I kicked off 2018 by facilitating a workshop on Asian American and Pacific Islander Women in Leadership at a AAPI conference at Stanford. As the women in the room, ranging from high school students to seasoned professionals, shared their experiences, I realized our struggles have not changed from past generations. Last year was celebrated as the “Year of the Woman” and yet as a woman of color, I could not fully take ownership or feel a part of that movement. The face of the movement was someone who did not look like me and did not share similar experiences growing up as a daughter of refugees.  

Today is International Women’s Day and in my reflection of that workshop, I simultaneously felt disheartened and hopeful but knew that ultimately things needed to change in order for us to truly see progress for women of color. What was I going to do differently in order to pave the way for other women of color to get there?

This past weekend, I listened to a podcast called “Teach Girls Bravery, not Perfection” by Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code. All my life, I’ve been taught that perfection is part of my identity. At home, my parents taught me how to be the ‘perfect’ Hmong daughter so that when I got married it would prepare me to be the ‘perfect’ Hmong daughter-in-law. In my professional life, I looked at draft emails way too many times before sending them; I only spoke up in meetings when I felt that I had crafted the ‘perfect’ response; and doubted my abilities in areas I knew I was strong in. In her speech, Reshma shares that in order for us (women, everyone) to progress, we need to teach young women to take risks and be comfortable with imperfection. For me, this meant I would have to unlearn what I have practiced my entire life.

“Becoming brave” isn't an overnight sensation. You don't just wake up and jump off buildings. In my own small ways, I’ve started on my own journey of bravery. In meetings, I make it a point to share my ideas first even if it’s not fully baked. When I organize, I am learning to trust my abilities and expertise in engaging my own community when others ask me how they can outreach to the Hmong and Southeast Asian communities.

It is important also to recognize that the stakes for failure as a women of color are much more dire. Many of us serve as the backbone for our families--the ones whom our parents rely on, the mentor for our siblings, the caretakers for the children, and many times the breadwinner. The risk of failure has dire consequences because when we fail--we also risk the infrastructure for those who depend on us. Thus, I also make it a point to shout out women of color who commit small acts of bravery and take risks despite the challenges they face.

So this International Women’s Day, I proudly and boldly shout from the top of my lungs that we will smash patriarchy by uplifting one another; by celebrating #BlackExcellence #LatinaPower and #NotYourAAPISidekick; by pushing safe spaces into braves spaces and committing to make small acts of bravery in our everyday lives.

OUR TIME IS NOW.

By Mai Vang, HIP Community Organizer

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I started my job as Hmong Innovating Politics’ (HIP) Community Organizer nearly six months ago and despite being fluent in Hmong, I've been having a really tough time trying to explain to my parents what it is that I do. The Hmong language is limited and does not have the vocabulary to describe my role as a community organizer. Without exact words to describe “voter engagement” or “organizing”, I end up describing processes, procedures and titles--unfortunately, I don’t always get it right.

“I find all of this to be so absurd when we call ourselves a first world country but we don’t even have the confidence to say that our citizens have access to safe drinking water.”

This month’s Equity on the Mall hosted by the Sierra Health Foundation and the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund gave me a chance to show my parents what I do and why I do it. As a Stockton native and proud resident of the Central Valley, this event was unique in that it elevated the stories and experiences of residents of the Central Valley to the forefront. We saw thousands of people from all over the Central Valley come together to call on lawmakers to step up and stand by the residents of the Central Valley. The San Joaquin Valley is home to the world’s largest agriculture industry and yet, 26% of our children are not guaranteed access to adequate food and 1 in 4 of our schools do not meet the safe drinking water standards. Many parts of Stockton face high poverty and unemployment rates that are nearly double the regional average. The low rates of civic participation can be attributed to the lack of accessibility and opportunities in these areas. I find all of this to be so absurd when we call ourselves a first world country but we don’t even have the confidence to say that ALL our citizens have access to safe drinking water.

