Voting Rights & Youth: A Conversation with Storm Reid and VP Kamala Harris
Alliance Executive Director, Sarah Audelo, joined actress and activist Storm Reid and Vice President Kamala Harris in a special Instagram Live conversation about voting rights, the power of the youth vote, and important issues young people are fighting for right now. We also highlighted some of the incredible voting rights work youth-led organizations in the Alliance Network are leading on.
Young organizers, including those in the Alliance Network, are at the forefront of the fight for voting rights. From passing legislation that expands our democracy to blocking voter suppression efforts, young people are taking charge in their communities. But we can’t do it alone. We need these local efforts to be supported by federal action and legislation. Learn more about how you can take action in your local community and at the federal level.
How to Protect Our Freedom to Vote
Our vote is one of our most powerful tools for change, and right now, our voting rights are under attack.
State legislatures are targeting voting rights in an effort to silence young people and people of color. And major legislation to expand voting access at the federal level is being blocked by racist and outdated processes like the filibuster, while Democrats are not taking this threat to our democracy seriously. In this country, no matter our background or zip code, we value our freedom – including our freedom to vote. Our elected leaders must ensure we can safely and freely cast our ballots, have our voices heard, and elect leaders who deliver on our priorities. When our people cannot vote, our voices are silenced and we cannot elect representatives who reflect our values. Our vote is our power.
Youth-led organizations in the Alliance Network are fighting back to defend our democracy, but we need everyone in this fight.
1 Tell the Senate to end the filibuster
The filibuster is a ‘Jim Crow relic’ that congress members are weaponizing to keep our democracy rigged. Senate Republicans have already used it to block critical legislation and have promised to use it to prevent landmark voting legislation like the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act from passing. In order to pass the legislation to protect democracy, we must get rid of the filibuster.
2 Tell the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act
The combined Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act incorporates most of the critical provisions from the For the People Act including landmark voting rights, and anti-corruption legislation that passed the House in March 2021. It also includes some much-needed safeguards against attempts to undermine the electoral process. We are in a critical time for defending our democracy. Call your Senators and tell them to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act today.
3 Donate to local youth-led organizations fighting for voting rights
Youth-led organizations like MOVE Texas, Loud Light, Forward Montana, and more are fighting to protect the right to vote and expand voting access. Donate and support these organizations in the network so we can continue to protect our democracy.
Youth organizers have been putting in the work to welcome people into our democracy and ensure their freedom to vote despite years of legislation making it harder to vote. Now, we need the President and Congress to be as bold as organizers on the ground because there is too much at stake. It is time to end the filibuster so legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act can pass. The future of our democracy hangs in the balance.
Here’s the Latest and How We’re Taking Action
When the Senate began debate on vital voting rights legislation – the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act – we released this statement from our Executive Director, Dakota Hall.
“Young voters are watching every senator who fails to rise up and deliver on voting rights. Their legacies and our legacy as a country are on the line. The Senate must eliminate the filibuster, and pass laws that protect our lives, our rights, and our freedoms.”
In early February, Alliance for Youth Action and 52 organizations signed a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 230 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, urging Congress to keep focused on the fight against racial discrimination in voting rights.
Young people have been at the forefront of the most critical fights for our communities taking place in state legislatures. Alliance Network organizations are mobilizing their communities to pass innovative policies that strengthen our democracy and block harmful legislation that threatens it.
Here is how they did it.
Building a Democracy Done Right
Chicago Votes | Voting in Prison
Chicago Votes has been leading some of the most revolutionary voting rights work through their Unlock Civics program. In 2019, they wrote and passed landmark legislation – the Voting in Jails bill – that expanded voting access for incarcerated citizens who were eligible to vote. Now, they are organizing to pass new legislation they wrote that would restore voting rights to people in prison. Learn more about their 2021 Unlock Civic Policy Platform here.
Next Up | Voting Rights Restoration& Lowering the Voting Age
Next Up is co-leading landmark legislation that would restore voting rights to incarcerated Oregonians. This bill would not only restore voting rights, it would also address the disproportionate silencing of the voices of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx citizens due to their higher rates of imprisonment. Next Up is also leading legislation that would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections.
The Washington Bus | Restoring Voting Rights
The Washington Bus helped to pass legislation that automatically restores voting rights to people convicted of a felony.
Advocating for Students
Leaders Igniting Transformation | Divesting from Campus Police
Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) is fighting for an end to the policing and criminalization of BIPOC populations on Wisconsin’s public university and college campuses by divesting financial resources from policing and reinvesting those funds into restorative justice, community care, and supporting BIPOC populations.
New Era Colorado | Student Loan Equity& Improving Financial Literacy
New Era Colorado helped lead the passage of the Student Loan Equity Act—a trailblazing bill that would create protections for private student loan borrowers in Colorado. Right now, private student loans don’t receive many of the basic protections afforded to borrowers of other types of loans. As a result, borrowers are vulnerable to shady loan industry practices, like robo signing and auto-defaulting. Their bill protects these borrowers, creates greater transparency, and offers better recourse if lenders break the law. New Era Colorado is also leading legislation that would dramatically improve the existing financial literacy education provided to high school students. The legislation would update school standards for financial literacy to include costs of obtaining a degree, student loan information, financial aid information, how to save for retirement, and how to manage credit cards.
