SEATTLE, WA — Over 2,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the country’s fastest growing racial minority group, are expected to gather at the Tacoma Dome for the statewide Asian American and Pacific Islander Democracy Summit on Sep. 15.
“We are bringing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) together to celebrate our cultural diversity and promote greater engagement in our democracy among our rapidly growing communities,” said Diane Narasaki, co-chair of King County APIC and executive director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service in Seattle. “The (free) summit will demonstrate the Asian American and Pacific Islander community’s strength, unity, and diversity, educate our voters, and inspire our community to vote. It is part of the Asian American Pacific Islander Democracy Initiative, which is mobilizing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through voter registration, voter education, candidate forums, phone banking, door knocking, and ballot parties to enable AAPI voters to make a difference in this critical election year and beyond. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders can be the margin of victory in close elections.”
The summit will bring together registered voters who speak more than 20 languages and will help register additional voters. Martha Choe, co-chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Democracy Initiative’ Honorary Committee, will be the keynote speaker. The summit will feature a gubernatorial candidate forum with interpretation in those languages.
“Gov. Jay Inslee and Bill Bryant will participate in the candidate forum, and Robert Mak will moderate,” said Narasaki.
Participants are expected from all over Washington, including King, Pierce, Snohomish, Yakima, Spokane, and Thurston counties. To date, over 80 organizations have endorsed the summit.