AACI Advocacy advocacy, civic engagement, equity, racial justice- AACI

About Advocacy at AACI

AACI advocates on behalf of our clients to decision makers and elected officials, partnering with them to bring healthcare resources to underserved neighborhoods. Our advocacy agenda is shaped by the issues that affect our patients and clients. Through our work and the coalitions and partnerships we foster, we work to tackle issues like

equity and racial justice
aging and caregiving
immigration
voter registration
public charge
housing, and more.

Coalitions & Partnerships

AACI’s advocacy is built on the strong partnerships we’ve made other community-based organizations. Together, we’re able to tackle issues and challenges in our community

REAL Racial Equity Coalition: AACI is on the steering committee of the Race Equity Action Leadership (REAL) coalition – a partnership of over 50 community-based organizations and dozens of affiliates who engage with local government to advance equity and promote restorative justice in Santa Clara County.
API Justice Coalition: AACI is a co-convener of the Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Justice Coalition – a space where organizations that serve API communities come together to discuss the most pressing issues facing these communities and developing advocacy, resource, and programmatic strategies to address them.
Long-Term Supportive Services (LTSS) Integration Committee: AACI is an active member of the LTSS Integration Committee, whose goal is to advocate for the expansion of community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities,

Engaging Elected Officials and Policymakers

AACI works with elected officials and other policymakers at the city, county, state, and federal levels to make sure they’re aware of the most pressing challenges our clients and communities are facing. Working with many special populations (e.g. recently arrived immigrants & refugees, survivors of domestic violence & human trafficking, low-income communities, communities with limited English proficiency, etc.) we make sure that their needs are not overlooked as we work with policymakers to develop solutions to these challenges.

Community Capacity Building

AACI engages directly with local organizations and community members to provide trainings, workshops, and other resources to raise awareness of issues impacting Santa Clara County residents and teach skills on how to engage in effective local advocacy.

Advocacy also works with AACI’s healthcare and outreach teams, like the Health Center, Patient Navigator, and Community Health Worker programs to bring health education and resources to the community at health fairs and other events.

Resources for Immigrant Individuals and Families

AACI has compiled resources to support requests for information about what families can do to prepare in case a family member is detained or deported by immigration agents. This information to other non-profit organizations that provide assistance to attorneys and community-based advocates that work with immigrants around the country.

Immigrant Resources

Trainings Available

AACI’s Advocacy Team provides trainings and workshops to help organizations and community member better understand issues impacting the community and engage in local advocacy, on topics like:

Community-Based Advocacy Strategies
Power-Mapping
Having Difficult Conversations with Loved Ones
Identity & Intersectionality

Our Advocacy History

AACI was founded in 1973 by a grassroots group of 12 community advocates who spoke out against racial injustice. AACI was created to advocate for and serve the Southeast Asian refugees that were resettling in the Bay Area at that time. We started by providing culturally competent mental health services and over the past 50 years our services have expanded to meet the needs of the community. Click below to see some highlights of AACI’s Advocacy work over the past 50 years.

Learn more about our History

News & Media

Check out noteworthy AACI news, statements and press releases.

View News & Media

Accomplishments

Statewide Advocacy for Survivors

AACI partnered with the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence along with over 200 domestic violence and sexual assault survivors and advocates from across the state to advocate for state funding for lifesaving services like emergency shelter, counseling, and legal aid in the face of huge cuts at the federal level. Together, the coalition met with almost 100 legislators, which led to the state including $103 million in the state budget for victim services.

See an op-ed on this issue co-authored by AACI at Op-ed: Federal cuts threaten funding for Santa Clara County abuse victims

Afghan Resettlement Townhall

In the wake of the massive evacuation efforts by the United States from Afghanistan, AACI commemorated the six-month anniversary of Afghan refugees arriving in Santa Clara County by hosting an Afghan Resettlement Virtual Town Hall. Hear from local elected officials and refugee services organizations as they provide updates on how resettled Afghan individuals and families are settling in, what successes they’ve had, and what challenges they continue to face.

This event was co-sponsored by the County of Santa Clara Office of Immigrant Relations and the Refugee and Immigrant Forum of Santa Clara County. See a recording of the event at 2022 Afghan Resettlement Virtual Townhall

Spotlight: AACI CEO Sarita Kohli’s Remarks from Stop AAPI Hate Rally