APA Voice Redistricting Task Force launches 14 Leading APA Civic Engagement Groups Form Task Force TO ENSURE FAIR AND EQUAL ACCESS TO POWER

In the last year alone, New York City has experienced a 2700% increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Asian American communities of interest must be kept whole to be strong and united in electing candidates who will protect our communities. Congressional and state lines are redrawn every 10 years based on the decennial census. Asian Pacific Americans now make up 14% of New York City. Our voices must be heard to ensure a fair and equal opportunity for a representative democracy.

Role of APA VOICE Redistricting Task Force in 2020 Redistricting Cycle 
"The 2019 American Community Survey predicts Asian Americans constitute 14.09% of the City, up from 11.8% in 2010. This represents an increase of approximately 51,689 Asian Americans to the City's population for an estimated total of 1,186,608 Asian Americans. 75% of this growth is in Brooklyn and Queens alone. This growth is
expected to increase our power to form more districts where we can elect a candidate of our choice." - John Park, Executive Director, MinKwon Center for Community Action

Accomplishments in 2010 Redistricting Cycle 

"In the 2010 Redistricting cycle, the first majority Asian American State Senate District and three majority Asian American Assembly Districts were drawn. We supported the creation of Congressional District 6 which led to the election of Grace Meng, the first Asian American woman elected to Congress from New York State." - Elizabeth R. OuYang, Coordinator, APA Voice Redistricting Task Force

Perspectives from new and seasoned groups involved in redistricting 
"Our organization is literally on the border between two Assembly districts. The lines between assembly district 40 and 25 in Flushing don't really reflect the way people think about their neighborhoods. The people who live in the immediate area, don't see our neighborhood ending at our doorstep. When neighborhoods are unnaturally split between two or more elected districts, it makes it hard for social service agencies like SACSS. When a crisis hits, we have to seek the assistance of multiple elected officials and coordinate among many offices." - Rehan Mehmood, Director of Health Services, South Asian Council for Social Services

"During the 1990 Census, we helped residents get counted in Manhattan's Chinatown since many had no experience. The final results showed what we had observed for a number of years, that the community was split into two districts-resulting in its voice being diluted. At the 1990 redistricting hearings, we advocated for districts that would reflect the reality of the area. Those efforts were successful resulting in the community no longer being divided along the Bowery." - Mae Lee, Executive Director, Chinese Progressive Association

"Cracked" Neighborhoods 
"We understand how challenging it has been for neighborhoods like Elmhurst and Jackson Heights to find leadership that accurately represents the communities that live there and supports their shared interests. They need to elect a leader who will champion affordable housing and immigrant integration. - Farzana Linda, Associate Director of Programs, Advocacy and Organizing, CHHAYA

Community Development Corporation
"It is crucial that we draw these lines using data that is accurate, up-to-date, and community-focused. We want to make sure that our communities and our interests are kept whole and together for the next ten years." - Kevin Cho, Assistant Director, Korean Community Services

"After the 2010 redistricting process, the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park, Ozone Park, and Woodhaven were split among 6 different Assembly districts and multiple State Senate districts. Worse yet, the district lines were drawn in a way that none of these neighborhoods have a substantial part of any district. This is a clear case of vote dilution. We are asking, in the current redistricting process, to keep these neighborhoods whole and together. These neighborhoods have a strong common root in the South Asian diaspora. The people who live in these neighborhoods share common schools, share common transportation lines and they shop in the same shops." - John Albert, Executive Director, Taking Our Seat

Brooklyn 
“We recommend unifying our communities of interest in Sunset Park, Bensonhurst and Homecrest in one State Senate District. Currently, Sunset Park is divided into two districts: District 20, which primarily consists of Brownsville and Crown Heights, and District 17, which primarily consists of Borough Park. There are few connecting factors between these neighborhoods and Sunset Park in terms of languages spoken, resources accessed, and transportation. Divided, Sunset Park will receive fewer resources. We have seen that translated into t overcrowded schools, lack of affordable housing, increased homelessness rates, and rising food insecurity and unemployment.” - Mon Yuck Yu, Executive Vice-President and Chief of Staff, Academy of Medical and Public Health Services

“We hope in the next round of redistricting the neighborhoods like Bensonhurst and SHeepshead Bay are kept together because there is a community of interest bounded by language, culture, and needs.” Karen Zhou, Executive Director, Homecrest

Bronx 
"The history of Indo- Caribbeans is a complex one and the census data does not adequately reflect Indo- Caribbean populations in NYC. Due to British Colonialism, Indo- Caribbeans, of South Asian descent, were forced into indentured servitude by unclear contracts or lack of English language skills. This has led to an inadequate census count because some Indo-Caribbeans classify themselves as Asian while others put “other” on all government paperwork. In Assembly District 87, in the Bronx, the Asian population in 2019 was 11% and the other category at 8%. We expect an even further increase in the Asian population in District 87, when the census data is released. The Bengali and Indo-Caribbean community should remain in the same district because they share a common history, are primarily renters, and have other socio-economic factors in common, such as high rates of poverty and working class occupations. - Mohamed Q. Amin, Executive Director, Caribbean

Equality Project Educational Campaign 
"APA VOICE Redistricting Task Force will embark on an ambitious educational campaign. We will be educating the public about the redistricting process using multilingual flyers in English, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, and Bangla. We will tap into our popular ESL, music and computer classes to engage with underserved populations on how redistricting will impact their daily lives. We plan to launch an art contest for high school students on why redistricting is important to them. Today, we are launching a multilingual survey. The district you are in can determine whether your elected official addresses or ignores your concerns. The survey simply asks if you are familiar with any of the elected officials who represent your neighborhood and, if you asked them for assistance, what your experience was like." - Thomas Yu, Co-Executive Director, Asian Americans for Equality

“To encourage greater civic engagement, empower everyday New Yorkers to learn about redistricting and hear their stories, we have created a social media toolkit, surveys and other resources to help our community understand what is at stake in 2021. #MapOurFuture. - Brianna Cea, Executive Vice-President, OCA-NY Asian Pacific American Advocates

Independent Redistricting Commission
“We at the APA Voice coalition are asking the Governor to fully fund the Independent Redistricting Commission to ensure our communities have a district that represents their interest and not the politicians. The Independent Redistricting Commission needs at least 4 million dollars to do their work, yet the Independent Redistricting Commission has yet to receive 1 million. We ASK that the governor fully fund the redistricting commission as quickly as possible to make sure this important work gets done.” - Howard Wong, Civic Engagement Manager, Chinese-American

​Planning Council Legislative Campaign 
"In addition to testifying at hearings before the Independent Redistricting Commission, APA VOICE Redistricting Task Force will also request a meeting with LATFOR to share our support and concerns regarding the 2010 redistricting results. We also plan to meet with elected leaders currently representing a majority Asian American district or areas where Asian American communities of interest exist to learn and discuss each others' perspectives to ensure our voices are heard. - Tirtho Dutha, Program Coordinator, SHETU

Coalition Building on Redistricting
"APA VOICE Redistricting Task Force will contribute to the Unity map, a joint effort spearheaded by the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, Latino Justice, and AALDEF; participate in the New York Immigration Coalition's Redistricting Initiative, and through the Civic Engagement Table, be trained by Common Cause on community mapping. The Task Force will also support New York State League of Women Voter's efforts to seek full funding of the Independent Redistricting Commission. - Sandra Choi, Civic Participation Manager, MinKwon Center for Community Action