Spring is around the corner and the primary season is officially underway. Have you requested your ballot yet? There are important primaries coming up in May, so now is the time to visit votefromabroad.org to get in your request and to make sure you can vote this year. It is critical to request your ballot early, since many states are working to make voting more difficult. You can read more below about the restrictive voting legislation being introduced that will also impact AAPI communities at the state and federal levels.
You can still sign up to help us get out the vote by creating videos in different languages! If you would like to help us by making a video, please email us at [email protected]. You can check out the videos from 2020 to get an idea of what the final product will look like.
This week, we are hosting an event with the Democrats Abroad newly established Environment & Climate Crisis Council(ECCC). Join us on Wednesday, March 16, as we hear from renowned author and activist Dr. Craig Santos Perez. He will share his poetry from his new book and discuss with us the intersection of poetry, climate change and eco-politics.
On Wednesday, March 23, we will also host two events in honor of the one-year anniversary of the tragic shooting in Atlanta, where 8 people were murdered, 6 of them Asian women. We will be offering a space for people to gather, reflect, and share about how they are feeling one year later. You can RSVP to attend either the event at an Asia Pacific-friendly time or a Europe, Middle East, Africa and Americas-friendly time.
If you want to volunteer with the AAPI Caucus, you can find various opportunities on our website. You can also make a donation to Democrats Abroad on behalf of the AAPI Caucus. Your financial support to our all-volunteer organization will help pay for voter outreach, improvements to our website, and more.
Best wishes,
Emily Lines
Chair, AAPI Caucus
Upcoming Events
Sonnet at the Edge of the Reef: A Conversation with Dr. Craig Santos Perez
Wed. March 16, 2022, 6 am Berlin / 1pm Singapore / 4pm Sydney
RSVP
Stop AAPI Hate - Reflecting and Remembering (AP-friendly)
Wed. March 23, 2022, 7pm Seoul / 6pm Singapore
RSVP
Stop AAPI Hate - Reflecting and Remembering (EMEA & Americas-friendly)
Wed. March 23, 2022, 7:30pm Berlin / 2:30pm Washington, D.C.
RSVP
Unity, Inclusion, and a Shared Commitment to Human Dignity - an interactive session with Diego Sanchez, Director, Advocacy, Policy & Partnerships, PFLAG
Sat. May 28, 2022, 7pm Seoul / 12pm Berlin / 6am Washington, D.C.
RSVP
Updates
Voting Issues - Restrictive Voting Legislation
As part of our monthly newsletters, the AAPI Caucus will be sharing information on key issues affecting the coming elections that will impact AAPI communities at both the state and federal levels.
Restrictive Voting Legislation
With the failure of the Senate to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act in January, introduction of state-level legislation to restrict voting access has continued to increase, impacting both individuals’ ability to vote and undermining the electoral process. If enacted, it would disproportionately affect voters of color.
Read the full write-up about restrictive voting legislation by the AAPI Caucus.
Join the AAPI Caucus on Goodreads
With all of our monthly book recommendations, we wanted to make it easier to find a list of all of our past recommendations. You can now follow our caucus on Goodreads. Follow our page and see all the books we've read, recommended, and discussed.
Recommendations
Film: 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021)
Torquil Jones (director), Noah Media Group (production)
14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossiblefollows Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja as he and his team attempt to climb the fourteen highest peaks in the world within seven months - a feat last completed by record holder Reinhold Messner, taking over seven years.
14 Peaks highlights the power of the human spirit, the sanctity of life, and the importance of representation.
Podcast: Add To Cart by Lemonade Media
Every week, SuChin Pak (yes the Korean MTV News correspondent from the aughts) and Kulap Vilaysack (Laotian American actress) dish on their past week’s shopping decisions and research on Add To Cart. Their unapologetically raw discussions dissect the cultural and psychological reasons for why we consume what we consume. Hot tips and self-reflection abound.
Just one of our favorite episodes: "" (first aired August 17, 2021).
Children's Book: Drawn Together by Minh Lê (author) & Dan Santat (illustrator)
In Drawn Together, we witness an afternoon with a grandson and grandfather who at first struggle to speak a common language, and then find connection, adventure, and joy in their shared love of drawing. Artist Dan Santat’s images leap off the page with a passion that will ignite any stone-cold heart. The language barrier is lovingly traversed in this book of few words.
Meet the AAPI Caucus Team
Donna Lum, AAPI Caucus Steering Committee Member:
"I’m thrilled to join such an enthusiastic and hard-working group at AAPI Caucus. There are so many issues facing us as part of the hugely diverse but 'silent minority' but together we are up to the challenge.
I was born and raised in Hawaii, of second or 3rd generation parents who originally immigrated to the US from Japan and China. In 1996, I moved to the fascinating archipelago of Indonesia." Read more about Donna