WASHINGTON, DC - Bob Sakaniwa, Senior Policy Advisor at Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), issued the following statement in announcement of two letters APIAVote and several organizations representing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are spearheading in support of the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
“20 years after the September 11 attacks, the pain and suffering faced that day will always live in the hearts and minds of every American. We remember the family and friends of those whose lives were tragically cut short, as well as those who survived and witnessed the events of that fateful day. We will also honor the heroic acts of our first responders that day – some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice. We must keep the memories and stories of 9/11 alive, as to never forget what happened that day and never allow such hate to ever happen again.”
“Today, we applaud the successful passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the House of Representatives. Passing this legislation to restore many of the powers of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, namely the requirement that states with a history of racial discrimination pre-clear certain changes to their voting laws with the federal government to ensure they are not discriminatory, is critical to securing every eligible voter’s right to vote.”
WASHINGTON, DC - Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, issued the following statement after the United States Census Bureau released new demographic data from the 2020 Census to the states for the purposes of redrawing electoral districts, giving us a deeper understanding of Americans’ self-identities.
WASHINGTON, DC - Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, issued the following statement after the United States Senate overwhelmingly passed the Investment and Jobs Act, a bipartisan infrastructure spending bill to expand the nation's broadband, rebuild roads and bridges, and more.
"We thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for starting a direct conversation with Asian and Pacific Islander Vote (APIAVote) and other Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) civil rights leaders on the issues impacting our communities. We appreciate this administration’s genuine enthusiasm to engage with our communities, while understanding the diverse makeup and needs."
“We are dismayed by the Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich v. DNC. The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold anti-democratic, discriminatory voting laws in the state of Arizona are an affront to the ideals of American democracy. Laws, such as these, not only attempt to solve problems that do not exist, but intentionally target voters from historically-marginalized communities, making it harder for them to vote,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote.
“APIAVote is disappointed in the Senate’s refusal to consider The For the People Act. When state legislatures across the country are passing legislation to curb the freedom to vote, the passage of The For the People Act is all the more important for our democracy,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote).
“APIAVote applauds the House for its passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. While the racism and systemic inequalities facing Asian American communities are not new, the convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and rise in anti-Asian attacks have further exacerbated these long-standing issues,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of APIAVote.
After President Biden’s first 100 days, we applaud the appointments of Ambassador Katherine Tai as the 19th U.S. Trade Representative, and Erika Moritsugu as Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison. We also celebrate that of the Administration’s approximately 1,500 appointments, 15% identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. These are significant steps in making the Biden-Harris administration look like America.