Ohio Student Association | Fighting the Transcript Trap
The Ohio Student Association has mobilized their student base to fight back against the Transcript Trap — a punitive practice that penalizes students with debts to their institution until repayment is complete by withholding transcripts.
Virginia Student Power Network | Financial Aid for Undocumented Students
Virginia Student Power Network worked in a broad coalition and engaged 30 student leaders to advocate for and pass in-state tuition for undocumented students. This makes Virginia the seventh state in the nation to give undocumented students access to state financial aid!
Other Major Legislation
Chicago Votes | Ending Prison Slave Labor
Chicago Votes is leading legislation that would expand the state minimum wage to include people serving a sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections and increase the state pay to all people in Illinois prisons.
Forward Montana | Indigenous People’s Rights
Forward Montana worked in coalition to pass legislation that would extend the Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force beyond its termination date later this year and require the task force to examine and report on the causes contributing to missing indigenous persons cases.Forward Montana helped pass legislation that would extend the Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force beyond its termination date later this year and require the task force to examine and report on the causes contributing to missing indigenous persons cases.
The Washington Bus | Banning For-Profit Private Prisons
The Washington Bus worked in coalition with advocates to approve a ban on private, for-profit prisons. As a result, the Northwest Detention Center, the private immigrant detention center in Tacoma, WA, will be closed by 2025.
Fighting harmful legislation
Alliance Network organizations also faced a hostile and aggressive legislative environment where conservative legislators threatened the right to vote, the right to protest, the right to healthcare, and more.
Forward Montana led a fierce accountability campaign to call out electeds for supporting legislation that would strip voting rights, harm the LGBTQIA community, and allow guns on campus.
Loud Light activated youth organizers across the state to call their legislators and fight against two voter suppression bills. They also fought against legislation barring trans athletes from competing in school sports.
Mississippi Votes worked extensively to track and successfully block legislation that would restrict voting rights and mandate voting purges targeting low-income voters and communities of color.
MOVE Texas is one of the most powerful organizations in the state fighting back against racist voter suppression bills in Texas where Republican lawmakers focused more on undermining the freedom to vote than providing necessary relief from the pandemic or the winter freeze. But thanks to unrelenting commitment and dedication, MOVE Texas fought back to stop the horrible anti-voter legislation in its tracks during the final hours of the legislative session. They will continue the fight in a special session in July.
New Hampshire Youth Movement worked to defeat four anti-student voting rights bills by driving thousands of messages to lawmakers and turning out students from around the state to testify. One of these bills would have required student voters to provide proof they pay in-state tuition to cast a ballot.
Thanks to the tenacity of these organizations, some of these harmful pieces of legislation were blocked. However, some of them did pass but this does not mean organizations are backing down. Forward Montana is suing the state over legislation that, if implemented, may face steep penalties for conducting voter engagement activities on college campuses. Loud Light is suing the state of Kansas over a voter suppression law that makes it more difficult for their organizers to register voters.
Even after state legislative sessions come to a close, youth organizers will keep fighting from the streets to the ballot box to ensure that young people’s priorities are elevated.
This Juneteenth we are celebrating the local fights for Black liberation
President Joe Biden signed into law the bill that makes Juneteenth – the commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States – a federal holiday, but this isn’t enough to keep the legacy of Juneteenth alive. There is still work to be done to ensure that all Black people in the United States are seen in their full humanity and treated as such.
That is why this Juneteenth, the Alliance is celebrating the youth organizers who fight for equal justice and liberation that has yet to be delivered to Black people across the country. Here is how Alliance Network organizations are fighting for Black liberation every day.
Restoring Voting Rights
Chicago Votes has been leading some of the most revolutionary voting rights through their Unlock Civics program. In 2019, they wrote and passed landmark legislation – the Voting in Jails bill – that expanded voting access for incarcerated citizens who were eligible to vote. This made Cook County Jail the first jail in the country to become an official polling location allowing for 1,500 people in pretrial detention to vote. Now, they are organizing to pass new legislation they wrote that would restore voting rights to people in prison. Learn more about their 2021 Unlock Civic Policy Platform here.
Next Up is organizing to pass legislation to restore voting rights to Oregonians in prison. This bill would not only restore voting rights, it would also address the disproportionate silencing of the voices of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx citizens due to their higher rates of imprisonment. Read more about the need for voting rights restoration in their latest report.
This legislative session, the Washington Bus organized to help pass legislation that would immediately restore the right to vote for Washingtonians who are convicted of a felony and released from jail, removing complicated and expensive barriers for returning citizens.
Getting Cops out of Schools
Since their founding in 2018, Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) has been at the forefront of the fight to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline in their community by fighting to remove the presence of police at Milwaukee Public Schools. They have blocked TSA-style metal detectors from schools and decreased police presence in and around schools.
In 2020, after years of organizing, public pressure, and over 1,000 testimonies, the Milwaukee Public School Board unanimously passed a resolution to end all contracts between the Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee Public Schools! Thanks to LIT’s tireless work, Milwaukee Public Schools is on a pathway to building safer schools where the voices and experiences of young people are centered.
Now, LIT is calling for Wisconsin universities to divest from policing on campuses and reinvest those funds to support BIPOC communities and students in their Dare to Divest campaign.
The Virginia Student Power Network is demanding the immediate dissolution and abolition of the Virginia Commonwealth University police department. They are also calling on the university system to re-allocate those funds to directly support Black and Brown students on campus and increasing support for University Counseling Services. In May of this year, they took direct action across the state and dropped banners on campuses calling for cops off campus.
