SPLC Action Fund Partner Spotlight: Asian American Advocacy Fund

This week we celebrate one of the SPLC Action Fund’s long-standing partners in the fight for racial justice in Georgia – the Asian American Advocacy Fund (AAAF). The group provided the following responses when asked about their work, their reflections on the past year and their vision for the future of this state.

What is the mission and vision of the AAAF?  

The Asian American Advocacy Fund’s mission is to advocate for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians in Georgia. Through a combination of policy advocacy at local, state and federal levels, and by supporting candidates who believe in our values, we fight to create a better Georgia for us all. Our vision is a Georgia where the voices of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians are represented in elected leadership and progressive policies across the state.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the work of AAAF?

COVID-19 has impacted our community members in so many ways. It has created an uptick in violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) both in Georgia and nationwide, and small AAPI businesses have been suffering. Consequently, our work to support our community members matters even more. In the 2020 election cycle, we supported and endorsed candidates who would speak out against AAPI violence and supported small business relief for our community members.

We know systems of white supremacy that uphold anti-Asian racism in our community impacts us at every level. With the rise in violence against the AAPI community, we are reminded that people representing us at municipal, county, state and federal levels have an impact on AAPIs in Georgia. AAAF continues to engage with our communities to encourage them to hold our elected officials accountable and support candidates who actively fight anti-Asian racism.

What were some of the lessons that AAAF learned during the 2020 election and 2021 runoff?

A lesson we learned in the 2020 election and the 2021 Senate runoff was the importance of speaking the languages of our communities, both literally and figuratively. By mobilizing phone bankers and canvassers to connect with voters in their languages, voters felt more included in the civic engagement process and had materials that explained why it was important for them to vote and the issues that were on the ballot. Our in-language materials focused on issues that mattered most to our communities and reminded community members what was at stake in a way they could understand.

What were some of the victories and disappointments for AAAF during this past legislative session?

A major disappointment was the passage of the Jim Crow-style voter bill, SB 202. In the November 2020 election, AAPI communities turned out to vote in monumental numbers. We know that 85% of AAPIs voted early or voted by mail; SB 202 is a direct threat to AAPI’s access to the ballot because it unduly restricts the way our communities prefer to vote. By shortening the period to request and return absentee ballots, limiting access to ballot drop boxes and slashing early voting hours, we foresee many of our community members struggling to secure access to their ballot in future elections.

A victory for the 2021 legislative session was the reintroduction of HB 833, also known as the Freedom to Drive (FTD) bill. This bill will provide an alternative card for those who can’t meet strict and onerous federal requirements for a regular driver’s license. Two years ago, we worked together with a broad coalition of advocates and legislators to introduce this bill. Sadly, it did not pass the Legislature. However, we won’t give up, because driving is essential to everyday life in Georgia and we should all have access to a driver’s license or a driver privilege card as proposed in HB 833, which is now among the bills introduced for the two-year legislative cycle that began this year.

HB 833 will improve public safety, boost our economy and help families thrive. The FTD bill was introduced by Reps. Bee Nguyen, Kim Schofield, Marvin Lim, Sam Park, Pedro Marin and William Boddie. AAAF is excited to work alongside partner organizations to educate our communities on the importance of this legislation and how it impacts us most.

How do you think the Asian American community will impact the future of the state of Georgia?

AAPIs are not a monolith. We are professionals, students, organizers, essential workers, leaders and so much more. We are recognizing our collective power and reclaiming our space: More AAPIs are running for office and paving the way for more AAPI voices at the table. Now we have five AAPI representatives in the Georgia Legislature who are fighting for our communities, and many more at local levels.

Asian Americans are an important voting bloc. After the 2020 elections and the 2021 Senate runoffs, we’ve seen that Asian American voters can be the deciding vote. We’ve voiced our concerns before, but with so many of our community members being impacted by the pandemic and hateful anti-Asian rhetoric, our community members helped flip Georgia twice. AAPIs are no longer silent – we are here, we are showing up, and we are ready to advocate for a better Georgia, for us and for all.

To learn more about AAAF, visit www.asianamericanadvocacyfund.org.

Isabel Otero is a policy associate for the SPLC Action Fund in Georgia.

Photo at top: Staff from the SPLC Action Fund, the Asian American Advocacy Fund and many others who won victories together gathered for a photo on the last day of the Georgia legislative session on April 2, 2021. (Credit: Kevin Lowery)