Research & Advocacy

What we mean by research & advocacy

As an advocacy organization, APIAVote-MI has been hard at work building power at our grassroots, arming our community with the knowledge, research, training, and leadership development that empowers our community members to play an active role in our democracy. This includes looking at the institutional and structural barriers that face our community including around language access, immigrant rights, and democracy reform. Check out a sample of the research APIAVote-MI and our partners have done here.

The Asian American Engagement Coalition (AAEC) began in 2014 to work toward a more unified Asian American Voice in Michigan. One of AAEC’s primary goals is to identify shared issues on which we can work with legislators and other policy-makers to ensure the voices of Asian Americans are at the table, particularly the most vulnerable in our community.

As the coalition convener, APIAVote-MI began the coalition by engaging long-time partners with a demonstrated history of collaborative work and commitment to civic engagement in the greater Asian American community. The coalition may expand in the coming years to include more community partners. Collectively, the coalition works primarily with Asian Americans in Southeast Michigan, particularly Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties. On occasion, coalition partners will work in Kent County where there is also a high density of Asian Americans.

The Asian American Engagement Coalition (AAEC)

our coalition partners

American Citizens for Justice (ACJ) aims to provide civil rights advocacy and education on behalf of the Asian Pacific American Community in Michigan, to work in coalition with other civil rights organizations for the advancement of Asian Pacific Americans and other communities of color, and to promote better understanding of the needs of the Asian Pacific American community in the Detroit area.

Bangladeshi American Public Affairs Committee (BAPAC) was formed to promote the values and principles of the United States Constitution among the Bangladeshi Americans; to enhance the awareness of the rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States; and to provide Bangladeshi Americans with an institution to legally organize as a group to exercise their political rights.

Healthy Asian Americans Project (HAAP) has been a lead organization in promoting health and wellbeing and serving the health needs of Asian American communities in Michigan. Since 1996, HAAP has taken the leadership in initiating important health projects focusing on breast & cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, chronic diseases, hepatitis B and recently Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment in the Asian American community.

Mai Family Services (MFS) provides confidential and professional services and promotes awareness of mental health problems, domestic violence and other issues through community education and outreach. Mai Family Services serves to be the primary resource for intervention and prevention services for the South Asian community of Michigan.

National Federation of Filipino American Association (NaFFAA) has been the standard bearer for promoting the welfare and well-being of all Filipinos and Filipino-Americans throughout Michigan. NaFFAA promotes active participation of Filipino Americans in civic and national affairs and in all other aspects of mainstream America, works to secure social justice, equal opportunity and fair treatment of Filipino Americans through advocacy, legislative, and policy initiatives at all levels of government, and strengthens community institutions that promote the cultural heritage of Filipinos.