Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are facing unprecedented threats to civil rights and rapidly shifting policy landscapes at the local, state, and federal levels.
On May 21, 2026, AAPI Equity Alliance hosted the AAPI Power: Democracy in Action Policy Summit to strengthen democratic participation, build cross-sector alignment, and equip AAPI leaders with the tools, relationships, and strategies needed to meet this moment with clarity and power.
Thank you to our speakers:
Opening Keynote: Texas State Representative Gene Wu
Closing Keynote: Arshad Hasan of Convey Communications
Opening Remarks:
- Robin Toma, Executive Director, LA County Human Relations Commission
- Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director, AAPI Equity Alliance
- Rachelle Arizmendi, Board President, AAPI Equity Alliance
Opening Plenary: The 2026 Elections & AAPIs — What’s at Stake, What the Data Shows, and What We Do Next
- Chandra Bhatnagar, Executive Director, ACLU SoCal
- Jung Hee Choi, Sr. Narrative Strategy Advisor, We Are CA
- Sara Sadhwani, Assistant Professor, Pomona College
- Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy, Chinese for Affirmative Action
- Moderator: Hoang Nguyen, Deputy Executive Director, JanePAC
Breakout #1: Countering the Anti-Immigrant Agenda
- Dahni K. Tsuboi, CEO, Advancing Justice SoCal
- Kim Luu-Ng, Of Counsel, Reeves Immigration Law Group
- Annie Lee, Director of Policy, Chinese for Affirmative Action & Stop AAPI Hate
- Moderator: Kelvin Lum, Director of Federal Policy, Stop AAPI Hate
Breakout #2: Fighting Back Against Authoritarianism
- Karla Zombro, Movement Training Director, CA Calls
- Timmy Lu, Executive Director, AAPI FORCE-EF
- Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director, Pilipino Workers Center
- Moderator: Alton Wang, Legal Counsel, AAPI Equity Alliance