Asian PaCIVICS

THE NEED:

AAPIs are the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the country. However, the community has had a traditionally low voter turnout rate (below 50%). When the data is disaggregated, the number plummets based on. factors such as voter restriction laws, availability of language translation, age, and perceived safety at voting booths. In addition, the COIVD-19 pandemic made it even more difficult to engage potential voters using traditional methods, especially in light of the surge in unprecedented attacks on the community.

OBJECTIVES:

The Slants Foundation needed develop a multi-pronged approach that was safe, effective, and scalable. We wanted to reach multiple generations of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, especially in the Midwest and South, where this traditionally underrepresented community was even less represented. This required building coalitions with local and national organizations, working with candidates who were not receiving national backing, and developing a multimedia campaign that can be shared within families, especially newly eligible voters.

TACTICS:

Leading up to the 2020 and 2022 elections, I focused on building virtual-first events that would bring together AAPI celebrities, elected officials, and organizations working on a variety of relevant social issues, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Stop AAPI Hate, and ASIA Ohio more. For a longterm strategy, I developed regular coaching workshops with artists on how to use their creative expression to drive civic engagement. In addition, I launched the Asian PaCIVICS grant to fund efforts in building strategic relationships between artists and organizations in order to capture data that could be shared across a number of civic organizations.

RESULTS:

• Launch of the Rock Against Hate series, an annual program that featured prominent figures such as Daniel Dae Kim, The Linda Lindas, Lea Salonga, Daniel Wu, and many more. Each event had thousands of attendees - over 72% of our audience took action by registering to vote, enrolling in bystander intervention courses, and donating to important causes. The series reached audiences in 40 US states.

• I built an interactive website for voter education, registration, and follow-up for all attendees at theslants.org.

• We launched the Asian PaCIVICS television series on Crossings TC, which reaches over 1 million Asian viewers in 7 major markets, highlighting Asian American artists and social causes they champion. In Fall 2023, this will be also broadcasted nationally on independent and community radio stations.

• In the 2020 election, we saw a 10% increase of AAPI voters, many in South and Midwest states where we led strategies to support overall engagement.