Defunding the Police and Holding Them Accountable
Minnesota Youth Collective is working in coalition with Yes 4 Minneapolis—a Black-led, multiracial campaign composed of grassroots, community organizations and individuals who are organizing for community safety. They are collecting signatures for the People’s Petition which gives Minneapolis voters the opportunity to create a Department of Public Safety that takes a comprehensive public health approach to community safety.
Along with their coalition work on the Yes 4 Minneapolis campaign, Minnesota Youth Collective is also hosting a monthly book club, MNYC Reads, to engage members of their base in conversations around police abolition, public safety, and reimagining the world through the eyes of prolific Black writers.
New Hampshire Youth Movement is supporting the efforts of local Black Lives Matter chapters to defund the police and reinvest that money in local communities across the state. They are hosting trainings for young people to learn how they can support this work in Manchester, Keene, and Dover by focusing on city council budgets and ballot initiatives. New Hampshire Youth Movement also hosted letter writing workshops for young people to write to their local leaders about reinvesting resources away from police departments and into community services and health initiatives.
Ohio Student Association (OSA) is working in coalition to canvass, host educational events, and collect signatures to pass the Citizens for a Safer Cleveland ballot initiative. This initiative would ensure independent civilian oversight of investigations into police misconduct and give final authority on discipline decisions to a board of community leaders. This week, they submitted over 14,000 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot!
Youth organizers in the Alliance Network know that the fight for Black liberation will transform our communities and create a better future for us all. We’re grateful for their leadership always – but especially today.
My Transition from the Alliance
The time has come to usher in new leadership here at the Alliance.
After four incredible years at the Alliance for Youth Action, I will transition out of the organization later this year. It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as the Alliance’s Executive Director and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished.
Growing the network to expand in more communities, centering more young people of color.
Pushing more money to field organizations and young organizers than we ever could have imagined.
Uplifting our growing network of youth organizers who are building the country we all want and deserve 365 days a year by registering hundreds of thousands of young voters, training thousands of young leaders, passing laws, and pushing candidates on the issues young people care about most.
Shifting the narrative on the youth vote and youth organizing.
Building an incredible team that continues to innovate, inspire, and drive the work forward.
As a product of the investment in youth leadership, I know the importance of making room for new leaders and new ideas. This year is a great time to transition leadership as we continue to build a future that is centered in love, joy, justice, and liberation.
So, I encourage you to do a few things:
Share the job posting. Be sure to share the Executive Director job posting with your network. We want to cast a wide net and be sure we attract candidates who will bring new ideas and energy to the organization.
Fuel the movement. The Alliance Network works 365 days a year knocking doors, texting our lists, and contacting millions of our peers to turn up and turn out in ways that are authentic and powerful. We invest in young leaders and strengthen the capacity of their organizations to do this crucial organizing. Consider becoming a monthly donor to help us continue to build for the future.
Stay tuned. Of course, this won’t be the last time you hear from me before I go. I can’t wait to share with you what I’ve learned.
The Alliance is in the strongest place in the history of our organization because of the network of innovative and badass youth organizers, skilled and dedicated staff, and a smart and strategic board of directors. I am confident that we have set the organization up for a thoughtful and successful transition.
I look forward to updating you along the way. Now, I’ve got to get back to work!
For almost a decade, the Alliance for Youth Action network has led groundbreaking youth electoral engagement across the country. Our network has been building for this moment and in 2020, we had our biggest year yet. Together, we made over 25 million contacts with young voters in 2020. This output reflects the incredible efforts by our network of 20 local grassroots organizations as well as the Alliance’s first-ever national mail voter contact program that served to help fill youth infrastructure gaps in key states.
We worked alongside progressive partners in the youth sector to shift the youth vote narrative and uplift local young BIPOC organizers. The Alliance conducted a series of partisan polling to further inform the sector and push candidates on the issues that matter to young people. Despite facing unprecedented challenges, the Alliance empowered millions of young people to flex their political power this year, making a historic impact on the most important election of our lifetimes.
Check it out:
Shifting the Youth Vote Narrative
“Go To Source” on Youth Vote
In 2020 we conducted a series of polls to amplify the Alliance as a “go to source” on the youth vote, change the narrative about the youth vote, and push candidates on the issues that young people care about.
We kicked off the year with a national poll surveying Democratic and Democratic-leaning Independents ages 17 – 35 showing that young people are issues-first voters who by and large had yet to be contacted by Democratic candidates as the first contests of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary were underway.
Starting in Summer of 2020, we released monthly polling on progressive youth in battleground states to help shape the youth vote narrative, uplift the issues young people prioritize, and flag engagement (or lack thereof) from the Biden campaign. Over time, we saw a slow, but steady increase in the Biden campaign contacting the young voters they needed most from nearly half (43%) not being contacted in July 2020 to three-quarters (75%) of young swing state persuadable voters saying they had been contacted by the Biden campaign less than two weeks before the election. Our five monthly polls have led to stories in multiple outlets The Hill and MSNBC. After the election, we ran a final poll of the young people who propelled President Biden and Vice President Harris to victory that dug into their issue priorities and commitment to future organizing.
