Tuesday, September 17
RSVP to get the Webex link
VOTING MATTERS, Tu Sept 17, 8pm (DA Japan & DA Korea)
VOTING MATTERS: An intersectional discussion
There are so many reasons to vote! Join DA Japan and DA Korea on Tuesday Sept 17 8-9:30pm Tokyo / Seoul (7am US Eastern time)
Virtual event - on Webex.
Vice President Kamala Harris will be the first female, African American, and Asian American President of the United States, among other identities. As a big tent party, the Democratic Party balances the interests of many communities but still manages to make it all work. In this collaborative session, we take a look at the ways in which our own life experiences and the communities we hail from have shaped our individual policy preferences and vice versa.
We'll hear from New York-based Glenn D. Magpantay, a recently appointed Commissioner at the US Commission on Civil Rights and long time AAPI and LGBTQ organizer and community leader on how his personal and professional activism have informed his narrative construction and policy preferences.
Suma Shamanna, our regional vice chair, will share perspectives on why voting matters with other DA leaders from the region. We will hear from Jasper Lee, an AAPI and LGBTQ student leading Democrats Abroad Australia and Rev. Ryusei Iizuka, DA Japan Communications Chair who is a life long social justice activist committed to progressive social change. The speakers’ wealth of life experience has led them all to this moment and this party. We find out how and why.
Moderated by Cory Lemke (DA Republic of Korea), and Sarajean Rossitto (DA Japan)
- Our aim is to not only educate members, but to motivate them to vote and get involved!
- Join us and make a difference in US elections!
- RSVP to get the Webex link.
- Cost: free! We humbly ask that you support our work by getting involved or making a donation to Democrats Abroad
- Support work where you are by giving directly to DA Japan or DA South Korea (click on the country for the donation link.)
JST/KST Event schedule, overview and format
- 8:00pm Welcome
- 8:05 Why vote while living overseas?
- 8:10 Introduce speakers and the themes of the evening
- 8:15 Discussion with our guest speaker
- 8:35 Discussion with DA leaders and guest speaker
- 8:55 Open Q / A
- 9:15 The basics of overseas voting
- 9:20 Wrap-up comments
- 9:30 Event Ends
*From 9:30pm, there will be a voter support session on Zoom. More information forthcoming but you can join other times listed HERE.
About our featured guest speaker
Glenn D. Magpantay, Esq. is a long-time civil rights attorney, professor of law and Asian American Studies, and LGBTQ rights activist. He has been organizing in the community for over 30 years. Hr co-founded and served as Executive Director of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) after serving as a nationally recognized voting rights attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). In 2023 Glenn was appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil rights. He is a thought-leader at the intersection of race, immigration, and queerness, regularly publishing scholarly articles, opinion-editorials, and public reports. Today, he is principal at Magpantay & Associates: a nonprofit consulting and legal services firm.
About our DA leaders and commentators
Suma Shamanna, DA Regional Vice Chair for Asia Pacific, grew up in Bangalore, India and pursued her Master's degree the US. Suma was introduced and actively participated in politics in university and began organizing events and fundraising. With a rich experience of two Master's degrees and decades of work experience, Suma has been on the board of a technology start-up and mentor new businesses. A fitness enthusiast, known to regularly participate in marathons, Suma has served as Chair of Democrats Abroad India, been a member of the Global AAPI steering committee, and member of Global IT team.
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jasper Lee is the youngest chair of any Democrats Abroad country committee, having become Chair of Democrats Abroad Australia at the age of 18. Previously, he worked at an elementary school and was proudly a member of the Massachusetts Teacher Association and the National Education Association.
- Originally from Washington, D.C., Rev. Ryusei Iizuka Rivas has always been passionate about community organizing, advocating for equitable policies, and bringing people together under the Democratic banner. Ryusei is a policy and data focused political communications specialist and as a highly dedicated Democrat, they push progressive values with a strong focus on social, economic, and racial justice. Ryusei currently serves as the Vice Chair of DA Japan Kanto Chapter and as the DAJ Communications Chair. Rev. Iizuka Rivas is an ordained minister in the Nichiren Shu tradition of Japanese Buddhism and is an Assistant Minister of Shingyo-Zan Kosenji in Massachusetts.
About our organizers and moderators
Cory Lemke is a linguist and entrepreneur based in Seoul, South Korea, who has served as DA Korea's chair and Global Treasurer. Cory originally got involved in politics during Arizona's SB1070 days - canvassing for Democratic candidates who opposed the bill. Motivated to make Arizona a more inclusive and progressive state, Cory focuses on 1) Electing officials who adequately fund public schools 2) Repeal "English-only" policies and 3) Sending representatives to Washington who support the demilitarization of our southern border to pursue a more common-sense immigration policy.-
An accomplished presenter, educator, actor and workshop facilitator, Sarajean Rossitto provides project, event and training program coordination. Sarajean has
worked with grassroots and international organizations in the US, Japan and Hong Kong on issues as diverse as disaster response and preparation, gender equality, conflict mediation, community health, at-risk youth, persons with different abilities, and HIV/AIDS. A life-long activist, Sarajean served as co-chair of the DPCA 2024 Platform Committee understanding that we cannot only affect change through elections, but also by making our voices heard on US policy.
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- Please support the work of Donate to Democrats Abroad!
- Help us reach Americans all over the world. Every dollar you donate goes to reach Americans outside the U.S. to help them register, request their ballot, and VOTE. With your help, we will make the difference. If you wish to make an annual recurring donation, please go here.
- Support work where you are by giving directly to DA Japan or DA South Korea (click on the country for the donation link.)
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To volunteer join us for our weekly Volunteer new member meet up - Saturdays 4pm Japan/Korea time
- Need help registering or requesting a ballot to vote in 2024? Just jump on a zoom any Sunday 4-5pm Japan/Korea time to be connected to a voter assistance volunteer who can provide one-on-one support.
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This event is part of Bring Home the Ballot 2024 - a global Voter Assistance drive organized by DA committees throughout September.
WHEN
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 08:00 PM Tokyo Time
CONTACT
sarajean
[email protected]