In the final month before tomorrow’s critical election, CAA has not let up in our efforts to ensure our community is able to access, to be informed about, and to fully participate in the November 2020 election.
We thank everyone who has volunteered on campaign- and election-related efforts. See below for our monthly round up of highlights.
CAA Voter Guide
CAA staff is proud to share this 2020 voter guide with recommendations for both California statewide propositions and San Francisco local measures. Those we are supporting resonate with our civil rights values, and we have carefully considered the impact of each ballot measure on our community members, especially those who are the most vulnerable, such as working class, immigrant families. You can download a PDF version of our voter guide here.
In the Final Stretch For Prop 16 Campaign
To help pass Prop 16 and end the ban on affirmative action in California, this past Wednesday, we hosted a Yes on Prop 16 phone bank with the API Legislative Caucus and the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance to reach over 6,000 registered voters. Our team has also met with and won endorsements from over 20 major publications including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, the LA Times, Sing Tao Daily, East Bay Times, and the Sacramento Bee. And this past Saturday, October 31, we rallied in Dolores Park.
All this has helped yield strong and diverse support from the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. More than one hundred AAPI leaders and community groups have endorsed Prop 16, including the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Chinatown Community Development Center, Chinese Progressive Association, the Chinese American Democratic Club, and the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.
Chinese Digital Engagement Outreach
CAA’s Chinese Digital Engagement team has been working tirelessly to grow progressive Chinese voices in California and other U.S. states. Since launching earlier this year, CAA has helped to write more than 100 articles on affirmative action and other civil rights issues that have been viewed more than 60,000 times on platforms like WeChat. A core group of Chinese language organizers are now working with us in San Jose, Orange County, and San Diego, as well as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Together we are leading mobilization efforts, serving as spokespeople in Chinese language media, amplifying progressive discourse, and promoting civic engagement.
Community Organizations Win Ballot Box in San Francisco Chinatown
CAA joined Chinatown Community Development Center, and the SRO Families United Collective with pro-bono support from Perkins Coie to win the first-ever ballot drop-off station in Chinatown’s Portsmouth Square. Beginning this Saturday, October 31 through November 3, Election Day, election personnel will be at the station to securely receive ballots and answer questions. Read more here. And see this link for other official San Francisco ballot drop-off locations.
New Stop AAPI Hate Report Finds Trump & GOP Are Superspreaders of Hate
Last week, Stop AAPI Hate, co-founded and co-led by CAA, released “The Return of ‘Yellow Peril’,” which reports on rising anti-Asian rhetoric and policies connected to the lead up to the 2020 Election. Elected officials and candidates are increasingly spreading anti-Chinese rhetoric and promoting anti-immigrant policies. Read more here.
CAA Leads Coalition in Calling for Language Access for Non-English Speaking Communities
CAA led eight community organizations to call out California’s Employment Development Department for gaps in language access that have caused severe financial hardship and economic instability for tens of thousands of non-English speaking individuals, including low-income Asian immigrants. The CAA policy memo being circulated and discussed by state leadership is an example of how CAA holds state agencies accountable to meet the needs of immigrant and limited-English proficiency residents.