Site visits to Alliance’s research page: 13,286 Organic impressions from social about polls: 66,865 *Polls are high-performing content on Instagram and Twitter Paid media impressions about polls: 276,193
Youth Letter to Biden
On April 8th, the Alliance for Youth Action released an open letter to then presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in coalition with seven national Millennial and Generation Z progressive organizations – IfNotNow Movement, Justice Democrats, March for Our Lives Action Fund, NextGen America, Student Action, Sunrise Movement, and United We Dream Action. This open letter expressed concern over VP Biden’s inability to earn the trust of the vast majority of Generation Z and Millennial voters and demanded a number of policies and personnel commitments he should prioritize to bridge the generational divide in the Democratic Party. The open letter was released just hours after Senator Bernie Sanders announced the suspension of his campaign, which helped garner media attention in early April. Major press hits and media opportunities for the Alliance included the following:
NowThis: Biden Letter video (featuring our Communications Manager, Daniela!) >>>
After the release of the letter, we saw important movement on the issues young people care about most, shifts in the way the campaign spoke about their work, many of the personnel demands added to the Biden-Sanders unity task force, and increased contact by the Biden campaign to young voters.
‘We need you to champion the bold ideas that have galvanized our generation and given us hope’ — These youth activists and org leaders have a direct message for @JoeBidenpic.twitter.com/g1paDTpbLH
Starting in June 2020, our monthly poll series was key in changing the youth vote narrative and pushing candidates on the issues that matter most to young people.This Politico articlerang the alarm on the lack of Biden campaign contact.
MSNBC
On August 8th, Sarah was on MSNBC Live with Alicia Menendez with Alliance Board member, Ben Wessel, to discusshow VP Biden can earn the youth vote.
Mail to Persuade & Mobilize
To help fill gaps in c4 youth infrastructure in particular, the Alliance for Youth Action ran a four piece mail program targeting 18-25 year olds in GA, NC, and PA. Between August and October, we sent 4 pieces of persuasion and mobilization mail to nearly 700,000 young voters in these three states. Our mail pieces provided information about Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Kamala Harris, and their plans to address the issues young people care about.
We worked with partners to get additional texts sent to follow up with some of our mail targets. Color of Change PAC texted approximately 70,000 voters within our South Carolina mobilization universe and NextGen America texted and called about 200,000 voters within our Texas persuasion universe, with a particular emphasis on El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley.
Preparing for the Georgia Senate Runoff Elections
Ahead of the crucial federal runoff elections in Georgia that were set to determine control of the US Senate, the Alliance ran a text, mail, and call program from mid-November to Election Day to reach young voters. Building on our 2020 general election work in Georgia, we focused on messaging on turnout: absentee ballot request, absentee ballot chase, early voting information, turnout/election day information, and social pressure.
Through this program, we sent 1.53 million text messages, 830,000 pieces of mail, and made more than 820,000 calls to a universe of 980,000 young Georgians. Our universe targeted young voters of color, of whom 75% were young Black voters. This program turned out 378,871 voters in the runoff, including 35,505 young people who didn’t vote in the November general election.
The 2020 Alliance Voter Guide
Research has shown that when young people don’t turn out to vote, many will point to two main reasons:
1. They believe all politicians are the same
2. They could not find reliable information about the candidates.
At the same time, polling shows that young voters’ top reason for turning out is to make a difference on the issues they care about. Enter the Alliance Voter Guide. Since 2014, the Alliance network has run a c4 voter guide program that provides clear, concise, issue-based contrasts between candidates and measures on the ballot.
In preparation for this historic election year, the Alliance overhauled and revamped our voter guide generator that local groups used to create over a million localized print guides. We also worked with BallotReady to support the creation of digital guides across the network this year.
Young people solidified their power in 2020 with an estimated 50% national youth voter turnout in the Presidential election! Be sure to check out our full 2020 Digital Annual Report to learn more about some of the youth organizations and organizers behind these results.
Meet Asian Youth Organizers of the Alliance Network
We saw a major increase in Asian youth voter turnout in the 2020 election. This remarkable jump in turnout, the biggest increase among all groups by race, was fueled by the power of peer-to-peer organizing by young people who run local organizations like those in the Alliance Network. Youth organizers knew that to move our country forward it was critical to center young voters of color, including young Asian voters.
This month, we are featuring young Asian organizers in the Alliance Network who are building political power in their states during and beyond elections. Get to know them, learn about their stories, and how their identities influence their work.
ERIN LEE
She/Her | Raleigh, NC Youth Organizer at North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT)
▼ How do you organize in your community?
I currently work as the Youth Organizer at NCAAT (North Carolina Asian Americans Together). My role is to support the efforts of our Youth team in educating and empowering Asian American youth in North Carolina. In particular, I oversee our Youth Ambassadors program, a paid volunteer program for young Asian Americans to engage in and bring awareness to NCAAT’s work.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
On the worst days, being Korean American brings up a lot of complicated emotions that I channel into grace, empathy, and kindness for others who also feel like outsiders wherever they go. On the best days, pride and gratitude for my identity as a child of Korean immigrants (now American citizens) and as a third-culture kid drives my passion for action and service. The oppression I face and the privileges I have as a Korean American woman is something I think about very seriously and it impacts the way that I move through my work.
