John Delloro. Delloro, a UCLA professor in Asian American studies and influential leader in the APIA community, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Saturday, June 5th, 2010. Delloro served as as the national president of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and as executive director of the Dolores Huerta Labor Institute, which trains and prepares students to understand their power as future workers and professionals. In 2009, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress honored Delloro as an Unsung Hero of the year. Kent Wong, APALA's founding president, noted that Delloro was a "nationally recognized union leader, labor educator, organizer, teacher and mentor, [who] touched the lives of many and will be remembered for his compassion, his generosity of spirit, and for his visionary leadership."
 We also mourn the loss of Tam Tran, an outspoken immigration reform advocate and beloved member of the AAPI community. Tran died on Saturday, May 15th in a car crash in Trenton, Maine. Tran, 27, was pursuing a doctoral degree in American civilization studies from Brown University. Born in Germany to undocumented Vietnamese parents and raised in the United States from age six, Tran was uniquely affected by immigration issues. She was a major supporter of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, Act, which would help undocumented children gain citizenship through completion of a college degree or two years in the military. In May 2007, Tran bravely addressed a congressional committee advocating for the progressive legislation. In her testimony, she said, "Germany does not grant birthright citizenship, so on application forms when I come across the question that asks for my citizenship, I rebelliously mark 'other' and write in 'the world.'" Tam Tran, truly a global citizen, will be sorely missed. For more information on the DREAM Act, please visit www.dreamact.info.
 Cinthya Felix, a friend of Tran's and a fellow DREAM activist, also passed away in the accident. Felix is described as a tireless crusader in the pursuit of immigration reform. During her undergraduate career at UCLA, she helped found the university's group for undocumented youth (IDEAS). She was also the first undocumented student admitted to Columbia University's School of Public Health in 2007. Cinthya and Tam's bold and spirited efforts for justice in immigration have been an inspiration for advocates nationwide.
APALA will be holding a memorial service in honor of John Delloro, Tam Tran and Cinthya Felix on Thursday, June 17th from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the George Meany Room at the AFL-CIO National Headquarters at 815 16th St. NW Washington, DC. To RSVP, please contact APALA at 202-508-3733. In lieu of flowers, please consider providing a donation to the respective families:
- John Delloro Memorial Fund, Dolores Huerta Labor Institute, Los Angeles Trade Tech College. 400 West Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015
- Tam Tran and Cinthya Felix: http://tamandcinthyamemorial.org
AAPI Advocacy Day
As part of the Asian American Justice Center's Advancing Justice conference, dozens of organizations, including APIAVote, will participate in the first AAPI Advocacy Day on Friday, June 25, 2010. Advocates will meet with Members of Congress in the Senate and the House of Representatives to make effective pushes on Capitol Hill and to demonstrate the AAPI community's political power. On June 25, it is time for the AAPI community to mobilize for issues that are important to our community. Come advocate for reform on immigration enforcement (like Arizona's SB1070 and racial profiling), family reunification, E-Verify, and the DREAM Act.
Everyone is encouraged to participate, and training will be provided. Prior experience is not required. Details on training and visits will be provided closer to the date. If you are not able to attend, help our efforts by registering anyway, and writing a letter of support that we will deliver to your Member of Congress on your behalf.
SAALT Be the Change Day
Be the Change is a national day of service, coordinated by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) held on campuses and in cities across the country. The event is based on Mahatma Gandhi's notion that "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." This national day of service provides opportunities for South Asians to give back to their communities.
In 2008, APIAVote youth partners participated in SAALT Be the Change events nationally to promote the importance of registering to vote and turning out to vote on Election Day. Now, in 2010, APIAVote hopes to reenergize our youth leaders through urging our community to vote at rates higher than we have seen in any previous midterm election!
If you are interested in hosting an event on your campus or in your city, please click here for additional information. If you would like information on hosting a voter registration drive or voter education event. Please e-mail Alvina Yeh, Program Director, to sign up.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
For the first time in its 44-year history, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival will focus on what it means to be a person of Asian or Pacific Islander descent living in the United States. To keep this broad theme manageable, the festival will look at the Washington area as a microcosm of the nation, says Phil Tajitsu Nash, curator of this year's program, "Asian Pacific Americans: Local Lives, Global Ties."
