How we made democracy work for us

We held the line in Oakland, in Richmond, and statewide. California continues to lead the nation in mobilizing voters to win progressive victories that benefit our families: tenant rights, elected officials that reflect the communities they represent, restored funding for schools, and much more. You can read the list of our victories here: https://apen4ej.org/what-weve-won/.

In California, the emerging electorate rose up against outdated policies passed to underfund and undermine communities of color. With a commitment to lifting up the voices of API, immigrant, refugee, and young voters across the state, we have built power that yields game-changing victories – at the polls and beyond.

Read on for how we make power and democracy work for us:

Register. We registered 3,000+ voters across California—in the streets, at bus stops and farmers’ markets, and on college campuses. Check out our team in action here.

Educate. We know that mainstream parties ignore Asian Americans, so we provided resources in-language resources and hosted forums for voters in Oakland, Richmond, and across the state. Here were some of our favorite moments. We reached over 35,000 voters in 7 languages with the California AAPI Voter Guide.

Mobilize. APEN and our team at the Million Voter Project contacted the most voters of any other organization in the state. APEN alone called and knocked on the doors of over 45,000 Asian American voters. Our work demonstrates that when we mobilize our communities, APIs are a progressive force for justice. This is what it looks like when we connect with voters.

With your help—whether you shared our voter guide, volunteered to Get Out the Vote, or made a donation–we mobilized our communities to show up at the polls. And win.

We continue to build the power and leadership of APEN members, and they are closer than ever to shaping a California where they can actualize their futures, where they can call “home,” find good jobs, and thrive in healthy neighborhoods. Our communities stood up to corporate lies and played a key role in victories locally and statewide.

We will win when we speak for ourselves. We are making power and democracy work for us. Our collective resilience is being tested. But the impact we’ve made locally and in California demonstrates what we have always known—we need people power to win.