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
Many young AAPI voters tell me about their passion for environmental justice, healthcare access, and racial justice. I think the societal and cultural context speaks for itself and a lot of what young AAPIs are trying to solve are the issues that they see around them and online. They’ve been handed a lot of problems that they didn’t ask for. I think especially recently with the recent attention on anti-Asian violence, a lot of them have been reflecting on their place in American society and what it means to be Asian American.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
Since we are an Asian American organization, within our space at NCAAT, we definitely see more diverse representation of AAPIs. However, not every ethnic or identity group is always represented and outside of our own Asian American spaces, it is incredibly difficult to find AAPIs in the broader nonprofit and advocacy space. It makes us that much more cognizant of doing everything we can to include and uplift voices outside of our own. It is definitely uncomfortable, but it pushes us to keep going because we know how much work there is still left to be done.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
As I joined the organization after the elections, my part in the huge increase in AAPI voters showing up to the polls last cycle is limited to my own ballot and my role as poll worker. I think one big factor for this great AAPI turnout was the incredible work and effort that nonprofits and organizations all over the nation took to educate our communities and stir up their political interest. Secondly, more Asian immigrants who came over in the influx of Asian immigrants in the last two decades have become citizens and their children are growing up. These voters know that they have a voice and they’re going to make it heard.
Ileana Rivera
She/Her | Boulder, CO Organizational Fellow at New Era Colorado
▼ How do you organize in your community?
I organize with Boulder Valley Mutual Aid and Denver Community Fridges to combat food insecurity and provide gear to our unhoused neighbors in the greater Denver Area.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
As a BIPOC person with immigrant family members, we’ve always heard that you’re supposed to pull yourself up from the boot straps, which I do not agree with. The brightest future I can see, we’ll get there together.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
I think a lot about the model minority myth, and how many Asian Americans feel the pressure to achieve, rather than “complain”. But in reality, using your voice even at the lowest level of organizing is one of the most powerful things you can do. There is solidarity in numbers, and representation. The communities I organize in are predominately white spaces which is unfortunate because I feel like a lot of the work and emotional labor is put on BIPOC folks.
Kristina Samuel
She/They | San Antonio, TX Civic Leadership Fellow at MOVE Texas
▼ How do you organize in your community?
For a little over a year, I have been organizing with MOVE Texas and am coming up on the 1 year anniversary of starting a chapter of the nonprofit at my University, Texas A&M. We have since then led a successful GOTV initiative on our campus and surrounding Brazos county area, have recruited active members involved in our community such as climate change lobbying and phone/text banking, expanded to a fully VDR trained officer team, and have established our presence as a student organization on one of the largest college campuses in the country. I personally have also served as a poll worker during a presidential election year and have testified in the Texas Senate this past February in front of the redistricting committee against gerrymandering. I seek to contribute as an individual and on behalf of the chapter I started at my university to broaden the impact of civic engagement and progressive policy advocacy in my community as much as I can.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
Identifying as a first generation Asian American has definitely played a role in my organizing, especially on my college campus. It is an interesting dynamic however, in being mixed race and not necessarily looking of Asian descent. I am half South Indian however, I have been mistaken to be of many different ethnicities, usually not of Asian heritage. It makes it hard to stay tied to my very prevalent Indian culture that I grew up with and feel as if the community supports me back. However, it has made me extremely self aware in the perceptions and preconceived notions that can be made about peoples’ identities and experiences. It constantly plays a role in organizing in that I attempt to create the most inclusive and safe spaces, even if it isn’t something that is considered “normal”. Although not easy, I believe that my identity has given me a unique insight that I am now proud to carry into my organizing work.
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
Some of the most important issues are recognition and awareness, both for the civic engagement process and simply representation of our leaders from the AAPI community, which there is a great lack of. Personally, seeing representation in our leaders is so empowering as it gives me hope that I too have the ability to pursue the things I am passionate about and be able to uplift underrepresented communities.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
Going to a PWI, I would have been inclined even six months from now, to say that there is definitely not. For the most part this holds true, but in collaborating with the Asian President’s Council, a student organization at my school, I have seen that there is a significant dynamic and diverse AAPI community that has passions and needs that must be addressed. The biggest challenge has been proving ourselves to be a prominent demographic on campus, but it has also given me the great opportunity to meet so many passionate and hardworking AAPI student leaders who strive to make real change in our community. I also am a Student Senator at my University, who ran as a RepresentAsian candidate. Part of my mission is to dedicate my work to representing the AAPI student body and this translates to the lens in which I organize with my nonprofit work.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
The common theme especially in this youngest voting generation is the dynamic need for change. In the AAPI youth community, our awareness of the lack of representation in our elected officials and policies with a general disregard for BIPOC communities has really led to a resurgence in our voter turnout. This, in combination with the recent rise of Anti-Asian hate crimes across the country has made the push to make our voices heard that much more imperative through civic engagement.
Linda Phan
She/Her | Seattle, WA Legislative Intern and Organizer at the Washington Bus
▼ How do you organize in your community?
I have been an active community organizer ever since I began working with social justice movements in high school. Right now, I’m involved with the Emerald Youth Organizing Collective and Youth Voices for Justice, two prominent youth-led organizations focused on racial justice, abolition, and youth activism.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
Being Vietnamese has played a large role in my drive to pursue positive change for marginalized communities. As a byproduct of U.S. imperialism, war, and displacement, the trauma of systems of oppression across the globe has been felt dramatically by both myself and my family.
