Shoulder To Shoulder With Our AAPI Communities
“I’m running for president to fight for a government that works for everyone — not just the wealthy and well-connected. Now is our moment to dream big and fight hard.” – Elizabeth Warren
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the United States today, including more than 20 million Americans who trace their roots to the Pacific Islands and East, South, and Southeast Asia. AAPI voters are working hard to thrive and support their families, but many still face unique barriers to achieving their dreams, and the diversity of the AAPI experience often remains overlooked—highlighting the need for data disaggregation and focusing on the unique challenges each community faces.
Elizabeth’s plans will help expand opportunities for everyone, including our AAPI communities — while recognizing that there is no single way to address communities of diverse needs and histories. Side by side as part of this grassroots movement, we can build an America with opportunity for each of our communities.
CREATE A FAIR AND WELCOMING IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
For much of the 20th century, a racist quota system severely limited the number of Asian immigrants allowed into the United States — and those who were here could not become US citizens. Since the passage of the landmark Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the AAPI community has grown and thrived. Elizabeth’s immigration plan would build upon this progress and recognize the important ways in which immigration policy has shaped the Asian American community.
A Warren administration will:
- Increase legal immmigration and recognize immigrants’ important contributions in creating jobs and businesses,
- Make it easier for eligible green card holders to naturalize,
- Expand family reunification by reducing the backlog of visa applications,
- Reverse the Muslim Ban on day one of Elizabeth Warren’s presidency,
- Decriminalize migration and create accountability for the abuses perpetrated during the Trump era, and
- Immediately reinstate DACA protections for our Dreamers and shield their families from deportation.
- Create a fair and achievable pathway to citizenship for the estimated 1.45 million Asian Americans who are undocumented.
INVEST IN OUR KIDS
Whether they’re planning for preschool, K-12, technical school, or college, millions of AAPI families know that a good education is the key to the American dream. Elizabeth Warren is fighting to make sure all of our kids get a chance. With just a small wealth tax on the fortunes of the top 0.1% of Americans, we can build pathways to opportunity for a whole generation. Elizabeth’s plan will:
- Provide Universal Child Care for every baby age 0 to 5 and universal pre-K. (In 2017, only 35% of Asian American children ages 3 to 5 were enrolled in preschool.)
- Raise the wages of child care workers and preschool teachers,
- Cancel student loan debt for 95% of the people who have it,
- Invest $800 billion in our public schools, and
- Provide universal free two- and four-year public college and technical school.
END THE STRANGLEHOLD OF HEALTH CARE COSTS
Last year 37 million American adults didn’t fill a prescription, 36 million people skipped a recommended test, treatment, or follow-up, and 40 million people didn’t go to a doctor to check out a health problem — all because of costs.
Asian Americans are more likely than white Americans to be uninsured, including 13% of Thai Americans, 8.1% of Vietnamese Americans, and 6.8% of Hmong Americans. An inclusive and affordable healthcare system is vital to taking care of our AAPI elders and our diverse communities. Starting on day one, Elizabeth will act to bring down the high costs of many common prescription drugs, including Insulin and EpiPens. Within her first 100 days, she will give everyone the chance to join an improved Medicare program that covers vision, hearing, mental health, dental, and long term care at little to no cost. By year three of her presidency, Elizabeth will push Congress to transition fully to Medicare for All.
Because everyone in our country should have high-quality health care.
Want more? Text AAPI to 24477
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