Robin Toma, Executive Director, LA County Human Relations Commission

Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director of AAPI Equity 

Rachelle Arizmendi, Board President, AAPI Equity Alliance

Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy, CAA

Sara Sadhwani, Assistant Professor, Pomona College

Jung Hee Choi, Sr. Narrative Strategy Advisor, We Are CA

Chandra Bhatnagar, Executive Director, ACLU SoCal

Hoang Nguyen

TX State Representative Gene Wu

Dahni K. Tsuboi, CEO, Advancing Justice SoCal

Kim Luu-Ng, Of Counsel, Reeves Immigration Law Group

 Annie Lee, Director of Policy, CAA/Stop AAPI Hate

Kelvin Lum, Director of Federal Policy, AAPI Equity

Karla Zombro, Movement Training Director, CA Calls

Timmy Lu, Executive Director, AAPI FORCE-EF

Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director, Pilipino Workers Center

Alton Wang, Legal Counsel, AAPI Equity Alliance

Arshad Hasan, Principal, Convey Communications

AAPI Power: Democracy in Action Policy Summit

AAPI Equity Alliance

Join the conversation on how to resist authoritarianism and defend democracy ahead of the midterm election.

California Science Center

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.This one-day convening will focus on:<ol><li>Immigration enforcement, bringing together legal experts, organizers, and advocates to unpack current threats, federal funding battles, and community defense strategies</li><li>Long-term capacity building, helping participants frame issues, counter disinformation, and communicate effectively in high-stakes environments</li></ol>Program:9:00 AM – Breakfast10:00 AM – Opening Remarks<ul><li>Robin Toma, Executive Director, LA County Human Relations Commission</li><li>Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director, AAPI Equity Alliance</li><li>Rachelle Arizmendi, Board President, AAPI Equity Alliance</li></ul>10:30 AM – Panel: The 2026 Elections &amp; AAPIs — What's at Stake, What the Data Shows, and What We Do Next<ul><li>Chandra Bhatnagar, Executive Director, ACLU SoCal</li><li>Jung Hee Choi, Sr. Narrative Strategy Advisor, We Are CA</li><li>Sara Sadhwani, Assistant Professor, Pomona College</li><li>Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy, Chinese for Affirmative Action</li><li>Moderator: Hoang Nguyễn</li></ul>11:30 AM – Lunch12:30 PM – Opening Keynote: Texas State Representative Gene Wu1:30 PM – Breakout #1: Countering the Anti-Immigrant Agenda<ul><li>Dahni K. Tsuboi, CEO, Advancing Justice SoCal</li><li>Kim Luu-Ng, Of Counsel, Reeves Immigration Law Group</li><li>Annie Lee, Director of Policy, Chinese for Affirmative Action &amp; Stop AAPI Hate</li><li>Moderator: Kelvin Lum, Director of Federal Policy, Stop AAPI Hate</li></ul>1:30 PM - Breakout #2: Fighting Back Against Authoritarianism<ul><li>Timmy Lu, Executive Director, AAPI FORCE-EF</li><li>Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director, Pilipino Workers Center</li><li>Karla Zombro, Movement Training Director, CA Calls</li><li>Moderator: Alton Wang, Legal Counsel, AAPI Equity Alliance</li></ul>3:00 PM – Closing Keynote: Arshad Hasan of Convey Communications

Agenda

Breakfast & Check In

Opening Remarks

The 2026 midterms arrive at a defining moment. With federal policies dismantling civil and immigration rights as well as the social safety net, AAPI communities have more at stake than ever — and more power than many realize. But our power is only as strong as our participation, and there is still work to do. The panelists will present the data on AAPI voting power, discuss the strategies of electoral organizing and communications, and connect it all to the constitutional stakes with the rollbacks of voting rights and civil liberties. This is not a panel about what might happen. It is about what we know, what we're up against, and exactly what we are going to do. Moderated by Hoang Nguyen. 

Opening Plenary: The 2026 Elections & AAPIs 

Lunch

Opening Keynote

Attendees will learn how advocacy efforts are happening at the federal, state, and local government level to fight back against Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. Attendees will also learn about ways to support and plug into those various advocacy efforts.

Breakout #1: Countering the Anti-Immigrant Agenda

California has a critical role to play in the fight against authoritarianism, and our AAPI communities are a key part of this fight. We'll discuss the infrastructure of resistance, strategies, and concrete tools for the fight ahead.

Breakout #2: Fighting Back Against Authoritarianism 

Closing Keynote 

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AAPI Power: Democracy in Action Policy Summit

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AAPI Power: Democracy in Action Policy Summit

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