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
In accordance to the model minority myth, many AAPI voters feel uncomfortable speaking on issues that are important to them because they feel indebted to the U.S. for allowing them to seek refuge in a country that ironically played a large role in their displacement. However, many AAPI voters have rejected this sense of the model minority and spoken up against instances of racial injustice, especially against our own communities. Many have called attention towards instances of hate crimes targeting AAPI that go as far as to attack our elders. However, in my opinion, I wish other AAPI recognized that in order to stop Asian hate, we need to also have the same energy towards instances of racism that harms other communities, and recognize that such instances are not isolated to individuals but by the entire system of white supremacy that harms all people of color. These issues are central in my decisions when I vote.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of AAPI representation because of an overlying fear of betraying a country that generally provides so much more opportunity than that of our homeland, and for the little representation we do have, it’s typically light-skinned East Asian individuals. This really impacts how I organize because it exposes the intense anti-Blackness and colorism within many AAPI spaces. This is challenging because it creates a clash of interests between AAPI organizers; when fighting against racism, we fail to acknowledge the racism in our own communities.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
I think it has to do with dismantling internalized guilt and fear around criticizing American politics. In addition, more youth are being involved in activism, which can also explain the AAPI voter turnout. The widespread disdain for the Trump presidency amongst several communities of color may have also served as a call to action for voters.
Louis Zheng ZhongYi Anderson
He/Him | Las Vegas, NV Community Outreach Coordinator at the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC)
▼ How do you organize in your community?
I organize my community by encouraging fellow young API individuals to turn out to discuss what issues they most care about.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
As a first-generation immigrant, my heritage and identity play a considerable role in my work. Having this experience helps me better understand what members of the API community need.
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
When speaking with young voters, I notice many of them, myself included, have concerns about the amount of representation API individuals get in media and government.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
Representation for the API community has been steadily growing, and there has been a noticeable increase in the number of young API individuals who turn up to public events. The challenge we are now facing to continue fostering the growth of the API community is there is a separation in the different Asian communities, especially with older members.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
I would attribute the jump in API voter turnout last cycle to better voter education. Many API organizations are doing their best to get people registered and understand the importance of their vote and what it means for our community.
Meha Khanna
She/Her | Boulder, CO Organizing Fellow at New Era Colorado
▼ How do you organize in your community?
I organize in my community by connecting with other People of Color that are underrepresented. At New Era, we make it a goal to support young people in creating change and progress. We do this by putting on events to educate and encourage others to do tangible work that supports antiracism and encourages community engagement.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
As a child of Indian immigrants, I am passionate about the right for all to gain citizenship. People of Color immigrants specifically are often disrespected in American society due to accents and other differences that come with being a non-naturalized person. This influences my organizing work because I have made it a goal to stand behind and support all immigrants in the United States. This means going to rallies, signing petitions in support of immigrants and being a strong and true ally. Seeing my parents be Othered to an even greater degree than I am simply because of their accent and language difference pushes my passion continuously for community work
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
Young AAPI voters want equal pay. Although AAPI have a larger accumulation of wealth, we are still paid less than white people when accounting for education. This is commonly due to discrimination. Young AAPI voters see the discrimination against our community not only in the recent COVID-19 based events but for centuries. I have also seen the ways the model minority myth has been harmful to the AAPI community. This pushes us into unrealistic standards and expectations as intelligence is not a race-based category. The mental health of AAPI has suffered for generations due to this myth which needs to be put to an end.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
There is not a lot of AAPI representation in the community I organize in, as Boulder, Colorado is a largely white community. This impacts how I organize because I often feel unsupported in my work within Boulder, Colorado itself. This creates challenges due to the feeling of being an outsider and the lack of ways my voice is supported and elevated. Regardless, New Era Colorado itself is a diverse work environment which has given me the opportunity to create community with other AAPI and BIPOC.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
This massive jump in AAPI voter turnout is extremely encouraging and exciting! My work relates to this because I work at the Colorado Democracy Challenge, getting high school students pre-registered to vote and encouraging voting age people to cast their ballot as well. I think there was such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout due to the blatant racism against our community by our own leadership that encouraged hate crimes and other racist behavior.
Rittika Pandey
She/Her | Austin, TX Development Associate at MOVE Texas
▼ How do you organize in your community?
Throughout college, I was an active member of the Asian Desi Pacific Islander Coalition (ADPAC) on campus. That was what allowed me to be part of a community of other like minded Asian-Americans interested in understanding social justice, voting rights, and the cultural issues that we face as a collective community in the US. After graduating, I saw working for MOVE as an opportunity to continue those discussions and activism beyond my immediate community and work in collaboration with other communities to ensure we were building a better Texas!
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
I come from a family of organizers, educators, and artists, so activism has always been a huge part of my identity. The women in my family have been vocal advocates for social justice causes in India for generations and being the first generation of women in my family to be in America affords me an entirely different privilege in the organizing space. I am able to work in an intersectional capacity where I am not just uplifting those that are like me, but all other communities that face challenges in the US, but specifically Texas. Working closely with Black, Latinx, Indigineous, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities has instilled a stronger sense of solidarity with the causes I have always advocated for within my own community.