What Nash calls "a world-class block party on the National Mall" (the green space stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial) will take place June 24-28 and July 1-5, coinciding, as always, with America's Independence Day, July 4.
Interested? For more information about the festival, click here. Watch a video about this festival here.
New Book: Asian American Political Action: Suburban Transformations
James S. Lai, associate professor of Political Science and Ethnic Studies at Santa Clara University, is proud to announce the publication of his latest book, Asian American Political Action: Suburban Transformations. This book covers the Asian American political landscape and analyzes how Asian Americans are not only winning political office, but achieving new levels of representation nationwide.
A must-read if you are interested in Asian American political progress!
Reel in the Vote!
If you have access to a video camera and a great idea, here's your chance to make a difference, win cash, and enjoy an all-expense paid trip to the San Diego Asian Film Festival! The San Diego Asian Film Foundation is looking for the most creative, 30-second video that promotes and encourages voter registration and participation in the AAPI community. This competition is free and open to anyone. The deadline for submission is August 31.
If you are interested in participating, click here for more details!
National Voter Registration Form Now in 5 Asian Languages
We are excited to announce that the national voter registration form is now available in five Asian languages: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese!
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 1.6 million citizens over age 18 speak an Asian or Pacific Island language at home and English less than "very well." By translating the form, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) helps election officials make voter registration more accessible to U.S. citizens who speak these Asian languages and have limited or no English language proficiency.
The translation and distribution of these voter registration forms is a tremendous accomplishment achieved only with the help of many AAPI organizations, including APIAVote and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). You can read AALDEF's praise for the EAC's new translated forms here.
For more information, visit the Election Assistance Commission's website by clicking here. You can find all the translated voter registration forms here.
You can find voter registration forms in 5 different Asian languages online at the Election Assistance Commission's website.
New Resources from National Voter Engagement Network
The Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network (NVEN) is proud to unveil its new website at: http://www.nonprofitvote.org. This new website equips nonprofit organizations with the resources necessary to influence voting and elections.
In addition to voter outreach toolkits, NVEN's new website also has a number of online guides for nonpartisan voter engagement, as well as a popular webinar series that covers the best practices and tips for organizing civic engagement efforts.
There are plenty of new resources to explore at the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network's new website!
The Sierra Club and Voting for America Announce a Partnership to Help Register Young Americans in 2010
The Sierra Club, America's oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization, and Voting for America, an affiliate of the voting rights nonprofit Project Vote, announced a new nonpartisan initiative to help over 50,000 students of community and four-year colleges in seven states register to vote in the 2010 election cycle.
This summer and fall, Sierra Club staff and volunteers will conduct nonpartisan voter registration and mobilization drives on college campuses in Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas in order to gather over 50,000 voter registration applications from younger Americans.
For more information, you can read the news release here.
Recent AAPI Appointees in the Administration
- Lucy Koh, U.S. District Court, Former Special Assistant to the U.S. Deputy Attorney General and Special Council for the U.S. Department of Justice
- The Honorable Robert A. Underwood, National Board for Education Sciences, President of the University of Guam, former Member of Congress
- Francey Lim Youngberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary on Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Institute
Additionally, our running list of AAPI appointees is here: http://www.apiavote.org/aapi-appointees
Do you have news on an AAPI elected official or appointee? Email us and let us know.
AAPIs Running for Office
- Colleen Hanabusa (HI), the President of the Hawaii State Senate, is running for the 1st Congressional District in Hawaii. The seat is currently held by Rep. Charles Djou, who won in the special election that was held when former Rep. Neil Abercrombie vacated his Congressional seat to run for governor. Hanabusa and Djou will face each other in Hawaii's general election.
- Manan Trivedi (PA), who served as the Batallion Sugeon for the 1st Batallion 5th Regiment Marine Corps Infantry during the invasion of Baghdad, is now running for the 6th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.
