APAC

About Us

Founded in 2006, the Asian Pacific American Coalition of Connecticut (APAC) is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that advocates for and empowers Asian Pacific Americans (APA) in the Nutmeg state. As an umbrella organization, we ensure the well-being of our diverse APA communities through advocacy, education, legislation, outreach, and inter- and intra-agency and community collaborations. Leading APAC are multi-generational and multi-ethnic community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to connect APA residents to one another and to resources.

OUR MISSION

To engage in advocacy, education, outreach, interagency, and community collaboration to improve the well-being of the APA community in CT.

WHAT WE DO

- Serve in an advisory role to the State of Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity by providing community perspectives and guidance on various social, educational, health, and economic development issues to different levels of government and agencies.
- Co-organize conferences and forums to identify, prioritize, and address issues affecting APAs in CT.
- Offer grant writing, legislative literacy, and community organizing workshops.
- Partners with APA- and non-APA community and cultural groups to organize cultural and social events that foster intergenerational, interethnic, and interracial community building.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Quan Tran, Co-Chair
Jenny Heikkila Diaz, Co-Chair
Haritha Subramanian, Secretary
Angela Rola, Treasurer

Let's Vote!

About APAC's Let's Vote! Initiative:

Let’s Vote! is an APAC initiative to increase AAPI voter registration and education in the state of Connecticut this summer, leading up to the November 5th, 2024 General Election.

AAPIs are the invisible minority. Data shows that AAPIs are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in this state, yet have one of the lowest voter registration rates. Our goal is to reach every AAPI community with information about why voting is important and how to register, and to register 1,000 new AAPI voters.

In April 2024, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving awarded APAC a Civic Engagement and Get Out the Vote Grant to organize AAPI voter registration at AAPI community events across the state, provide translations of voter information in up to 11 Asian languages, and drive up AAPI voter awareness overall.

Change starts from within. For this reason, we work with volunteer organizers from
within AAPI communities, who care about AAPI representation and who want to help
members of their communities understand the importance of civic engagement and
voter participation.

Let's Vote!

How Let's Vote! Works:

CHANGE COMES FROM WITHIN.

We are teaming with AAPI community members to bring voter registration and education to their members. We seek volunteer “captains” to lead registration efforts among their networks and at community events. We welcome volunteers from high school age and up. Please email info@ctapac.org if you would like to volunteer.

WE MAKE VOTER REGISTRATION EASY.

We train captains and other volunteers on the on basics of voter registration, how to assist with the application form and answer common questions, including why voting is so important. We provide a voter registration “toolkit” that includes voter registration forms as well as practical information on how to obtain absentee ballots, early voting options (new in CT for 2024!), how to verify a voter’s registration, how to confirm one’s polling locations, and how to obtain assistance at the polls. We are available to answer questions and provide inspiration and support.

WE ARE 100% NON-PARTISAN.

We do not advocate for or endorse any political party or candidate. We are working with the Connecticut Secretary of the State (SOTS), which requires all voter registration activities to be non-partisan.

LANGUAGE ACCESS.

APAC will be translating a number of SOTS informational flyers into several Asian languages.

Compete with a team to win JBL speakers 🔊

“Amplify Your Voice” Challenge