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This year, API organizations across the state came together to advocate for environmental, immigration, and housing justice.

APACC took on a bigger, bolder shape by bringing community members and allies together in a coordinated week of action in 5 regions across the state to hold legislators accountable to healthy thriving neighborhoods.

On August 7th, APEN launched our first ever Twitter Townhall entitled #APIsEmpowered: Resist & Renew. #APIsEmpowered included panelists from several EJ and allied organizations answering questions that connected our legislative platform to its impact on community.

 

To see what our panelists had to say, click here.

From August 7-18, APEN conducted a total of 14 in district visits in six target cities/counties across the state, including Oakland, Richmond, LA, Fresno, San Diego and Sacramento. These visits focused on advocating on a range of environmental, economic and civil rights legislation and effectively engaged over 15 APACC organizations and key local partners across the state.

We built relationships with one another, shared stories of how these bills impacted our communities, and strategized about intersectional issues and how to make sure our legislators heard our voices. Our policy platform included:

To see our in district advocacy, click here.

“While the Trump administration places vulnerable communities in the crosshairs of attacks on immigrants and refugees, threats of deportation, rollbacks on life-saving environmental protections, eliminating health care and essential services, displacement from housing, assaults on voting rights, and more, we will continue to not just to resist, but to rebuild, restore and renew.” – Miya Yoshitani

Our partners said:

“The Pilipino Workers Center is a community-based organization in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles. Staff and interns of the PWC had the opportunity to attend an in-district lobby day, where we spoke with staff of Senate Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon. It was a chance for us to voice concerns held by the Filipino-American community in the district, whether it was the protection of immigrant members or the increasing gentrification of the area. Our interns commented on how it was their first experience with lobbying and what they learned, and staff connected with other organizations who were part of the group, with the hope of working together on housing issues in the API community. We’d like to extend our thanks and appreciation to APEN for organizing this!” – Ian Kamus, PWC

“For Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability, our in-district visits are one of many strategies essential to finding solutions to the many intersectional issues facing the San Joaquin Valley. In an area where residents bear the burden of some of the worst air and water quality in the country, elected officials need to hear what’s happening on the ground. Our resident partners from rural and low-income communities are experts in their own experience and absolutely have the right of access to their representatives and demanding action for their priorities.” Pedro Hernandez, Leadership Counsel

“I was honored to represent my Filipino EJ group, FACES, as part of a multigenerational visit with Senator Skinner and Assemblymember Bonta. Weaving our real experiences with climate, housing and immigration issues made our advocacy on CA bills holistic, urgent and even emotional.” – Mari Rose Taruc, FACES

A special thank you to our organizational partners who participated in the in district advocacy: