Grantee Spotlight - Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance
The Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (API PA) is the first and only statewide political organization by and for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Pennsylvania. Through electoral engagement, policy advocacy and leadership training, API PA is building long-term power for APIs in Pennsylvania and deepening solidarity with other aligned communities of color across the state. With the support from our Healthy Democracy Action Fund, API PA was able to launch culturally competent and linguistically accessible direct voter contact and political persuasion programs.
“Language justice is language access,” says Executive Director Mohan Seshadri. “It’s not just a value of ours or a moral right that our people, as Pennsylvanians and as Americans, deserve to have. It’s also a strategic and tactical necessity when it comes to reaching out to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”
Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (API PA)
In Pennsylvania, 78% of Asians and Pacific Islanders speak a language other than English at home and roughly 1 in 5 of Asian Pacific Islanders speak English less than well or not at all. Being able to meet their language needs is critical to involve more people in political conversations and get them engaged with priority issues, values, and candidates.
Launched in 2020, API PA is a fairly new organization with some great achievements already under their belt. They helped double Asian American turnout and got the highest AAPI turnout in Pennsylvania and U.S history in the 2020 election. Last year, through their statewide c3 coalition table, the AAPI PA Power Caucus, API PA had 1,600 conversations in 15 different languages, asking their communities what they wanted and needed out of state government. Whether it be education, anti-Asian violence and community safety, or climate change and the environment, the Power Caucus has assembled an inclusive issue platform and will support and resource grassroots leaders working on the ground to take action.
To learn more about how API PA is building collective power in Pennsylvania, visit apipennsylvania.org