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
Many young AAPI are not politically active and that unfortunately often translates at the polls. They are usually not as engaged because they feel that the issues don’t apply or don’t matter to them, but that’s definitely not true. When I would register AAPI students to vote on campus I would focus on highlighting issues around immigration, education, and healthcare, as those are the areas that often affect the AAPI community most. All of those issues matter to me deeply, but I also view criminal justice reform and climate change as extremely pressing issues in the US that do affect the AAPI community more than they would normally think. Bringing those issues to their attention also helps get young AAPI voters engaged and active in politics.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
Unfortunately, I would say there really is not a lot of AAPI representation in the communities I organize in. Beyond the AAPI coalitions I am part of, the participation of AAPI individuals in the general organizing sphere is often limited. As a result, I am sometimes one of the only ones representing us in these spaces. That is a challenge at times because AAPI issues are not then brought to the forefront of discussions and our community also cannot be as engaged with the intersectional ways in which social justice can work in a state as diverse as Texas. However, being one of the few AAPI individuals in a space that has mostly individuals from other marginalized communities has given me an incredible perspective on how I can use my voice to uplift theirs. I love being part of diverse organizing efforts because I am constantly learning so much from the folks in those communities and I am always glad to be part of anything that will bring BIPOC or LGBTQ+ voices forward.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
I believe the work MOVE did had a huge impact on bringing young people of all communities to the polls! I do think that the increase of participation from the AAPI community, specifically young voters, was partly due to an increase in social media activism and the spread of resources. That had a huge impact for many young people this election and I think it really helped bring young people into the political sphere in a way that made these issues approachable for them.
Zaha Khawaja
She/Her | SanAntonio, TX Executive Intern at MOVE Texas
▼ How do you organize in your community?
I definitely still have a long way to go, in terms of learning how to be an effective organizer, but MOVE Texas has been influential in my journey to becoming one. Being a former Field Organizing Intern and current Executive Intern for MOVE, my time here has taught me how to organize within a traditional and nontraditional scope. Formerly working in the field has taught me the importance of engaging in meaningful conversations with my community. I would go from college campus to campus in San Antonio and talk to young students about local issues that matter to them. This would help foster interactions that emphasize youth action in local and national politics. These conversations would extend beyond the ballot box and really hone in on issues that impact our community on the daily, from housing to environmental justice rights. Moreover, I’m currently organizing in a more nontraditional context, one that I would say is overlooked within nonprofits. As an Executive Intern, I focus my efforts on supporting the behind-the-scenes of how a nonprofit, like MOVE, functions. This position has really taught me how fundamental each department within the organization is. I have learned that one does not have to necessarily be out in the field to do organizing work, but can also carry out administrative tasks that ensure the building of relationships and fulfill the vision of the organization.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
My identity and heritage influence the organizing work I do immensely. Being a first generation South Asian, Pakistani-American woman has taught me the challenges my community faces daily. It has also taught me how these challenges intersect within other marginalized communities (Black, Indigenous, Brown, Latinx, LGBTQ+ etc.) in America and globally. These negative perceptions have made me aware of how much work still has to be done to liberate our communities to ensure justice for all. My identity will always play an impactful role in the organizing work that I do and helps me to better understand why we need to abolish the oppressive systems we have in place.
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, some of the most important issues to them are rooted in the feelings of displacement and loss of identity they feel. I have noticed how the AAPI community has had a difficult time in navigating their heritage and truly embracing it, because doing so causes isolation within society. Additionally, the influx of targeted racial injustices has been harmful to the AAPI community in being able to live their lives safely and comfortably. Personally, forming solidarity with other marginalized communities is something that matters to me. I would like individuals within the AAPI community to realize that the issues they face are not unique to them. These injustices cross borders and are rooted in imperialism, capitalism, colonialism etc. It is important that we highlight this, in order to empower people and sustain grassroots movements globally.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
I believe AAPI representation is still limited within the communities I organize in, and for the most part, the limited representation that is available simply appeases the oppressive systems we have in place. I feel as though this lack of representation really discourages people to be civically engaged. However, I am more hopeful with younger generations challenging the narrative of representation and what it means to them. The youth are critically engaging with politicians and shifting the discourse of how representation does not mean much if the people “representing you” assimilate and play a role in passing harmful policies both locally and globally.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
As aforementioned, I feel as though younger generations are engaging more critically with politics. They recognize the crucial role elections, specifically municipal elections, play in shifting power to marginalized communities. MOVE has done an amazing job in ensuring that there has not only been an increase in voter turnout within underrepresented communities but that this advocacy goes beyond the ballot box.
Ziya Joy
They/Them | Durham, NC Youth Engagement Organizer at North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT)
▼ How do you organize in your community?
I am the Youth Engagement Coordinator at North Carolina Asian Americans Together. I develop and execute much of our programming from monthly workshops that help educate, engage, and uplift high school and college aged Asian American youth to specific education and skill-building opportunities like our Youth Leadership Institute for high school students. I will also be overseeing our internship program which is a paid part-time internship through NCAAT that gives young people the chance to develop their skills and experiences in community engagement, communications, youth organizing, and voter engagement & advocacy in the context of Asian American social justice work.
▼ How does your identity and heritage influence your organizing work?
As someone of Bangladeshi descent, I think a lot about liberation struggles. Bangladesh gained independence in 1971 through a Liberation War after surviving a brutality of partition and a genocide by the Pakistani army. The politics of postcolonial states are complex and troubling, but these resistance movements give me hope in the global fight against oppression. Admittedly, it can be difficult navigating an identity that has next to no visibility. But I have taken that space to find my own way, lean into a process of perpetual learning, and find community and recognition in people whose struggles are different from but connected to my own.
