CHANGE

Starts With You

Mission

ONE APIA TEXAS exists to promote issues of importance to the APIA community in Texas:

  • Housing & Environmental Justice. Like all Texans impacted by the Great Recession, the APIA community in Texas is concerned with affordable housing and the growing uncertainty about the housing market. In addition, the APIA community still faces challenges to access equal housing opportunity in Texas. There is also a growing awareness of the impact of climate change and environmental justice issues in the APIA community for which One APIA Texas will work to educate and raise awareness of these issues.

  • Immigration. The APIA community is one of the largest and fastest-growing immigrant communities in the United States. Presently in Texas, there are misconceptions about how federal immigration policy impacts the APIA community. One APIA Texas will help the APIA community learn about and mobilize on this issue, for example, by explaining how cuts to family reunification categories would substantially restrict the modes of entry into the United States heavily relied upon by APIA community.

  • Education. Texas currently ranks among the last of the 50 states and DC in public education. Within the APIA community, there is a need to dispel the ‘model minority’ myth and ensure that policy platforms prioritize education and the needs of APIA students from K12 and beyond.

  • Economic Empowerment. The APIA community is very diverse with a significant portion of the population in lower income employment or face challenges understanding and/or accessing programs for entrepreneurs. The raising of the minimum wage to a living wage and the accessibility of paid family leave are issues that impact the majority of working people. The APIA community, like all Texans, should not have to choose between caring for family or earning a paycheck. Advocating for paid family leave will also help to close the wage gap especially for working APIA women.

  • Equitable Access. The APIA community is very diverse where a majority of people are first generation immigrants. Language accessibility and community outreach is not always taken into consideration for community programs.

  • Healthcare. Within the APIA community, healthcare remains a top concern, but the policy issues can sometimes be misunderstood. One APIA Texas will work with the APIA community to educate on the issue of healthcare policy, particularly among retirees and youth.

ONE APIA TEXAS—created by Texans, based in Texas—will serve as a long-term organization from which our community can build a base for work in the APIA community. We seek to empower the APIA community to be actively engaged in issues that impact their lives.

Program Activities

In addition to educating about issues, One APIA Texas aims to identify APIA voters, communicate with voters, and turn them out to vote. One APIA Texas fills in the gaps that exist in current voter outreach to APIA voters. The goals for One APIA Texas intend to shift historic trends and build long-term capacity among APIA voters. One APIA Texas will engage voters in-language and with messages that resonate with APIA voters. In addition, One APIA Texas will be on the ground year-round to engage the APIA community on important issues.

One APIA Texas will employ a number of tactics to achieve our overall strategy. To reach, educate, and turnout voters, we will engage in base and membership building, earned and paid media, and field programs. Geographically, One APIA Texas is based in Houston, Texas and is focusing on the statewide APIA community, specifically the population centers of the state in Greater Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth.