CAA was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian and Pacific American community. We advocate for systemic change that remedies racial injustice, ensures equal opportunities for communities of color, reduces language barriers, and promotes immigrant rights.
Historic Victory: California Supreme Court Affirms Marriage Equality for Same Sex Couples, CAA and API Equality Applaud Decision The California Supreme Court ruled in a historic 4 - 3 decision that same sex couples in trusting, loving, and committed relationships will be able to enjoy the freedom to marry, a decision announced on May 15th. The positive ruling will impact thousands of Asian and Pacific American families in the state, who form a highly visible portion of California’s population of same-sex couples and their children. API Equality, a project of CAA, and its coalitions of supporters are thrilled by this momentous Supreme Court decision, which is a victory for all Californians who cherish fairness and equality. Read more about the ruling on API Equality's website and in our May 15th press release.
June 3 Election – Four of Five CAA Endorsements Successful The critical victories Tuesday night for CAA were the passage of Proposition A in San Francisco and the defeat of Propsition 98 in California! These results will help San Francisco public schools recruit and retain excellent teachers, and protect rent control and affordable housing throughout the State. We were glad to work with many allies to help organize community members, conduct media outreach, and encourage voter turnout to get these victories. In addition, CAA was pleased that Propositions D (SF) and 99 (CA) passed. D promotes diversity on public commissions and 99 provides reasonable eminent domain reform. The only disappointment in our five ballot measure endorsements was the failure of Proposition F (SF). Nonetheless, the grassroots campaign for F has helped secure commitments to priortize affordable housing in new San Francisco development.
CAA Staff Honored as "Local Hero" by KQED Public Broadcasting and Union Bank of California CAA's Director of Community Initiatives, Christina Wong, has been selected as a "Local Hero" for her fierce advocacy for educational equity on behalf of Asian and Pacific Americans. Wong, a CAA staff member for the past nine years, was chosen for her accomplishments on a wide range of school policy issues, including school integration, language access, parental involvement, multilingual programs, and violence prevention and intervention. Wong will be receiving her award at KQED and Union Bank's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration on May 7th. For more information, see our press release in the Media section.
CAA Op-Ed in the San Francisco Chronicle Executive Director Vincent Pan writes: "In the week since Barack Obama delivered his landmark speech on race, many people have swooned, and some have even patted themselves on the back. Of course, there has been some grousing, but according to recent polls, Americans want meaningful racial reconciliation, and welcome guidance on how to get there..." Read the entire Op-Ed on SFGate.com.
CAA Hosts Community Briefing on New SFPD Langauage Access Policy Due to two years of persistent advocacy by CAA and community partners, the San Francisco Police Commission voted last October to unanimously approve a groundbreaking new policy to ensure effective and accurate communication between the SFPD and the limited-English proficient (LEP) communities they serve. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in ensuring that LEP communities are aware of this new policy and of their rights in their interactions with the SFPD. CAA hosted a community briefing on February 21 to inform community agencies, their LEP constituents, and the broader community of their rights under these new provisions. Read the press coverage here in English and Chinese.
Diverse Asian and Pacific American Activists Gather at 2008 CAA Membership Meeting A full crowd attended CAA's annual membership meeting on January 31, 2008, where the theme of the night was innovative Asian American activism. Filmmaker Annabel Park presented her latest YouTube documentary, 9500 Liberty, and discussed the recent trend of "netroot" activism surfacing on the Web. Joining Annabel was Robin Sukhadia of Hyphen Magazine, Andy Wong of API Equality, Andrew Hom of Friends of Educational Opportunities in Chinatown, and Wendy Chuah and Kenny Gong of Helen Zia Fellowship for Social Change. Read the press coverage here in Ming Pao Daily (article in Chinese).
Community Leaders Urge APAs to Get Out the Vote CAA, along with APIA Vote!, Asian American Education Institute, and APIA Public Affairs, joined community leaders last week to urge participation in the upcoming primary election and inform bilingual voters of their voting rights. State Controller John Chiang, San Francisco Assessor Phil Ting, School Board Member Eric Mar, and others spoke about the importance of the upcoming February 5 election. Press coverage here in Chinese.
	CAA Remembers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. CAA celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by hosting a community brunch for Visitacion Valley parents and children on January 19. Together with San Francisco Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, we led a discussion on the lasting impact of Dr. King's life and legacy for Asian and Pacific Americans today. Read the press coverage here (pdfs in Chinese).
Chinatown Campus Coalition Receives Community Award Friends of Educational Opportunities in Chinatown (FEOC) -- the CAA-led coalition for a permanent City College campus in Chinatown -- was recently selected by World Journal newspaper for its 2007 "Person of the Year" Award. FEOC was chosen out of a field of 28 other candidates for its efforts to expand educational opportunities for new immigrants. This annual honor is given to individuals or organizations who have provided exceptional service to or exemplify the best in the Chinese American community. Read more about the award in our Media section.