We organize for local, state, and national policies that will make a just Virginia for all communities. We work with our communities to identify issues and solutions, design campaigns, raise our voices as a collective, and hold decision-makers accountable.
Organizing & Advocacy
Organizing & Advocacy
We organize for local, state, and national policies that will make a just Virginia for all communities. We work with our communities to identify issues and solutions, design campaigns, raise our voices as a collective, and hold decision-makers accountable.
Current Organizing Campaigns
At Hamkae Center, our community drives our organizing campaigns. We build power with community members by identifying issues that impact us, developing community leadership, and empowering each other to take action together. We fight to expand rights for all immigrants, especially those who need it most in Virginia.
Reproductive Justice
Reproductive Justice is a human rights framework used to address and dismantle the many systemic barriers that affect people’s ability to make decisions regarding their bodies, families, and communities. Coupled with conservative values that some of our communities have internalized, many Asian Americans face systemic barriers (e.g. economic hardship, language inaccessibility, immigration/legal challenges) to access quality reproductive care and education. Reproductive justice issues are Asian American issues.
Education Equity
Virginia’s constitution guarantees residents the right to a high-quality education, which is absolutely critical to a vital community. Yet, many students, including Asian American Virginians, are barred from opportunities to access this education, effectively participate, or improve their academic experience. We’re fighting to guarantee the equitable inclusion of all marginalized communities in public school curricula, policy, and experience.
Immigrant Justice
Since the beginning, when Hamkae Center first started out as NAKASEC Virginia, we have always focused on immigrant rights, especially with our undocumented community members. We have actively fought on a federal level for DACA, as well as on a statewide level for Driver Privilege Cards and in-state tuition and financial aid for undocumented students. Currently, we are fighting for a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who call this country home, and we will continue to fight until we have full equality for all.
Language Justice
Language is a crucial part of our identities and cultures, and all Virginians deserve to be able to communicate in their preferred language. Yet, Virginia’s state and local government agencies continue to provide services primarily in English. We focus on increasing language access, especially for our Asian and Asian American community members, so we can have equitable access to resources for a safe and healthy life.
Health Access
Everyone deserves to live a healthy, happy life. However, there are barriers that impact the options people have to maintain and preserve their health. These barriers can be financial, social, cultural, and physical – and all of them directly impact our health, just as they impact our life. Virginia’s current healthcare system is not inclusive to many in our community. We want to make sure all communities, especially our undocumented Virginians, have the opportunities to live and thrive without compromising.
Policy Agendas
Another way we can win change is through policy. During the annual General Assembly session, we use our collective power to advocate for legislative and budgetary policies in Virginia that tangibly improve the lives of immigrants, communities of color, and working-class communities. Our agenda priorities are informed by current events, detailed research, and, most importantly, direct organizing with Asian Americans in Virginia.
Get Involved
If you have questions about our campaigns or want to know the latest actions to win change, contact our Organizing Team Lead, Mitch Chan, at mchan@hamkaecenter.
If you have questions about our policies or how to help advocate for issues affecting Asian Americans in Virginia, contact our Advocacy & Communications Team Lead, Suja Mathew, at smathew@hamkaecenter.org.
