National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Applauds Historic Platform that Addresses Priorities and Concerns of the AAPI Community

Last month, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) testified before the Democratic National Convention Platform Drafting Committee, providing recommendations for how the Democratic party platform could address the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.  Last night, the 2016 Democratic Party Platform was ratified, and it adopts many recommendations from NCAPA and its member organizations.

“There is no question that this platform is the most inclusive of the AAPI community in history,” said NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang. “It adopts our overarching priorities that would resonate throughout government: a theme of inclusion; an understanding that data should be disaggregated to fully address AAPI needs; and a belief that government services should be culturally and linguistically appropriate.”

“This platform does even more than adopt dozens of our recommendations that would significantly improve the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” Kang continued.  “As the Preamble recognizes Larry Itliong’s contribution to the labor movement and struggle for racial justice, it gives voice to our story and our history. From top to bottom, this platform demonstrates that AAPIs have been and always will be woven into the fabric of our nation.”

Additional recommendations made by NCAPA and its member organizations that were adopted include:

• Ending systemic racism and condemning divisive rhetoric and hate speech;
• Ending discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability;
• Ending racial profiling that targets individuals solely on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin;
• Pushing for comprehensive immigration reform and fixing family immigration backlogs;
• Restoring the Voting Rights Act, ensuring that election officials comply with provisions mandating bilingual materials and voter assistance, and supporting early voting and same day voter registration;
• Preserving and enhancing the integrity and accuracy of the Census and the American Community Survey;
• Ensuring that all Americans have access to quality health care—regardless of immigration status, expanding Community Health Centers, and recognizing the importance of treating mental health;
• Securing reproductive justice;
• Supporting self-governance and self-determination of Native Hawaiians, honoring the people of the territories, and addressing unique Pacific Islander health care challenges;
• Supporting a higher minimum wage, pay equity, and workers’ right to organize and join unions;
• Closing the racial wealth gap, including for certain AAPI subgroups;
• Expanding programs to prevent the displacement of existing residents, especially in communities of color, reforming the tax code to be more equitable for all, and supporting small businesses, including improved access to capital;
• Reforming the criminal justice system, including the discriminatory treatment of AAPIs; and
• Supporting stronger gun control

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we do not support or oppose political candidates or parties. We work with both political parties to educate them about issues of importance to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

###

Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.