AAPI Organizer Spotlight: Jennifer Chau

AAPIs are getting involved in the 2020 election in unprecedented ways. Apart from taking on roles in Presidential campaigns or running for office themselves, AAPIs are organizing in their communities and making sure that everyone participates in the election of our lifetime. We’re highlighting the amazing work that AAPI organizers are doing around the country. This week, we’re highlighting the work of Jennifer Chau from Arizona.

Meet Jennifer

Jennifer Chau was born in Downtown Los Angeles' Chinatown and currently resides in Tempe, Arizona. It was her personal experience being born and raised by Chinese immigrant parents that informs her interests and work today. In her career, she has been involved in and worked with organizations focused on serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community as well as the youth for the past decade. Jennifer was the founding Executive Director of the Greater Los Angeles chapter of OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA-GLA), a national civil rights organization that is dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of the AAPI community. She moved to Arizona in 2018, and is eager to continue her work organizing with the AAPI community as well as securing civil freedoms and rights for all communities.

We sat down with Jennifer and asked her about her experience organizing.

As an organizer, how have you been gearing up for 2020? 

Recognizing that 2020 is going to be a big year in having our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities participate in the elections and Census, I decided to form a coalition of AANHPI serving organizations called Arizona AANHPI for Equity. The mission of Arizona AANHPI for Equity is to ensure that AANHPI communities are fully included in the 2020 census count and participate in the voting process. I also work with high school and college youth in training them on how to register voters and outreach on the importance of the upcoming 2020 Census to their peers on school campuses.

Why is it important that AANHPIs get involved in the 2020 elections and Census? 

According to statics, AANHPIs are the lowest racial group to turnout to vote and less likely to participate in the upcoming census. In Arizona, AANHPIs are the fastest growing racial group and is garnering much attention as a small but noticeable voting bloc in the swing state. It’s important for AANHPIs to be counted for the 2020 census because the data provides public resources such as schools, hospitals, roads, and other vital programs for the state and local communities. Arizona was in the top 5 states that were undercounted in 2010, which means the state lost millions of dollars of funding for public services. Having AANHPIs get involved with the elections and Census is crucial in heightening our communities visibility and representation. One of the slogans that our coalition came up with is “don’t count us out”, which speaks upon the narrative that we don’t want to be overlooked anymore and ready to be seen and heard in the political process and Census. There are challenges such as language barriers and intentional outreach to our communities in engagement in the voting process and Census.  By building a strong AANHPI grassroots coalition, we hope to tackle these challenges and increase 2020 voter and Census participation.