Redistricting 2011

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PROTECT THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY VOICE IN THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS

What is redistricting?

Every ten years, after the census, we draw new district maps for Congress, the California legislature, county boards of supervisors, and city councils. These maps show the boundaries of each district. When we redraw the maps every ten years, we change the boundaries so that each district contains the same number of people. This process is called redistricting. The next time redistricting will happen is in 2011.

Why does redistricting matter?

In past redistrictings, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have been fragmented by district boundaries. For example, in the 2001 redistricting, the San Jose neighborhood of Berryessa was split among four State Assembly districts, even though over half of Berryessa’s population is AAPI.

District boundaries that split AAPI communities like this weaken the political voice of AAPI communities. When AAPI communities are fragmented, they do not make up a significant portion of any one district. This diminishes their ability to get their elected representatives to address their needs.

Who draws the lines?

A new redistricting commission will draw the maps for the State Senate and Assembly. The commission will decide whether AAPI communities are fragmented unfairly or kept whole in 2011. In order to help the commission make its decisions, the commission will hold public meetings across California and listen to testimony from residents about their communities and neighborhoods.

How can you get involved?

AAPI community members must provide input to ensure that the redistricting commission knows where the AAPI communities are located when it draws the maps. The Asian Law Caucus, a member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, is working with the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans for Fair Redistricting (CAPAFR) to bring community members together. Beginning in the summer of 2010, CAPAFR will conduct a series of AAPI community meetings to talk to community members about how the lines should be drawn to protect the AAPI communities. CAPAFR plans to submit proposed maps to the redistricting commission based on the community input.

For more information about redistricting or the series of meetings, please contact the Asian Law Caucus at CAPAFR2011@gmail.com or visit www.capafr.org.

ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY REDISTRICTING MEETING

In order to present accurate State Senate and Assembly maps before the redistricting commission, the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans for Fair Redistricting (CAPAFR) is holding a series of meetings to get community input.

All are welcome. Community members who have an understanding of the AAPI community in their area are encouraged to participate. To succeed, CAPAFR will need individuals who have an understanding of any of the following in San Francisco & San Mateo County:

areas with large number of AAPI residents
AAPI cultural centers, including religious institutions
AAPI immigrant-related services
commercial centers for AAPI businesses
history of the AAPI communities, including refugees and service members
concerns of the AAPI communities, including housing, jobs, education, and public safety
land use restrictions, including residential and commercial zoning
education and job opportunities for AAPIs
public infrastructures including utilities and transportation
AAPI media centers

The 3rd community meeting is scheduled for:

February 24th, 2011

5:30pm-8:00pm

Asian Law Caucus, Community Room

55 Columbus Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94111

To RSVP, contact:

Carlo De La Cruz

CAPAFR2011@gmail.com 415-848-7721

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For a printer friendly version of this announcement click here: Redistricting Community Mtg (.pdf)

For more information about the commission or the workshops, call: Asian Law Caucus at (415) 896-1701 ext. 121, Asian Law Alliance (408) 287-9710, East Bay Asian Voter Education Consortium (925) 933-6778 or visit http://www.tinyurl.com/capafr2011.

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ASIAN LAW CAUCUS (ALC) - The mission of the Asian Law Caucus is to promote, advance, and represent the legal and civil rights of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, the Asian Law Caucus is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income and Asian and Pacific Islanders.

Asian Law Alliance (ALA) – Over the past 32 years as a nonprofit corporation, the Asian Law Alliance has helped tens of thousands of people in obtaining decent housing, justice in the immigration process, and access to basic human and legal rights. Today, Asian/Pacific Islanders continue to be denied fundamental rights. ALA continues to keep its doors open for those individuals who are limited in English, who do not understand the legal system, who cannot afford legal fees and who face the reality of discrimination.

The East Bay Asian Voter Education Consortium (EBAVEC) was organized to collaborate and coordinate the voter education activities of API organizations in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. EBAVEC was formed in the early 1990s for the purpose of educating Asian Americans regarding (i) the election process, (ii) voter registration procedures, (iii) qualifications for American citizenship and voting, and (iv) equal and full participation of all citizens in the electoral process and (v) community issues of concern within the Oakland and East Bay community.

For a printer friendly version of this page, click the PDF link below:

ALC_Redistricting Press Release 02-08-10 (Chinese) (Vietnamese) (Korean)

State Auditor’s Press Release Addressing Deadline Extension