APIAVote would like to congratulate the following individuals on their appointments within the Obama-Biden administration (listed in alphabetical order). Preeta Bansal - General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Anju Bhargava - Member of Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Steven Chu - Secretary of Energy Nancy-Ann DeParle - Director, White House Office of Health Reform Tammy Duckworth - Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs Ivan K. Fong - General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security Neal Katyal - Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States Betsy Kim - White House Liason, Department of Defense Harold Koh - nominee, Legal Advisor, Department of State Howard Koh - nominee, Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services Vivek Kundra - Federal Chief Information Officer Gary Locke - Secretary of Commerce Chris Lu - Cabinet Secretary Florence Y. Pan - Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Eboo Patel - Member of Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Nicholas Rathod - Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Pete Rouse - Senior Advisor to the President Meena Seshamani, Director of Policy Analysis Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Reform Rajiv Shah - Nominee, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, United States Department of Agriculture Sonal Shah - White House Office of Social Innovation Rhea Suh - Nominee, Assistant Secretary for Policy Management and Budget, Department of Interior Neera Tanden, Senior Advisor Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Reform Tina Tchen - Director, Office of Public Engagement Kal Penn - Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement 
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by exercising your electoral and political power in your next local election, and in the next presidential election as well! In the meantime, participate in celebrations nationwide. Visit our calendar for a listing of events nationwide. AAPI Heritage Month History
- October 5, 1978: President Carter signed a joint resolution declaring the first week in May of as "Asian/Pacific Heritage Week."
- 1980-1990: Presidents Carter, Reagan and George H.W. Bush continue to issue yearly proclamations about the week-long commemoration.
- May 1990: President George H.W. Bush proclaimed the first-ever "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."
- October 1992: Through the continued efforts of Congressman Frank Horton (NY) , Congress passed a law, designating May as "Asian/Pacific Heritage Month."
- 1991-2008: Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush continue to issue annual proclamations.
- 2009: President Obama issues proclamation naming May "Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month."
"The vast diversity of languages, religions, and cultural traditions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders continues to strengthen the fabric of American society....During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we remember the challenges and celebrate the achievements that define our history." - President Obama, Proclamation on AAPI Heritage Month
What are you doing to celebrate this month? Promote your events, share your photos and videos at the new online portal for the AAPI community: www.aapimomentum.org. A project of the National Coalition for APA Community Development (National CAPACD), www.aapimomentum.org aims to reengage and energize AAPI community groups and to participate in AAPI Heritage Month. The focal point of the website is a National AAPI Week of Service from May 24-31. Organize or attend an event or service opportunity in your city! Also, the APIAVote events page is constantly updated with events from our partners as well as national events.
Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF) Presents Voter Discrimination Report to Congress  On March 19, 2009, AALDEF presented Congress with a new report detailing obstacles faced by Asian American voters in eleven states and the District of Columbia in the November 2008 Presidential Elections. The report was delivered at a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on "Lessons Learned from the 2008 Election."
The report, Asian American Access to Democracy in the 2008 Elections, documents violations of the Voting Rights Act and Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and other incidents of anti-Asian voter disenfranchisement from 52 cities across the country. Asian Pacific Network of Oregon (APANO)'s API Legislative Day  On May 9, 2009, APANO gathered attendees of more than 15 ethnicities spanning 4 generations for APANO's first API Legislative Day at the Oregon Capitol. Participants learned about the basics of the legislative process, had the opportunity to meet their elected officials and staff, and were a part of a powerful pan-Asian and Pacific Islander event.
APIAVote - Michigan to Host Community Gathering on Asian & Arab American Vote  Monday, May 18, 2009
5:30 p.m. Reception / 6:30 p.m. Presentation
Canton Township Offices - Freedom Room
1150 S. Canton Center Rd, Canton, MI 48188
RSVP to events@apiavotemi.org
Win cool prizes!
Featured speaker: Glenn Magpantay, voting rights attorney, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
New information will be released about Asian American and Arab American voting patterns in Michigan. In addition, come learn about APIAVote-Michigan's 2009 work, meet other community leaders and volunteers, and have fun! Please join us for a light reception following the presentation. ~~~ Have a nonpartisan/501c3-civic engagement event that you'd like to promote? Have a news tip for our next newsletter? Email us with details to be featured on our events page and/or our next newsletter. Photos: Glenn Magpantay of AALDEF, APANO Members at Community Meeting, APIAVote-MI event
Census Bureau hiring for various positions both nationally and locally
 With Census 2010, right around the corner, the Census Bureau is hiring hundreds of thousands of temporary workers to fill a variety of census positions across the country.
The Census Bureau has 12 Regional Offices located in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Seattle. Area residents can apply to earn good weekly pay, enjoy flexible hours and be part of a historic opportunity to serve their communities. This is especially important if you are bilingual as you can communicate to community members who may be limited-English proficient. For more information and to apply: http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/
This past March, APIAVote signed on to two amici curiae ("friend of the court") briefs filed by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ruling  regarding the Voting Rights Act in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder. Both briefs address Section 5 of the VRA in particular, as Section 5 requires jurisdictions with atrocious histories of voting discrimination to get federal approval of new voting practices or procedures. This approval or "preclearance" must be in place in order to ensure that the proposed changes will not make it more difficult for racial and ethnic minorities to vote. AALDEF's brief cites examples of how Section 5 has protected Asian American voters with regard to school board elections, poll site changes, and compliance with Section 203, the language assistance provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The brief details how Section 5 was used to ensure fully-translated ballots and language assistance at more polling places in growing Asian American neighborhoods. In contrast, and as a signal of the work AAJC'S brief underscores the disparities still faced by Asian American populations in Section 5-covered jurisdictions with respect to voter registration and turnout, electoral representation and racial discrimination in voting.
For more information about this case and Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, please visit the websites of AALDEF & AAJC. Links: AALDEF: http://www.aaldef.org/article.php?article_id=395
AAJC: http://www.advancingequality.org/en/rel/157/
Naomi Tacuyan Underwood, APIAVote Deputy Director named by Phil Yu of www.angryasianman.com as one of the "30 Most Influential Asian Americans Under 30" http://www.angryasianman.com/2009/05/30-under-30-naomi-tacuyan-underwood.html Doua Thor, APIAVote board member, named a 2008 American Memorial Marshall Fellow by the German Marshall Fund http://www.gmfus.org/template/page.cfm?page_id=366 Stephanie L. Chang, APIAVote-Michigan Chair, honored by Michigan's Race Relations Diversity Task Force as 2009 "Diversity Champion" http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090402/NEWS02/904020479/1019/rss02
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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Voter ID requirement bills which limit access to the polls and discriminates against many disadvantaged populations have cropped up in Texas and Georgia. APIAVote has been working with local groups to craft responses to voter ID requirements.
