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. The AAPI Power: Democracy in Action Policy Summit aims 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.
On Thursday, May 21st, the policy summit will focus on:
- Immigration enforcement, bringing together legal experts, organizers, and advocates to unpack current threats, federal funding battles, and community defense strategies
- Long-term capacity building, helping participants frame issues, counter disinformation, and communicate effectively in high-stakes environments
Program:
9:00 AM – Breakfast & Check In
10:00 AM – 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
10:30 AM – 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
11:30 AM – Lunch
12:30 PM – Keynote Speaker: Texas State Representative Gene Wu
1:30 PM – 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
1:30 PM – Breakout #2: Fighting Back Against Authoritarianism
- Karla Zombro, Movement Training Director, CA Calls
- Timmy Lu, Executive Director, AAPI FORCE-EF
- Moderator: Alton Wang, Legal Counsel, AAPI Equity Alliance
3:00 PM – Closing Remarks by Arshad Hasan of Convey Communications