- Ami Bera (CA), physician and educator from the Sacramento area, is running for California's 3rd Congressional district.
- Raj Goyle (KA), a two-term state representative in the Kansas State legislature, is running for United States Congress in the 4th District in Kansas.
- Hubert Vo (TX), a three-term state representative in the Texas State House of Representatives, is seeking reelection in legislative district 149.
Additionally, our running list of AAPIs running for office is here: http://www.apiavote.org/aapis-running-office
Do you have news on an AAPI elected official or appointee? Email us and let us know.
- OCA National Convention, June 17-20; Westin Galleria in Houston, TX
- Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) Higher Education Summit, June 23; Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, DC
- Advancing Justice Conference, June 23-24; Westin Alexandria, VA
- Asian American Pacific Islander Community Celebration Honoring the AAPI Appointees of the Obama Administration, June 24, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Washington, DC
- Smithsonian Folklife Festival, June 24-28 and July 2-5; The National Mall, Washington, DC
- JACL National Convention, June 30-July 4; Swissotel in Chicago, IL
.png) Nikkie Bautista is a seventeen year-old high school senior at Dinuba High School in Dinuba, California. Nikkie is involved in the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and her school's environmental club. Nikkie is a three-year varsity water polo player and a varsity swimmer for her high school. After high school, Nikkie is considering joining the Air Force, and will likely apply to various colleges in the area including Stanford University, University of the Pacific, and UC Davis. Nikkie hopes to major in pharmacy or engineering and minor in business or sports medicine.
 Kenzie Chin is a Boston native and a student at Middlebury College. Entering her senior year, Kenzie majors in Sociology and Anthropology and specializes in Chinese sociology and Chinese sociolinguistics. Kenzie has worked extensively with identity issues in families who have adopted children from China. In October of 2009, she created the Middlebury College Xiao Pengyou mentoring program, which pairs adopted Chinese children with Chinese and Chinese American mentors in an effort to help children address the topics of race, culture and identity. Kenzie entered into the political sphere for the first time in 2008 as a volunteer campaigner, and hopes to continue joining her passions for politics and for the APIA community.
 Jenny Lau graduated from Tufts University in May 2010 with a double major in American Studies and Community Health. Originally from New York City's Chinatown, Jenny spent her high school years in the suburbs of Rhode Island before her time at Tufts. While at Tufts, Jenny was a Tisch College Citizenship and Public Service Scholar, and greatly involved with the Asian American community on- and off-campus. On campus, she was a campus organizer in response to a racial incident that occurred in Spring 2009, and involved with the Asian American Alliance, a political group promoting Asian American issues through educational and social programming. Off-campus, Jenny worked with several community-based organizations serving the Asian American community in the Boston area, including the Josiah Quincy Upper School, the Asian clinic at Tufts Medical Center, and the Asian Outreach Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services. In Spring 2010, Jenny was an inaugural fellow for the Asian American Women's Political Initiative State House Fellowship program, which is dedicated to creating a pipeline for Asian American women political leaders. Currently interning at APIAVote, Jenny is interested in grassroots organizing and public policy work affecting Asian American communities.
 Derek Mong is a rising sophomore at Duke University. Originally from Potomac, Maryland, Derek served as an intern at APIAVote in Spring 2009, after serving as a Congressional Intern for Representative Van Hollen (MD-8) in Fall 2008. Throughout 2009 and 2010, Derek chaired APIAVote's Youth Census Advocacy Project (YCAP), a national movement aimed at increasing census awareness through outreach to the nation's network of AAPI students leaders. Derek will continue his internship at APIAVote this summer, working on the 2010 youth vote. Derek is currently the National Vice Chair of the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU)--the largest and oldest ethnic-interest student conference in the United States--where he advocates for students on issues of immigration, civil rights, discrimination, equal opportunity, social justice, and more. At Duke, Derek chairs the Duke Asian American Working Group (DAAWG), a student-led initiative that encourages and urges student discourse on Asian American issues. Derek hopes to train and build a strong coalition of AAPI student leaders nationally to substantively address civic issues affecting the AAPI community.
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 today.
By making a contribution to APIAVote, 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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