Before I started working for HIP, I remember how furious I felt reading article after article about elected officials and their attempts to gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Growing up in the Central Valley, I knew that taking away health care from thousands of people would have a devastating impact on Hmong Americans and other vulnerable communities throughout California. It was in that moment that I knew I couldn’t stand by anymore and wait for change to happen. HIP gave me the opportunity and tools to amplify the voices of my communities. Through one of our civic engagement projects, I along with six other phone bankers collected over 170 stories from Hmong voters who directly benefited from the ACA. The goal was to capture how the ACA impacted our community and what the repeal would mean for them and their families. It was important for us to capture and transcribe these stories because we wanted to give those who may not have the ability to voice their own narratives. It is easier to stay “non-political” but for those most impacted by policies--that is not a privilege they could afford.

“The San Joaquin Valley is home to the world’s largest agriculture industry and yet, 26% of our children are not guaranteed access to adequate food and 1 in 4 of our schools do not meet the safe drinking water standards.”

I’ve spoken with many community members who have given up on the systems and felt like they had no say in the decisions that were being made. Some felt resigned to the status quo, feeling like their vote would have no impact.  It was important to have my parents there with me at Equity on the Mall, because it was an opportunity to show them that their voice and their vote is important.

I loved seeing my parents’ reaction touring the State Capitol for the first time since they came to the United States over 25 years ago. They enjoyed looking at all of the different county displays and sharing memories of the places they had been to. My parents, who rarely take photos, ended up taking photos of themselves walking up the stairs, on the benches, and in the marble hallways. They even got the opportunity to shake hands and meet our city mayor, Mayor Michael Tubbs. I hoped that this trip to the State Capitol gave my parents a chance to see that while changing systems may feel impossible, in reality, it was very tangible. That although we came from a place where we had little resources, we still possessed the power to challenge the injustice happening around us.

Hmong Innovating Politics Forms Fresno & Sacramento Organizing Network

To start 2018, Hmong Innovating Politics is thrilled and proud to announce that we are teaming up with local organizers to expand our civic empowerment and integrated voter engagement work to Fresno, California.

left to right: HIP Executive Director Cha Vang & Civic Engagement Director Mai Thao

Led by Fresno resident Mai Thao, HIP will grow its efforts to empower disenfranchised communities and elevate voices in support of social and economic justice. Mai previously served as Political Community Organizer for SEIU Local 521 and played a critical role in several local campaigns. Her organizing and voter engagement experience will help residents in Fresno grow its political power and elevate issues impacting low-income communities to the forefront.

As Mai Thao describes, “being born and raised in Fresno, I didn’t think too much about the disparities my family faced. Growing up in neighborhoods with gang violence, relying on food stamps, eating vegetables grown in our own backyard and going to the swap meet to buy basic essentials were experiences a lot of people from Fresno can resonate with. It wasn’t until I left Fresno to go to undergrad did I realize how disenfranchised and disadvantaged families in our neighborhoods were. After graduating from Cal, I came back to Fresno fueled by the belief that in order to change the circumstances of our community, we needed to do everything we could to tear down the institutional and political barriers that reinforce (and benefit from) the existing disparities. In order for individuals and entire communities to reach their full potential, I knew we had to start building power.”

The challenges that communities in Fresno and Sacramento face are unique and localized to their specific neighborhoods. However, the ingredients necessary to build power and advance a progressive vision for ALL OF CALIFORNIA will always include grassroots organizing and increasing civic engagement. We are electrified to have Mai on board because we now have a chance to grow progressive political power in the two largest Hmong communities in California.

HIP Hires New Organizer in Sacramento

In addition to expanding our organizing efforts to Fresno, we are proud to announce the hiring of Mai Vang (no relation to Mai Yang Vang), our newest community organizer in the Sacramento office. Mai graduated from UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) and returned to her hometown of Stockton, CA. As the community organizer, Mai will help drive our ongoing direct voter contact and canvassing efforts in South Sacramento and begin to expand our youth engagement work in the greater Sacramento region. Mai’s dedication and passion for community organizing and empowering young people will help take HIP’s work in Sacramento to the next level.