▼ When speaking directly with young AAPI voters, what do they say are the most important issues to them? What matters to you?
A lot of young Asian Americans that we work with have told me about their desire to be in solidarity with other communities of color in working towards racial justice, their passion for environmental justice, and their broader hope for a more socially just world.
Personally, I am deeply invested in racial justice, which to me must also include internationalism, anti-imperialism, and anti-colonialism. More than anything, I wish to see a world where all of us can be safe, have our needs met, and thrive.
▼ Is there a lot of AAPI representation in the communities you organize in? How does that impact how you organize? What are the challenges and opportunities because of this?
NCAAT works primarily within the Asian American community. I think this allows us to really organize and strategize with an Asian Americans base in mind. We’re given the space to think about our language barriers, our different cultural issues, our unique immigration stories and challenges, disparities within our communities, and how data collection impacts our community members. It’s really beautiful and exciting to have the time and resources to do that. At the same time, it can be intense to feel like one of the only groups doing this work, so the goal is to definitely see more Asian Americans take up all kinds of organizing work.
▼ There was a massive jump in AAPI voter turnout last cycle. How did your work relate to this? Why do you think there has been such an increase in young AAPI voter turnout?
I am a more recent addition to the NCAAT team, so I was not involved in NCAAT’s brilliant GOTV efforts. However, I am still incredibly proud of the work that our staff members were able to do in helping push those numbers up. I think a lot of non-profit workers and community organizers have really committed to the long-term work of political education and base-building within our communities, and it shows!
We always knew that 2020 was going to be a pivotal year for our country, but we had no idea everything we would face from a global pandemic to the historic uprisings against police violence. Young people persevered, innovated, and made their voices heard in one of the most important elections of our lifetime. Youth-led organizations in the Alliance Network brilliantly rose up to meet the moment and build alongside the most diverse and progressive generations our country has ever seen.
In 2020, Millennials and Gen Z accounted for 31% of voters, up from 14% in 2008 according to data from Catalist. So, all eyes were on the youth vote and young people delivered. By organizing their peers in person and online to meet the challenges of this uncertain time, the youth organizers in the Alliance network changed the narrative about the power of the youth vote. In 2020, we saw a record-breaking 11-point increase in youth voter turnout from 2016!
How did this happen? Year-round, youth-led organizing. Alliance organizations register, educate, and mobilize young people every day because our civic engagement does not start and end at the ballot box. In 2020 this looked like:
25,000,000 youth voter contacts made
107,494 young people registered to vote
8,396,885 calls to young voters
6,502,136 texts to young voters
When organizations were not turning out young people to vote, they were passing progessive policies in their communities. From removing cops from schools to expanding voting access, young people took action to build brighter futures.
The Alliance fueled this work by investing in young leaders, providing critical tools and services, regranting millions of dollars to the field, and strengthening the capacity of the network because we are committed to building strong organizations for the long haul.
All of this is just a small part of everything the Alliance Network accomplished last year. Luckily, we have captured it all in our newly released 2020 Annual Report.
Once you’ve checked out our amazing report please share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
100 Days in Office ✅ Did Biden Deliver?
This week marks President Biden’s 100th day in office. Join us on Twitter tonight as we live tweet President Biden’s Joint Address to Congress where he will share his vision for addressing the challenges and opportunities of this historic moment.
In November, we polled young progressive voters in battleground states on what they wanted to see from the Biden Administration in the first 100 days. Here’s what they said:
President Biden has addressed some of these issues like continuing the moratorium on eviction and supporting legislation to end gerrymandering. He has also made gains on other issues such as COVID-19, climate justice, gun violence prevention, and more. However, there is still much work to be done to address the most pressing issues facing young people like student debt cancelation, free college, ending the filibuster, a $15 minimum wage, passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and more.
The youth vote launched President Biden and Vice President Harris to victory and we will keep pushing these policies until they are passed. So, join us on social tonight and make your voice heard!
Join us on Twitter as we live tweet President Biden’s Joint Address to Congress.
Get in on the fun on Instagram and take part in our Biden Bingo! Fill out your bingo card, post it to your Instagram, and tag the Alliance at @allianceforyouthaction. Participants will be entered into a drawing for one of our fabulous Alliance bandanas.
Youth organizing does not stop at the ballot box. The Alliance Network will continue putting pressure on the Biden Administration and members of Congress to pass policies that young people care about most.
We Are Building a Democracy Done Right
The fight for voting rights is making headlines all across the country. But this isn’t a new fight for us. The local youth-led organizations in our network have led and won voting rights fights in their states for years providing a roadmap for the nation. We amplify their local victories – pre-registration to automatic voter registration – to create a nationwide movement building a democracy that works for all of us.
And this week, we are shining the spotlight on this work through our Democracy Done Right campaign.
Starting today, we will be sharing on social media what #DemocracyDoneRight looks like. Each day, we will focus on different pro-voter reforms local, state, and federal elected officials can implement to build a voting system that works for all.
April 20: We are focusing on reforms that make the voter registration process as accessible as possible.
April 21: We will focus on expanding voting methods so that every voter can vote the best way that works for them.
April 22: We will focus on efforts to restore voting rights to people who are incarcerated or were previously incarcerated.
